While it’s true that Pikes Peak International Hill Climb isn’t quite the visual spectacle that it was prior to 2012 - blame the fully paved road for that - some of the cars created since then have given us plenty to look at. Ford’s recent contribution is a case in point: last year it effectively rebuilt SuperVan 4 to give it a better chance of triumphing in Colorado - something it duly did with first place in the Pikes Peak Open category and second overall with a record-setting time of 8:47.682 thanks to the efforts of Romain Dumas (the man who holds the overall record of 7:57.148 with the VW ID.R).
This year, Ford is back with something equally bonkers. Possibly more so if we’re going on rear wing size. The new F-150 Lightning SuperTruck obviously follows on from the SuperVan in terms of its commercial theme, and while it is clearly not a ground-up monster in the ID.R mould, it’s probably fair to say that the silhouette is slightly more convenient than the one provided by a Transit. Not that the triple-element front wing, headlight ducts, hood ducts and louvers, front dive-planes, side diffusers, rear diffuser and multi-element fixed rear spoiler have much to do with a production F-150.
Ford reckons the combination of this little lot - and presumably A-L-O-T of testing by its established partner, STARD Advanced Research and Development - is sufficient to generate 6,000 pounds (or 2,721kg) of downforce at 150mph. Which is exactly what you need when the air density is reduced by as much as 41 per cent at the finish line. To push it through that air and 156 turns, the SuperTruck’s powertrain ‘will consist of three STARD UHP 6-Phase Motors and Ultra-High Performance Li-Polymer NMC cells, generating 1,400-plus horsepower output.’
This is roughly the same amount developed by the SuperVan, although we’re going to guess that alongside the aerodynamic advantage, the SuperTruck is also significantly lighter. Either way, Dumas sounds quietly confident: ”In testing, the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck has surpassed my expectations, so we are hoping for some good weather to try and do something very special.” You can bet your bottom dollar that ‘very special’ means eclipsing the record he set last year. Although we wouldn’t even risk Matt Bird’s lunch money on the chances of him going one better than he did in 2018. Either way, with the stream free to watch on YouTube, it ought to make the event worth tuning in to watch this Sunday.
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