Get ready to clutch your pearls, internal combustion traditionalists, because Evasive Motorsports is teaming up with Hyundai to unleash a specially-engineered 2025 IONIQ 5 N on the unsuspecting slopes of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 22, 2025. This isn’t just another Sunday drive; it’s Evasive’s “most ambitious EV project to date,” and they’re aiming to do more than just look pretty charging up “America’s Mountain”.
Their audacious goal? To shatter the “elusive 10-minute barrier,” a feat that has taunted many a brave soul and high-tech machine. Mike Chang, co-president of Evasive Motorsports, is feeling bullish, stating, “We’ve come close in the past and feel it’s far more achievable with the IONIQ 5 N”. With Hyundai’s technological muscle and their record-setting experience from last year, Evasive is hoping this electric dream machine is the key.
This isn’t Evasive’s first electric rodeo at altitude. They previously wrangled a modified Tesla Model 3 in 2022, nabbing the title of Fastest EV. Their Pikes Peak dance card is quite full, stretching back to 2013 with various high-octane projects, including a Honda S2000RS and a 900-horsepower Toyota 2JZ-powered beast. They’re clearly no strangers to making things go very, very fast uphill.
The star of this particular show, officially dubbed the “Evasive Motorsports Hyundai IONIQ 5 N Pikes Peak,” is undergoing a serious glow-up . While the stock IONIQ 5 N already boasts a rather spicy 478kW and 770Nm of torque (with N Grin Boost, naturally), Evasive knows that Pikes Peak demands more than just raw power. Since you can’t just chip an electric motor like in the good ol’ days, the team is focusing on what they can tune: chassis, aerodynamics, and shedding weight like it’s going out of style.
And shed weight they have! The EVS Tuning division has managed to carve a whopping 225 kilograms from the IONIQ 5 N’s original 2,230kg mass by basically evicting the interior and swapping out doors and the tailgate for svelte carbon fibre counterparts. Sourcing competition parts for a brand-new EV has been a “hurdle,” but partners like Voltex Japan have stepped up, crafting one-off aero components like a front lip, carbon fibre splitter, side skirts, fender flares, underbody panels, and a rear wing substantial enough to host a decent picnic – all designed from a 3D scan sent from afar . To ensure those sticky 310/690 VR19 Yokohama A005 racing slicks, wrapped around lightweight 19×11-inch Titan 7 T-P10 wheels (with carbon fibre aero discs, because of course), can be swapped with pit-crew alacrity, Krontec air jacks have been installed.
The chassis hasn’t been neglected either. It will feature prototype EVS Tuning anti-roll bars, a custom six-point roll cage by Eimer Engineering, and a one-off Moton coilover suspension designed by Mike Kojima from MotoIQ to keep things planted through the course’s 156 turns.
Behind the wheel will be veteran driver Rob Walker, who previously piloted Evasive’s Scion FR-S and Toyota 86 at Pikes Peak from 2013-2016. He’s been hitting the sim rig hard to reacquaint his muscle memory with the 12.42-mile sprint, acknowledging that while sims are great, they can’t quite replicate the “sense of speed, G-forces and brake timing” of the real deal . Interestingly, Walker isn’t new to the EV game, having competed in them since 2013. In a delightful twist of fate, he was already in the market for a “fun and electric” daily driver when Evasive called. He promptly bought an IONIQ 5 N and has been running a “parallel program” testing brake pads, alignment, and tyre compounds, feeding his insights back to the race team. Talk about dedication! He’s even leveraging Hyundai’s recent access to the Tesla Supercharger network to run multiple track sessions.
So, will Evasive Motorsports and their electrifying Hyundai IONIQ 5 N conquer the mountain and dip under that 10-minute mark? With a seasoned team, a highly modified high-performance EV, and a driver who literally bought the car to help develop it, they’re certainly charging up for a spectacular attempt. Keep an eye on their socials; this is one electrifying ascent you won’t want to miss.
