Last year it was a hopped up version of E-Transit donned the “Ford SuperVan 4.2.”.
This year Ford Performance is headed back to the twisting mountain roads of Pikes Peak with a sizzling version of the F-150 Lightning dubbed the SuperTruck.
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) is an annual event held in Colorado which attracts entries from around the world.
The steep 20km course climbs through 156 turns and 1440 metres of elevation to finish at 4302 metres above sea level, earning the description “the race to the clouds.”
Ford vehicles have competed in the hill climb since the inaugural event way back in 1916 when it entered a Model T.
This year’s event, the 102nd Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, will take place late in June sponsored by Gran Turismo.
Like last year’s 1050kW SuperVan, the F-150 is likely to undergo a complete rebuild for the event.
Driver Romain Dumas returns behind the wheel of the SuperTruck which will be competitor #150 when it makes its qualifying run in Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 18-20.
The Hill Climb follows on June 23.
This is the second consecutive year Ford has taken an electric test vehicle to the competition at Pikes Peak.
The E-Transit SuperVan set a class record en route to a victory there in 2023.
Running electric test vehicles allows Ford to push the boundaries of EV powertrains in the most extreme conditions.
Like other motorsport events it uses the information to enhance its production vehicles.
These performance-minded rolling laboratories facilitate the development of components such as motors, inverters, and battery packs, as well as informing software calibration and battery cell chemistry, among other areas.
More details of the SuperTruck will be revealed closer to the event.
Sebastien Loeb takes the win and record at Pikes Peak, 2012.
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