Ford’s new modified Mustang Mach-E is ready to fly up Pikes Peak

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a racing event that's been going on since 1916. It's a 12.42-mile run that climbs 4,720 feet and serves as a proving ground for carmakers to test the speed and agility of their new vehicles.

Electric cars tend to do well in the Pikes Peak race; they don't have to deal with the problems of high altitudes and thinner air that can stymie racecars powered by fossil fuels, making it an ideal testing ground. The first electric car to win was in 2015, when Honda claimed victory with an electric CR-Z. Volkswagen's ID R set a course record in 2018, blasting up the course at over 90 mph in just under eight minutes.

But for the past two years, one company has claimed the title of King of the Mountain with its wildly designed electric demonstrators: Ford. The engineers at the automaker's racing division approach the race with the zeal of a mad scientist. First there was the SuperVan 4.2, a 2,000 horsepower (not a typo) "lightly modified" Transit van with a rear wing so enormous it looked like it could simply fly to the top of the infamous hill. Then there was the F-150 Lightning SuperTruck, a beastly version of the automaker's electric pickup that, …

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