Ride Along with Sébastien Loeb as He Shatters Pikes Peak Record
Five years later, this Frenchman’s dynamic record-setting run in one of motorsport’s most iconic events is no less impressive.
Each year, the historic Pikes Peak International Hill Climb offers up some of the most intense racing action in the world. Otherwise known as “The Race to the Clouds,” it’s a white knuckle experience encompassing 156 turns and 4,720 feet of elevation change. Since the race began in 1916, we’ve seen records come and go, with most of them having been reset in just the last two years. That rang true this year, as Frenchman Sébastien Loeb watched his historic 2013 Pikes Peak run shattered by Romain Dumas in the all-electric Volkswagen I.D R.
Which makes it even more fun to look back at Loeb’s then-record 8:13.878 performance. But in this case, we get to do it POV style. Not just from Loeb’s view, but also atop and afront his Peugeot racer. Which is the perfect way to experience Pikes Peak and all of its hair-raising turns and dramatic cliffs.
It’s also a great way to experience the 875 hp racer in all its glory. With a twin-turbo engine screaming at full tilt and giant 908 LMP1-spec wing keeping the whole thing glued to the pavement. It was here that Loeb would set a record that would stand the test of time, lasting a full 5 years before it would fall. And in today’s rapidly progressing world of motorsports, that’s pretty darn impressive.
Now, it appears that the very face of Pikes Peak is rapidly changing. Electric vehicles are quite simply taking over, ushering in a new era for the historic event. That may be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. But for us, nothing will ever replace the distinct pleasure of watching a naturally-aspirated monster like this Peugeot cresting a mountain summit.
