Mitsubishi i Pikes Peak rally car

Mitsubishi i Pikes Peak rally car

Tuesday 22nd May 2012

Mitsubishi rolls in to electric Pikes Peak battle

Quirky three-motor i-MiEV Evo guns for zero-emissions honours



As far as weird racers go this car, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV Evolution, has to rank pretty high on the odd-ometer.

It's been designed to compete at this year's Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in July this year and uses the same motor, drive battery and other major components as the production i-MiEV, but fitted to a specially-designed body which uses a spaceframe chassis and a carbon fibre body panels.

Well, we say 'the same motor', but actually the i-MiEV Evolution uses three of the stock i-MiEV's motors, one driving the front wheels and two driving the rear wheels, giving 240KW of power (thats around 325hp).

Mitsubishi will also be propelling two more near-standard i-MiEVs up the Colorado hill, but it's the quirkily shaped Evolution version (which for reference is around the same size as an Evo X) that we'll be most interested in. Though Monster Tajima's own electric efforts or a certain RS200 might just grab a little more of our attention...

 

 

Author
Discussion

myhandle

Original Poster:

1,182 posts

173 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
The longer you look at it, the less strange it appears. The central domed roof follows the design theme of the i hatchback to some degree. Let's hope the batteries are up to the challenge of the Peak!

M@1975

591 posts

226 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
Odd, but should be interesting to see how it performs!

SmartVenom

462 posts

168 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
It just doesn't look full size in the picture, more like one of hot-wheels crazy creations.

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

203 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
Cool i love a fire breathing pikes peak car

M@1975

591 posts

226 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
Just saw that Beccy Gordon is going to be driving it!

http://www.usacracing.com/ppihc/news_ppihc/5273.ht...

Krikkit

26,500 posts

180 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
It just looks like an iMEV that's crashed into the back of a prototype! Should be interesting to watch nonetheless, although I'd rather see Monster in a proper car rather than a jumped up RC toy.

TinyCappo

2,106 posts

152 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
As long as it sounds like a Tie Fighter when it flys up that hill im all for this go electric malarky. Going to watch this with interest. If it sounds like a disinterested fridge then im out.

swifthobo

869 posts

169 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
Atleast Mr Tajima's car looks better I wish him luck! shame he is no longer in a crazy suzuki frown

VR6 Turbo

2,214 posts

153 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
thinfourth2 said:
Cool i love a fire breathing pikes peak car
this wont though? unless it all goes tits up.

VR

rhinochopig

17,932 posts

197 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
swifthobo said:
Atleast Mr Tajima's car looks better I wish him luck! shame he is no longer in a crazy suzuki frown
That's hilarious, it really is life imitating art. It really really needs a batman sign on it. Wonder if it corners using grappling hooks.

Chris71

21,535 posts

241 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
M@1975 said:
Just saw that Beccy Gordon is going to be driving it!

http://www.usacracing.com/ppihc/news_ppihc/5273.ht...
It's slightly ironic that they've chosen two off road racers in the year that Pikes Peak switches to a full tarmac course.

Parsnip

3,122 posts

187 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
A 1000hp fire breathing turbo mentalmobile going sideways on gravel or a 325hp mobility scooter pootling up a tarmac road?

It's a toughie for sure...

RenesisEvo

3,602 posts

218 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
Parsnip said:
A 1000hp fire breathing turbo mentalmobile going sideways on gravel or a 325hp mobility scooter pootling up a tarmac road?

It's a toughie for sure...
Electric power should be an advantage at Pikes Peak. At the top of the climb the air is much thinner, so normal internal combustion engines generally struggle to generate the same level as power as at the bottom of the hill, as they can't get enough air. Turbos help to a point, but still suffer. You could lose 10% or more. Electric motors don't have this issue, so can provide the same power all the way through the climb. And with many hairpins, having huge torque available from low rpms could also help.

I agree, however, that from a spectator point of view, it's not a hard choice. Sadly there won't be much gravel left soon anyway.

Baryonyx

17,990 posts

158 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
It'll be interesting to see how these electric cars fare at Pikes Peak. Still, the competition isn't what it used to be.

AlpinaB5s

159 posts

158 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
SmartVenom said:
It just doesn't look full size in the picture, more like one of hot-wheels crazy creations.
Or an extra from Roary the racing car.

rtz62

3,340 posts

154 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
Er, and the point if this car is.....?
Why would it make me want to watch Pikes Peak; it wouldn't.
Less of the yoghurt weaving, muesli sandle wearing Eco-mentalist rubbish, we want to watch 600+bhp monsters spitting flames n going sideways.... Oh sorry, just had a flashback to Gp B.....

Fetchez la vache

5,568 posts

213 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
VR6 Turbo said:
thinfourth2 said:
Cool i love a fire breathing pikes peak car
this wont though? unless it all goes tits up.

VR
Where's that whoosh parrot when you need it ...

EDLT

15,421 posts

205 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
RenesisEvo said:
Parsnip said:
A 1000hp fire breathing turbo mentalmobile going sideways on gravel or a 325hp mobility scooter pootling up a tarmac road?

It's a toughie for sure...
Electric power should be an advantage at Pikes Peak. At the top of the climb the air is much thinner, so normal internal combustion engines generally struggle to generate the same level as power as at the bottom of the hill, as they can't get enough air. Turbos help to a point, but still suffer. You could lose 10% or more. Electric motors don't have this issue, so can provide the same power all the way through the climb. And with many hairpins, having huge torque available from low rpms could also help.

I agree, however, that from a spectator point of view, it's not a hard choice. Sadly there won't be much gravel left soon anyway.
But even if the 1000hp car loses 10% of its power it will still have 575 more than the i-Mievo and at the risk of sounding like Clarkson, more is more.

offendi

244 posts

146 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
rtz62 said:
Er, and the point if this car is.....?
Why would it make me want to watch Pikes Peak; it wouldn't.
Less of the yoghurt weaving, muesli sandle wearing Eco-mentalist rubbish, we want to watch 600+bhp monsters spitting flames n going sideways.... Oh sorry, just had a flashback to Gp B.....
is it nice and comfy in that closet?

THP150

318 posts

150 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
quotequote all
Not forgetting the 8 hour charge time, half way up!