[Lord Calvert]

Video: Rhys Millen previews the PM580 Hyundai Pikes Peak challenger

The folks at HRE Performance Wheels dropped by the Rhys Millen Racing shop to check out the progress on the new PM580 Pikes Peak hill-climb car. Millen and his crew are in the process of building an Unlimited Class racer to crack the all-time record on the Colorado mountain. Millen will attempt to both recapture the record that his father held for 13 years and record the first ever sub-10-minute time.

The PM580 is powered by a Hyundai Genesis V8 engine mounted in the middle of a steel tube-frame chassis. Aside from the engine, the rest of the chassis looks rather conventional, until you see the carbon-fiber bodywork that looks more like something destined to hurtle down the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans rather than up the side of a mountain.

Unlike your mobile data plan, at Pikes Peak Unlimited means exactly that: anything goes, including active aerodynamics. The angle of the upper plane on the rear wing is automatically managed based on a yaw rate sensor and lateral accelerometer. When the car is on the straights it flattens out to a 10-degree angle, but as the car turns in, it tips up to 50 degrees to press the rear end down. It's fascinating stuff and you can check it out in the video after the jump.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLra2dozZ_U"]YouTube- HRE Wheels: Rhys Millen Racing Shop Tour & Pikes Peak Preview[/ame]

 

[Tufast]

V/8? I thought they were going to use the 3.8 bored to 4.1 producing approx 750whp?

 

[dboz1]

V/8? I thought they were going to use the 3.8 bored to 4.1 producing approx 750whp?

Yeah, this is cool and all, but not using the cars original block does not really help the cause much, especially with the mid engine. Not much translation to the street for all the R&D, plus it does not say much for the engines used in the stock cars, if your main PR guy goes with a totally different engine....UNLESS, we can look forward to a V8 in the future!!:clap:

 

[Lord Calvert]

I think all he cares about with this car is breaking the unlimited record.

 

[mcwheels]

I think all he cares about with this car is breaking the unlimited record.

I'd agree with that. I mean he does use the native block in the drift car.

 

[dic51]

He already holds the record for the RWD class with the V6 in his coupe so the PM580 uns=sing the V8 is cool with me. That way Hyundai will have set records with both the 6 and 8 at Pikes Peak.

 

[pmastron]

Since this car doesn't resemble any Hyundai he can use whatever engine he wants. At 10K - 13K feet his V6 won't put out anything near 750HP. Displacement is where its at.

 

[BoostedGen2010]

I just found these... Thought you might like to see. Looks pretty sick. Can't wait till June 27th. Does anyone know how we can watch the event? Is there going to be a live web host or is Speed TV going to cover it? I haven't seen anything on that yet.

 

[Tufast]

Thanks for the post - good find,,,,,,Man that rear wing is massive & for that matter, all of the aero dynamics are huge.

 

[dboz1]

Looks like a stubby BATMOBILE to me.

 

[Slider]

Can't wait to see that thing in action.

 

[aliphian]

Does anyone have any info on when he is going to attempt the record? I can't wait to see this.

 

[Sabbasaun]

I'm gonna try to get down to their shop next week. Maybe they'll let me snap some pics. I'll be going down there to get out of this Washington rain ridden weather.

 

[Lord Calvert]

Does anyone have any info on when he is going to attempt the record? I can't wait to see this.

I think its sometime in late july or early august.

 

[Sabbasaun]

I think its sometime in late july or early august.

It starts next week, the Pikes Peak website is here:

Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

and for fun, snips of Rhys' record setting run from last year:

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfF55LIxZo4&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube- Rhys Millen Hyundai Genesis Conquers Pikes Peak - Full Video[/nomedia]