Rivian’s new high-powered Ascend Quad Max R1T variant will race up Pike’s Peak, one of many longest-running and most tough races on the planet, this weekend.
The Pike’s Peak Worldwide Hill Climb is among the longest-running races on the planet, being held 102 occasions since 1916.
It’s a famously tough race, beginning at an already-high 9,390ft (2,862m) in elevation and ending at 14,110ft (4,300m), with a median 7.2% vertical grade. Till 2011, the monitor was largely unpaved on dust or gravel roads, and it isn’t unusual for vehicles to depart the monitor and crash into the woods or, worse, find yourself tumbling down the mountain. The race can also be generally stopped by rain, snow, fog, or different inclement climate of the kind you generally get on the high of mountains.
Specifically, the excessive altitude nature of the race (which earned it the nickname “Race to the Clouds”) has all the time been tough, as a result of at excessive altitudes there’s much less oxygen, which implies much less full combustion of gasoline. Which means that gas-powered race automobiles must have extremely outsized engines to do properly.
That problem doesn’t apply to electrical automobiles since EVs don’t want oxygen for combustion, so for years EVs have overperformed within the race. At present the all-time report for the 12.42-mile hillclimb is 7:57.148, set by the Volkswagen ID.R in 2018. And this yr, an EV (Acura ZDX) would be the tempo automotive for the primary time, and Hyundai is bringing its enjoyable Ioniq 5N, hoping for a report amongst EV crossovers.
We’ve additionally seen some wild ideas, like Ford’s SuperVan made out of an E-Transit final yr, and this yr’s comparable 1,400hp SuperTruck based mostly on an F-150 Lightning (the enormous wing on every automobile can also be a mirrored image of the race’s excessive altitude – thinner air means it’s tougher to create downforce from aerodynamic components).
Rivian’s entry is rather less wild than these, consisting of a inventory R1T – however with Rivian’s new upgraded “Ascend Quad Max” trim, which Fred examined earlier this month. This ups the torque and horsepower to 1,198lb-ft and 1,025hp respectively, a lot larger than the earlier 835hp top-spec. It’s not fairly as a lot because the SuperTruck’s 1,400hp, however the R1T is inventory and the SuperTruck is modified, so that they’re enjoying on totally different fields.
Rivian ran the race earlier than, final yr, additionally in an R1T. However that was earlier than this yr’s refresh which will increase energy considerably. Right here’s a video about that entry, pushed by Gardner Nichols, who returns this yr to drive the up to date R1T:
Rivian clocked a 11:23.983, which is the report for any manufacturing truck, gasoline or electrical, and places it forward of previous runs by the likes of Faraday Future and a Tesla P90D. However the R1T remains to be behind the present electrical exhibition class report of 11:02.802 by a Tesla Mannequin 3 Efficiency – which weighs about half as a lot because the R1T’s 7,000+lb heft.
With the R1T Quad Max Ascend’s elevated energy – almost a 200hp improve over the 835hp of the 2022 mannequin it ran final yr – it ought to be capable of enhance on that point. This might not be sufficient to interrupt the 11 minute barrier, nevertheless it may very well be shut.
In preparation for the race, Rivian has already been noticed in a parking zone getting their outfit arrange for operating, with colourful livery and new “Rivian Journey Division” branding on its automobiles. Rivian is even utilizing certainly one of its RCV business vans as a workforce van.
The race occasion is that this weekend at Pike’s Peak, Colorado. Observe runs begin as we speak and undergo Friday, with race day on Sunday the twenty third. Rivian arrange a web site to direct fanatics to the place to purchase tickets (or the place to order an R1T Quad), however in line with the Pike’s Peak web site, it seems like tickets are bought out. So that you’ll should watch the official race day livestream on Mobil 1’s YouTube channel or atone for Pike’s Peak’s YouTube as a substitute.
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