In honor of the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb this upcoming weekend, let’s take a look back at history and watch this stunning, award winning film called “Climb Dance”. After Peugeot got out of WRC after the end of Group B rallying (the year I was born, 1986), they took a trip to Colorado to participate in the world famous hill climb. The car featured is a Peugeot 405 T16, with 600hp, big aero, 4wd & 4 wheel steering. Driver Ari Vatanen, who turned race car driver into politician & is currently a candidate to become the next FIA president, piloted the Peugeot to a historic win.
To say this hill climb takes balls, would be an understatement. Drop offs around every corner up the 12.42 mile “Race to the Clouds”, there are over 156 turns and the elevation goes from 4,721 ft at the start to the end of 9,390 ft. The track record to date, is from 2007 as Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima drove his 1000hp Suzuki XL7 Hill Climb Special to the time of 10:01.408, beating the previous 13 yr old record set by Rod Millen in 1994 of 10:04.06. The goal for the top teams this year to break the magical 9 minute barrier.
