- The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N set a new Pikes Peak Hill Climb record for the modified electric SUV or crossover class
- The record time was set by Hyundai World Rally driver Dani Sordo
- The car that set the record was a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N time-attack special known as a TA Spec
Hyundai set a record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on Sunday using its Ioniq 5 N electric compact crossover.
Competing in the exhibition class, Hyundai World Rally driver Dani Sordo piloted a Ioniq 5 N time-attack special known as the TA Spec version to the finish line in a time of 9:30.852. That's a record for a modified electric SUV or crossover. Sordo took home a class win.
Randy Pobst piloted a second Ioniq 5 N TA Spec to a time of 9:55.551.
Peak power in the TA Spec registers at 677 hp, up from the stock rating of 641 hp. Hyundai said this was achieved purely by modifying the software controlling the rear motor of the dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup.
Other modifications include a high-downforce package designed for the thinner air near the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak, as well as uprated dampers and brakes, and a set of Yokohama ADVAN 005 slick tires. The Ioniq 5 N's sound generator was also upgraded to blast a sound of more than 120 db, to both enhance feedback for the driver as well as avoid the use of warning sirens quieter EVs have to carry in the event, Hyundai said.
Dani Sordo
A production Ioniq 5 N sporting only the mandated safety modifications for Pikes Peak was also entered. It was piloted by former Hoonigan staff member Ron Zaras in his debut on the mountain. He finished in a time of 10:49.267. That's the first time for a production SUV at Pikes Peak, and only a few seconds off the record for all production SUVs, which was a time of 10:48.902 set by Rhys Millen in a Bentley Bentayga in 2018.
Hyundai planned to run a second production Ioniq 5 N this year, to be driven by Pikes Peak veteran veteran Paul Dallenbach. However, the vehicle was damaged during practice.
Unlike their internal-combustion counterparts, EVs are less affected by the thin air experienced near the summit of Pikes Peak. However, the rapid climbing requires a lot of energy to be delivered in a short period, which can result in batteries overheating.
An EV currently holds the outright record for the climb: the Volkswagen ID.R time-attack special ran a 7:57.148 back in 2018.
The outright winner at this year's Hill Climb was made by Romain Dumas behind the wheel of the 1,600-hp Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck time-attack special. He set a time of 8:53.533, which was impressive considering the electric truck came to a stop during the run and needed to be restarted. Dumas drove the ID.R during its record run.
