Last year, The Blue Oval unveiled the latest Ford Transit SuperVan, a rather bonkers EV demonstrator that it later revealed was set to compete at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Back in June, FoMoCo made some modifications to the Ford Transit SuperVan – calling it version 4.2 – including aerodynamic revisions designed to help it better tackle the high-elevation circuit, powertrain refinements, and various other tweaks. The 2023 Pikes Peak race took place back in late June, but The Blue Oval just released a video documenting its rather speedy trip up the mountain.
The SuperVan 4.2 was originally designed to be not only a showcase for Ford’s EV efforts, but also as a wild hillclimb monster that churns out a whopping 1,400 horsepower from three electric motors. It looks equally over-the-top with a body inspired by Ford Pro’s newest E-Transit Custom van, and provides some updates over the SuperVan 4.0 that debuted back at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Along with the aforementioned changes, the SuperVan 4.2 was treated to a significant 880-pound weight reduction, along with a revamped battery and beefed-up electric motors, and an aerodynamic redesign that helps generate two tons of downforce at 150 miles per hour for maximum cornering grip. At Pikes Peak, Romain Dumas – the current record holder for the fastest-ever Pikes Peak hillclimb – was behind the wheel of the Ford Transit SuperVan 4.2, taking on 12.5 miles of twisty mountain roads that many have tried to conquer over the race’s 101 years in existence.
Once the dust settled, the SuperVan 4.2 took home a win in the Pikes Peak Open Division with a time of 8:47.682, which also happened to be a new record for that class by nearly 40 seconds. Even better, the SuperVan came in second place overall, missing out on the top spot by little over six seconds – an impressive, yet slightly disappointing result, as the team reveals.
We’ll have more on the Ford Transit SuperVan soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Transit news and ongoing Ford news coverage.
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