Kuzano

1988 first in class, Ari Vatanen... first in class in a Peugeot 450 T16..

Before WRX
Before Evo
Before the road was paved to the 14,000 foot altitude.

Classy filming...

HANGING IT OUT OVER THE EDGES AT NEAR 14,000 FEET.

The last time I drove up Pikes Peak, around this era, I drove up on the day when a couple of thousand runners were doing the Pikes Peak Marathon. That was thrilling.

Got out of the car in the parking lot. There were 5 aid stations and people lined up in their running gear at all 5. Hundreds of runners in the parking lot hacking their lungs out all over the lot.

I drove up in a new Ford Taurus* rental. By the time I reached the top and back down to the bottom, the pumice road surface had invaded the bearing seals on the front wheels and the rental company had to tow me out a replacement car. Nothing in the rental agreement said "Don't climb Pikes Peak". They paid for my motel and meals for one day while they sent a flatbed out with the replacement.

I love Pikes Peak... the cog rail trolley up the mountain has a floor platform with about a 20-30 degree angle. The art community of Manitou Springs, 26 miles from the top of the Peak is a fascinating little town.

The surrounding copper mine country and Colorado Springs are must see areas of Colorado.

Enjoy the show.... turn the lights down, switch to full screen, put on your helmet (bike if nothing else) and prepare to "near wet yourself" on this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEuZG37gFdM

*Ford Taurus
The middle America car from Ford that many bought to show
That they hadn't really put all that higher education to good
Use!!!

FRENCHY Loc: Stone Mountain , Ga

Thanks , beautiful video, what a pilote that guy is !!!

joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ

Wow, no margin of error on that course. Exciting video, thanks.

Geofw Loc: Thornton Cleveleys UK

Really enjoyed that thanks for posting.
Have you seen the program about Guy Martin building a motor bike to do the hill climb?
It is 47 minutes long but worth watching.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRDWCLi-Io0

gplawhorn Loc: Norfolk, Nebraska

Yikes

pdsdville Loc: Midlothian, Tx

Two observations.....

THEY FLY!!!!!

Spectators suicidal!!!!

ottopj Loc: Annapolis, MD USA

Did anyone hang around to watch the second video about the record run? Even more impressive.

I had a '95 Taurus SHO 6-speed that was a fabulous car. not for middle America. it had 225 HP Yamaha engine that was detuned because it was whipping the pants off the high performance Mustangs. That car was a lot of fun.

Ran it for 125K miles with only normal maintenance!

Kuzano

Lady friend had one of those on loan from her BF. She let me drive it a bit. She herself rode it pretty hard and the transmission died a slow death.

The transmission was very special on that Yamaha equipped car. To the tune of $3800 to replace. Her Boy Friend... would not hear of letting her pay for the repair.

Ain't love grand? Oh, and fickle. He paid the bill, came and got the car (lived 2000 miles away) and shortly thereafter they broke up.

Zonker Loc: Leesburg, FL

I had an '87 Taurus-sold it to my son 187K miles on it before the salt and age ruined the body.

Violameister Loc: michigan

This one is most scary to me from the same site:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgbbGUwzy2c

You have to be nuts to be a spectator here.

DickC Loc: NE Washington state

I had a gun shop in Manitou for several years and also tried to qualify for the Hill Climb....but didn't!! Was dirt/gravel toward the top then, a little scary on those corners! :-D

Shutter Bugger

The Tuupovaara Terror was not in good form that day.

He made lots of mistakes. Maybe all the cameras were distracting him.

There's a lot of Finns that are pretty good on a loose
surface.

Nikonbob Loc: Upper Chichester, PA

My wife and I made this drive in a rental Hyundai Elantra in July. Car did very well but this was a really hair-raising drive with hardly any guardrails. I hugged the center line and we finished above the clouds. I thought the drive back down would be even worse, but since we were now on inside of most turns it was easier. Funny thing is the rental was great on drive to Pikes Peak. Then, while stopped at a gas station to refuel later, a clown in a pickup backed right into us, destroying the entire driver's side door. That was our first time in the Rockies. The Front Range was incredible.

Kuzano

The Front Range is one of the Great Photo Destinations in the SouthWest US... Pikes Peak is just a bonus, if you have good lungs at 14,000 feet and don't look out the passenger side window in places where you have to stick your head out the window when you want to see the incline down the side of the mountain. It can be harrowing. I was always alone on the trips I drove up the mountain. I don't know any person who would want to accompany me on that drive.

It was fascinating to drive past hundreds and hundreds of runners doing the 26 miles from near Manitou springs, from an elevation below 9.000 feet to over 14,000 feet, with an average gradient of 7.2 %.

If I ever go again, I will most likely take the Cog Rail Tram up the side of the mountain.

http://cograilway.com/

If you visit this site, be sure to look at the history of the train. Fascinating pictures of the Cog Engines with the engineer platform angled up so the engineers are working on a level platform, while the cars are angled up the rails at the incline of the mountain.

Kuzano

Nice Spitfire... which Mark.... the first model with the folding rear suspension, or a later version with restriction against rollover.

Still a nice car, just trippy on the first version.