Unlimited Potential: First Look at Rhys Millen’s New Hyundai Pikes Peak Car

When it comes to the “unlimited” class at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the sky is literally the limit. Drivers have been fielding some wild vehicles in the group for decades on end, but none has been quite as intimidating as Rhys Millen’s latest ride, the Hyundai Genesis RMR PM850.

“This is the package I need to break the record,” Millen said. “We are building a car for today’s [course]. The car will have a sleek aerodynamic body, the grip of Toyo Proxy tires, and the power and durability of a Hyundai engine.”

That engine, along with the Hyundai emblems, may be the only thing remotely associated with a production Genesis Coupe. The PM850 looks as if it’d be more at home on the Hunaudières Straight than a Hyundai showroom floor. Closely resembling a contemporary Le Mans prototype, the PM850 makes use of a chromoly frame and roll cage, along with a body crafted entirely of carbon fiber.

Although Rhys Millen Racing started with a stock 3.8-liter “Lambda” V-6, the finished product is radically different than the six-cylinder found in the Genesis Coupe. RMR stroked the engine, bringing its displacement up to 4.1 liters, and then mated the six-cylinder with a HKS T04Z turbocharger, an intercooler, and customized exhaust manifolds. At this point, the team says the engine is capable of producing nearly 750 horsepower.

Harnessing that power may prove to be difficult, but RMR thinks a custom all-wheel-drive system may do the trick. The turbocharged Lambda is mated to a semi-automatic transmission supplied by Weismann, which then channels power through an active center differential to two Quaife differentials. According to Hyundai, the active center diff will allows Millen to send anywhere from 10 to 100 percent of all torque to the front wheels -- important for configuring the car for both the asphalt and dirt portions of the run.

The important question, however, is if the PM850 will be enough to knock Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima from his record, which stands at 10 minutes and 1.408 seconds. The quest is nothing short of a family affair, as Rhys’ father, Rod, set the previous Pikes Peak record in 1994, racing to the top of the mountain in 10 minutes and 4.06 seconds.

“Breaking into the 9s has been a desire of mine for the last 10 years,” Millen said last week. “I finally have the team, support, and infrastructure to put in a serious effort to go after the world record.

“The main focus is to be the fastest car up the hill, slay the monster, and get the record back in the family name -- the Millen name.”

Source: Hyundai/ RMR