Rhys Millen and Hyundai Set New Pikes Peak Record

By Logan Utsman on Monday, August 13th, 2012

With 14,115 feet to climb ahead of him, Rhys Millen held on and rocketed his race prepped Hyundai Genesis up to the summit of Pikes Peak. With a goal set in mind, Millen entered the 2012 running of the infamous Hill Climb set on breaking the world record. Not only did he want a time under the 10 minute mark, but blistering the previous time would add some extra kindle to the father-son rivalry fire. As he reached the top and shut down his angry Coupe, Rhys was informed that he had not only beaten the previous Time Attack 2WD Class time, but his father, Rod Millen, as well.

Only one year ago was the previous Time Attack 2WD Class record set. Rod Millen piloted the very same Genesis Coupe up the mountain that just recently broke the record again. The fastest time now stands at 9:46.164 which is significantly faster than last year’s 11.4 minute run. Built by both Hyundai and Rhys Millen Racing (RMR), the full-blown race-spec Coupe features a widebody kit, massive Hankook F200 racing slicks, full downforce and a wealth of track-only equipment. Blasting up the hill was made possible by 700 horsepower and 700 lb-ft of torque from a single turbo Lambda V6.

“With the insights gained from the last few years in our Genesis Coupe, the team was able to make some high-impact improvements, leveraging additional downforce and traction opportunities provided by the new all-tarmac surface. And behind the wheel, my experience at Pikes Peak over the years allowed me to shave a few tenths from virtually every corner. Breaking the 10-minute barrier is something I’ve always wanted to do, and it feels great to accomplish this goal in 2012,” said Rhys Millen.

Gallery

2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe First Drive Pictures