Mitsubishi to Run i-MiEV Prototype at 2012 Pikes Peak Hill Climb

Mitsubishi announced today its intention to enter an electric i-MiEV prototype race car in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado this July. Wrangling the Mitsu to the 14,110-foot summit will be two-time Dakar Rally champ Hiroshi Masuoka. The prototype will use the same EV bits as the U.S.-spec model sold here simply as the Mitsubishi i, which means a 66-hp, 145-lb-ft electric motor fed by a 16-kWh battery pack. The company says the mountainside run will provide data that will help "enhance durability and reliability" of the EVs, although none of them will ever look like the racer, which resembles an i crammed into the middle of an LMP car. This won't be the first time that an EV has participated in the Pikes Peak extravaganza; the first was the Sears Electric Car in 1981. Mitsubishi's most recent Pikes Peak triumph was in 2010 in the Open class with a Lancer Evo piloted by David Carapetyan. And because this is a Pikes Peak post: If you haven't already—and even if you have—you should watch this awe-inspiring video footage of Monster Tajima's record-breaking run up the mountain from last year's event. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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