One car distinguished itself from the rest of the field during the 101st edition of the world’s most difficult hillclimb. Ford brought its amazing Supervan 4.2 to Pikes Peak, an all-electric van that is meant to break the race record.
An eighteen-minute video that Ford made (a little too much) outlines the team’s endeavor. It has everything: superb cinematography, additional footage of Max Verstappen, interviews with a few sarcastic Garys from Ford Performance, and an overly theatrical narrator.
It is no small effort to compete in one of the most difficult motorsport races in the world in a vehicle that resembles an E-Transit more than a racer; fortunately, the Supervan is not your typical Transit.
The high-speed electric van was initially displayed at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed, highlighting the marketing goal of this EV. It’s clearly a calculated move to highlight Ford’s quick transition into a supplier of electric cars for both passengers and freight.
Ford has history at Pikes Peak: in 1916, a Model T won the inaugural race by slogging 12.4 miles over 156 turns on the steep Pikes Peak ascent in 28 minutes and 3 seconds. At the 2023 race, ace rent-a-race driver Romain Dumas drove a SuperVan 4.2 with the goal of breaking the overall record and winning the Open class. Was he successful? View the video to learn more.
Since it was first unveiled at Goodwood, the SuperVan has undergone enough changes to merit a renaming; it is now officially known as the SuperVan 4.2. The primary focus of these modifications is to enhance its ability to handle the Pikes Peak gradient, utilizing aerodynamic adjustments to manage the air at high altitudes and augment downforce. This has also caused it to lose power, shedding 600 horsepower in the process.
What’s possible with the newest Ford SuperVan?
The powertrain and aerodynamics are the two main areas of improvement at Pikes Peak. To increase the power-to-weight ratio, the Ford Pro Electric SuperVan 4.2, as it is now called, has three motors instead of the four that powered the original model.
The 2000 horsepower original model has been lowered, but the new model still has a respectable 1400 horsepower. Two motors are located at the back of the car, and one drives the front wheels.
Although an official 0-62 mph time has not yet been discussed, the first estimate was for less than two seconds.
Ironically, the developers haven’t provided much information about the SuperVan’s range either, although they have stated that it can be fully charged on a regular fast charger in just 45 minutes.
What more makes the SuperVan 4.2 unique?
Ford Performance and specialists at STARD Advanced Research and Development updated the SuperVan for Pikes Peak. The van needed to be able to handle the thinner air at the finish line because the race culminates at 14,115 feet above sea level. A new front splitter and rear spoiler made of lightweight carbon fiber are among the modifications. It has also lost weight because to the elimination of one of the motors, producing 1996 kg of downforce at 150 mph.
Along with the driveshaft revisions, the brake regeneration system has also been updated. The vehicle is equipped with magnesium-forged wheels and Pirelli P Zero racing tires. To reduce weight, the inside has been completely gutted of all extraneous items, and a Perspex windscreen has been installed.
The first van included multiple driving modes that let the user customize it for various purposes. These include Road, Track, Drift for sideways showoffs, Rally for traveling on low-friction surfaces, and Drag, which improves acceleration in a straight path.
In case that wasn’t enough, there is also an E-Boost feature, launch control, and a pit-lane speed limiter. Dumas is likely to adjust all of these parameters in order to get it ready for the 1440-meter ascent of Pikes Peak.
The Supervan’s Tyre Cleaning Mode, which brakes one axle and transfers some of the power to the other to reheat the rubber that remains after some cleaning, is arguably the most absurd feature. It also functions on the front and rear axles.
Additionally, there are a few energy-saving features, such as an Eco mode and three-stage brake regeneration. Perhaps for those times when you need to run to the store but want to conserve battery life.
Typical software
One feature that has been brought over from Ford’s more traditional cars is the infotainment system, which is the most recent version of the Sync system and is available in cars like the Mustang Mach-E. This enables Ford to map a path, locate a charger, transmit data for examination, and gain knowledge about the battery and charging. The large vertical screen has been sacrificed in the name of weight reduction, though, since the cabin is now much simpler and starker.
Road and alpine readiness
Even though you might be afraid to encounter any kind of speed bump or width limit with those wheelarches and front splitter, the SuperVan is reportedly road legal, though it’s probably more suited for the hill climbs at Goodwood and Pikes Peak. Dumas will have a strong chance of winning in Colorado because he has already shown off the van at the Festival of Speed and broken electric records at the Nurburgring.
Describe a SuperVan.
Like this one, the previous three SuperVans were insane experiments that showed what might be achieved by placing a very powerful engine beneath the Transit, which is Ford’s most rational and useful vehicle. The first one debuted in 1971 and was built on a GT40 chassis with a van bodyshell placed on top. It then included a 4.0-liter V8 in the mix just to be safe.
In 1984, a 590 horsepower Cosworth racing engine was installed under a C100 Group C chassis to create the second version.
This later developed into the 1994 SuperVan 3 (shown above), which used the same chassis and a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 Cosworth engine producing 650 horsepower—a motor commonly found in Formula One cars at the time. This was capable of 150 mph and didn’t hesitate to reach that speed.
