Hyundai will send the “charged” electric crossover IONIQ 5 N to Pikes Peak. The 102nd hill climb will take place on June 23. Two serial and two modified crossovers will take part in it.
But even the standard IONIQ 5 N has undergone some changes. In particular, a safety frame was installed in place of the rear seats. The driver's seat was replaced with a Recaro Pro Racer SPA Hans seat with a Sabelt six-point seat belt and head and neck support. A fire extinguishing system was also installed in the cabin.
Under the hood, the racing IONIQ 5 N has a two-motor power plant with a capacity of 601 hp. and 641 hp at the maximum According to Hyundai, with launch control and additional temporary power, the crossover accelerates from 0 to 96 km/h in 3.25 seconds. The maximum speed is electronically limited to 260 km/h.
One of the “standard” IONIQ 5 Ns will be driven to the top by 11-time PPIHC winner Paul Dallenbach. The second will be run by newcomer Ron Zaras, a former Hoonigan executive. One of the modified crossovers will be driven by WRC pilot Dani Sordo. The second is four-time all-around winner and Pikes Peak King of the Hill winner Robin Shute. Also, Sordo and Schut will conduct a test run before the 24 Hours of Nürburgring on May 30.
Hyundai is already testing the IONIQ 5 N at Pikes Peak. During the real race, electric crossovers have to cover a distance of 19.98 km with 156 turns. The difficulty lies in the fact that the race starts at an altitude of 1,440 meters above sea level and finishes at an altitude of 4,302 meters.
Currently, the absolute record for Pikes Peak belongs to Romain Dumas. In 2018, driving a Volkswagen ID R, the driver climbed to the top in 7 minutes 57.148 seconds. We will find out on June 23 whether the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N will be able to become a new record holder.