Friday 24th February 2023

Ford SuperVan 4 lined up for 101st Pikes Peak

Remember the 2,000hp all-electric Transit from last year? Ford isn't done with it yet...

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No one who attended Goodwood Festival of Speed last year will need reminding about the 2,000hp Ford Pro Electric SuperVan - it swept up the hill in the fifth quickest time of the shootout, nearly a second quicker than the latest Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Evidently, its maker has decided that achievement is well worth replicating elsewhere: Ford has confirmed its all-electric special project will attend the 101st running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. 

“The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the perfect next stop for Ford Performance, and is the perfect place to take SuperVan 4, as both have long, storied histories that ignite the imagination of racing fans all over the world,” stated Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “Both have evolved over time, and it’s time to take our electric vehicle technology and put it to the test on the mountain against some of the most impressive performance vehicles in the world.”

If that sounds like it is taking a leaf out of Volkswagen’s book (it took the ID. R to Goodwood before shattering the PPIHC overall record) then you’re not wrong; Ford has even collared the same man to do the driving. Romain Dumas is making a habit of steering improbably heavy things to impossible times, and it sounds like he rather fancies his chances in Colorado Springs. 

“Ford's latest generation of Electric vehicle technology is the perfect match for America’s Mountain” said Dumas. “With high altitudes cutting power in traditional ICE powered vehicles, the electric powertrain of SuperVan 4 has no loss at elevation and will be a healthy competitor in this year's race.”

Of course, he’ll know better than anyone the strength of the competition. Thanks to the always-zany Unlimited class and the high-profile nature of the event, Pikes Peak is ground zero for one-off (or heavily modified) racing machines that are custom-built to tackle 156 turns over an elevation gain of 1,440 metres. And while the occasion is slightly less spectacular with no unmade sections, the presence of asphalt for the entire 12.42-mile course makes for increasingly wild record-setting. 

While SuperVan 4 is highly unlikely to make a dent on the 7:57.148 time Dumas laid down in the ID.R back in 2018, it will follow in a long tradition of Ford product taking part in the PPIHC. That includes a Mustang Shelby GT500SE campaigned by Shelby American last year, and in 2020 Clint Vahsholtz took the overall win in a home-built, open-wheel Ford-powered car described by one observer as looking like a bathtub with a snow shovel on the front. The SuperVan ought to blend right in. 

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• Behold the 2,000hp Ford Pro Electric SuperVan
• VW shatters Pikes Peak record

[Water Fairy]

Supervan is all about the engine for me. This hasn't got one.

It's meh from me, sorry

[Muzzer79]

I think it's cool.

2000bhp in a Transit - what's not to like?

I think they hit peak coolness with Supervan....2? Whichever was basically an early 90s Benetton F1 car with a 'Transit' body on top.

But those days are past now.

Different may mean not as awesome as previous, but it doesn't mean not awesome at all.

[EggsBenedict]

Yeah, they have a history of these basically being 'not a Transit'

Supervan 1 was on a GT40 body
2 & 3 were built on a Group C chassis with fibreglass bodies

This latest one doesn't even pretend to be a van at the back, but apparently shares some chassis components with the 'real' electric Transit.

[Slowlygettingit]

Trying to work out which is most impressive and takes the bigger cojones. Circa 8mins PPIHC or sub 7 minutes at the ring.
Huge drops vs big fences……

[NineB]

Water Fairy said:

Supervan is all about the engine for me. This hasn't got one.

It's meh from me, sorry

Ah but it has

"An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy."

[GTRene]

from the video, the car with the best sound for me was that Porsche GT3 Cup, was also pretty fast for what it is.

[asci.white]

EggsBenedict said:

Yeah, they have a history of these basically being 'not a Transit'

Supervan 1 was on a GT40 body
2 & 3 were built on a Group C chassis with fibreglass bodies

This latest one doesn't even pretend to be a van at the back, but apparently shares some chassis components with the 'real' electric Transit.

Think you missed the point of the supervan concept. Fun....

Outrageous performance in what appears as a shell more at home moving furniture.

[anonymous-user]

Muzzer79 said:

I think it's cool.

2000bhp in a Transit - what's not to like?

I think they hit peak coolness with Supervan....2? Whichever was basically an early 90s Benetton F1 car with a 'Transit' body on top.

But those days are past now.

Different may mean not as awesome as previous, but it doesn't mean not awesome at all.

Nicely put. The peak awesome theory.

[AgentBlue]

Am i the only one that doesn't find the EV's interesting at all? They're fast, i get it, they just dont give me the "fizz"

[Coatesy351]

Supervan 2 for me the stripes and the font .
The electric one will be super quick but its not for me.

Edited by Coatesy351 on Friday 24th February 15:04

[Water Fairy]

NineB said:

Water Fairy said:

Supervan is all about the engine for me. This hasn't got one.

It's meh from me, sorry

Ah but it has

"An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy."

Ok I'll give you that one

[tr3a]

Water Fairy said:

Supervan is all about the engine for me. This hasn't got one.

And railways are all about steam engines, aren't they?

[Water Fairy]

tr3a said:

Water Fairy said:

Supervan is all about the engine for me. This hasn't got one.

And railways are all about steam engines, aren't they?

Ok grumpy I'll bite

A steam engine is far far more interesting/nostalgic/aesthetically pleasing etc etc than a modern dirty old diesel tramper. Objectively better? No.

Happy now Meldrew?

[myhandle]

Coatesy351 said:

Supervan 2 for me the stripes and the font .
The electric one will be super quick but its not for me.

Edited by Coatesy351 on Friday 24th February 15:04

Agreed, Supervan 2 is my favourite. I had the Matchbox one as a kid and I have the 1:43 Spark one now, which is a favourite.

[VR6 Eug]

I always liked Supervan 2, it had a DFL engine and that's enough said!

[VR6 Eug]

Muzzer79 said:

I think it's cool.

2000bhp in a Transit - what's not to like?

I think they hit peak coolness with Supervan....2? Whichever was basically an early 90s Benetton F1 car with a 'Transit' body on top.

But those days are past now.

Different may mean not as awesome as previous, but it doesn't mean not awesome at all.

Supervan 2 was a group 6 C100 chassis.

[Coatesy351]

VR6 Eug said:

Muzzer79 said:

I think it's cool.

2000bhp in a Transit - what's not to like?

I think they hit peak coolness with Supervan....2? Whichever was basically an early 90s Benetton F1 car with a 'Transit' body on top.

But those days are past now.

Different may mean not as awesome as previous, but it doesn't mean not awesome at all.

Supervan 2 was a group 6 C100 chassis.

Supervan 2 and 3 were the same chassis. 2 was converted to 3 with a new body and HB engine. Both C100 chassis

[Skyrocket21]

They all sound like a Sunday indoor R/C race with some modfied Tamiyas, they even make that squeaky sound of running on a polished floor. The Subaru family Huckster of Pastrana fame was the only exciting thing with the transformer active braking and crazy sound. Just can't get excited about a milk float on 1.21 gigawatts doing a hill climb.

[spikyone]

myhandle said:

Coatesy351 said:

Supervan 2 for me the stripes and the font .
The electric one will be super quick but its not for me.

Edited by Coatesy351 on Friday 24th February 15:04

Agreed, Supervan 2 is my favourite. I had the Matchbox one as a kid and I have the 1:43 Spark one now, which is a favourite.

Same here, although I don't have the Spark version. Schuco just announced they're making all four generations in 1:18, which could make for an epic collection!

[nismo48]

Coatesy351 said:

Supervan 2 for me the stripes and the font .
The electric one will be super quick but its not for me.

Edited by Coatesy351 on Friday 24th February 15:04

That's rather cool