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Marcus Gronholm to pilot 800 HP Ford Fiesta up Pikes Peak
Ford Fiesta Rally Racer – Click above for high-res image gallery
For the Ford Fiesta's next trick on it's Get to Know America Tour, the smallest of Blue Oval autos is getting a serious overhaul and going mountain climbing. Pikes Peak is the vertical land mass in question, and two heavily modified Fiestas will evidently enter the Unlimited class steered by drivers Andreas Eriksson and former WRC champion Marcus Gronholm.
Unlike the Fiestas in the Movement, the two racers will have all-wheel drive and engines outputs of up to 800 horsepower or more. This will be the Fiesta's first Stateside motorsports outing, going
[Source: Straightline]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
13enS 6:06PM (5/28/2009)
/envy
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abbas350 3:00AM (5/29/2009)
few cars can look as cool as a pikes peak climber
Tony 6:07PM (5/28/2009)
It would be a major understatement to say it takes a massive set of brass nuts to pilot a 800 hp pocket rocket up Pikes Peak. In the case of Michelle Moulton in the Audi Quattro Sport, she was definitely packing more than most men.
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Boost Retard 6:47PM (5/28/2009)
That's what Bobby Unser said!
jinsei888 6:09PM (5/28/2009)
we'll believe it when it happen...
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Sam 9:56AM (5/29/2009)
*insert extra letters here*
VW GTi 6:11PM (5/28/2009)
I didn't see that option package on Ford's website.
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GOT 5:13AM (5/29/2009)
Yeah! I want a Pikes-Peak-Option Fiesta!
why not the LS2LS7? 6:16PM (5/28/2009)
If he isn't available, I'll volunteer.
I have little doubt this car can do exactly what they say it can. These cars bear no relation to the production cars, this is likely a chassis that has already turned a 10 min time before, just with a new shell on it this time.
Everyone does it. Likely Robbie Gordon will be there with his HUMMER, which has almost no HUMMER bits on it, and a decidedly um-HUMMER LS7 under the hood.
On another note, Gronholm probably won't have much trouble adapting. This car is a dead ringer for the 206 WRC Gronholm used to pilot.
http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/pic.php?imagenum=1&carnum=1274
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Swede 8:00PM (5/28/2009)
The car needs to share engine block and chassis with the road going car, but you're free to modify everything* around it.
Here's a nice picture of how you drive (without rolling over) a Fiesta
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll73/Magnus_033/news_nc0901_07.jpg
Metar 8:54AM (5/29/2009)
It's a hatchback, but there's nothing between it and the 206WRC.
In fact, you'd be surprised, but even top-class WRC vehicles still maintain many stock parts - chassis, for example, with limited modifications plus rollcage - and have to remain road-legal.
This Fiesta, however, is almost the same as Gronholm's current car in the Rallycross series - though that one boasts "only" 550HP.
John P. 6:31PM (5/28/2009)
I'll be watching this closely. Good Luck Marcus!
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Farmboy 6:49PM (5/28/2009)
Looks good and hope the best for the duo.
However I've noticed something lately with Ford news. I don't know if it is me, Autoblog, or Ford in general, but there is so much hype over the Fiesta. I don't have a problem with it at all; it is a very attractive car that is much-anticipated here State-side. I just am wondering if all the attention will be worthwhile. I have seen the photos and looked at some of the specs on the car. I wish I could test drive one, but I want to know from those who have driven or even own one if the Fiesta is well worth all the anticipation and wait, or if another subcompact would be a better purchase.
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Yaroukh 7:26PM (5/28/2009)
I know of only one review made by US reviewer: FLDetours by FastLaneDaily:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNgDfCFacrk&fmt=18#t=5m40
Only 2min long but better than nothing I guess.
Boost Retard 6:45PM (5/28/2009)
Um, the record is 10:01.480 and held by Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima in his 1000HP Suzuki Grand Vitara, not by Millen's 800HP Celica from 1994.
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Quan 6:50PM (5/28/2009)
Also, doesn't "break ten minutes" mean do it in under 11 minutes? As opposed to under ten minutes, which would be breaking nine minutes, correct?
imirk 6:59PM (5/28/2009)
Nope break ten minutes means go faster than 10 min.
why not the LS2LS7? 7:57PM (5/28/2009)
I agree the phrase means "under 10 minutes", but I read it as "break into the 10 minute region", i.e. run with the fastest crowd. I'd be mildly surprised if this were really the fastest car up PP ever. Not that this isn't a great car, but the car that holds the record was a lot more extreme, including a much more significant body kit and two turbocharged V6s.
br4nd0nh347 11:20PM (5/28/2009)
what imirk said
the current record is ten minutes, so in order to break that record you have to be faster than that.
innoc3nt 12:38PM (5/29/2009)
WTF, a 1000 hp suzuki vitara!? LOL
granted, i know it's probably nothing like the production version, but still!