Mitsubishi Taking Two i-MiEVs To The Peak
Mitsubishi has revealed its Pike's Peak power play this week, unveiling two racing versions of its i-MiEV electric car.
First reported here in March, Mitsubishi will take both cars to the iconic hillclimb – one a prototype all-wheel drive
Mitsubishi has revealed its Pike's Peak power play this week, unveiling two racing versions of its i-MiEV electric car.
First reported here in March, Mitsubishi will take both cars to the iconic hillclimb - one a prototype all-wheel drive racer, and the other a close-to-standard version of the production model.
The prototype racer is heavily-modified, and a somewhat distant relative to the other half of Mitsubishi's Pike's Peak line-up.
True to the concept sketches, the low-slung single-seater looks like a cross between the diminutive Aussie Racecars and a Le Mans sports car.
In what is perhaps a study in understatement, Mitsubishi has named it the i-MiEV Evolution.
Fitted with three electric motors plucked from the production line and each given a 31kW boost to 80kW, the carbon fibre racer produces 240kW.
One motor drives the front wheels while the rears get one each to tackle the high-altitude gravel track. A 35kWh battery pack (up from the standard 16kWh) will feed the motors.
The tubular frame chassis rolls on 245/40 tyres wrapped around 18-inch alloys and stands at just under 134cm tall. Huge splitters front and rear, along with a previously-unseen rear wing, will keep it on the ground along the climb.
The production version comes in for very few changes, most of them safety-related.
The front bumper is restyled for aerodynamics and space for a towing eye, while the interior is fitted with regulation roll-cage and other mandatory safety gear.
The engine and batteries are standard, with the 49kW/180Nm motor driving the rear wheels.
The Evolution will be piloted by previous multiple Dakar winner Hiroshi Matsuoka. The standard version will be run by Beccy Gordon (sister to Robby), a winner in the Score International Off-Road Series.
The i-MiEVs will be competing against an as-yet unnamed Toyota entry and a range of other prototype racers in the electric category.
The Pike's Peak International Hillclimb will be run in Colorado from July 3 to 8.
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