The Monster Suzuki SX4

Posted on October 31, 2009 12:00 AM

Pikes Peak is a mountain in America which is 4300 metres high and each year since 1916, there’s been a competition to see who can reach the top in the shortest time. As the second oldest official motorsport event in the world (the Indy 500 claims to be the oldest, having started in 1911), the event – known as the 'Race to the Clouds’ – has seen all sorts of machinery over the decades and in a way documents the advances in automotive technology.

Since 1989, Suzuki Sport (the motorsports affiliate of the company) has had cars racing the 19.8 kms up to the top and much of the initiative has come from the 53-year old president, 'Monster’ Tajima, who is also the driver. He has been at the wheel of some really special Suzukis and he is the current record-holder for the Pikes Peak hillclimb. In 2007, he set the record for the run, taking 10 minutes 1.408 seconds, and this year, he returned with the aim of breaking the 10-minute barrier. He didn’t succeed but he remains the fastest person to drive up the peak; road conditions were not so good this year and his winning time was 10 minutes 15.4 seconds.

“21 years have passed since I competed in my first Pikes Peak International Hillclimb and I was happy to have been able to use those many years of experience in this years event. My dream of breaking the 10 minute barrier has not disappeared and should I decide to return next year for the challenge, it will be my 5th consecutive challenge for the record,” he promised.

While Tajima drove a heavily modified Grand Vitara in earlier attempts, this year he used the SX4 hatchback as a basis. But you would hardly be able to tell from looking at the 'monster’ of a car as it is much bigger and longer with a carbonfibre and Kevlar bodywork on a tubular space-frame. Called the Monster Sport SX4 Hillclimb Special, it weighs 1,120 kgs without the driver… that's 100 kgs lighter than the standard SX4!

The engine is a 2736 cc H27A V6 that is used in some Suzuki SUV models and extensively modified with twin turbos to boost power output from 181 bhp to 885 bhp and to torque from 250 Nm to 887 Nm! A robust 6-speed sequential transmission is fitted to handle all that torque which goes through differentials at the front and rear of the driveline. 18x11J wheels are used with 285/60 tyres.