The Pikes Peak Hill Climb, which will celebrate its 100th running next year, is certainly no stranger to wildly modified vehicles. However, few come as unique as this proposed Mazda3 hatchback project, which will feature over 1,000 hp, a rotary engine, and rear-wheel drive.
The current-gen Mazda3 doesn’t really have that much aftermarket support, so seeing something as outlandish as this build is rare to say the least. The idea comes courtesy of New Zealand drifter Michael Widdett, who has experience with plenty of other rotary-powered vehicles, and likely plans to use some of his know-how from those for the Mazda3.
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The engine in question he plans on using is a four-rotor Wankel rotary engine, which will supposedly be knocking on the door of 1,200 hp (1,217 PS / 895 kW), even with the significantly lower air pressure found at Pikes Peak’s high altitude. Additionally, as mentioned before, the car will be rear-wheel drive instead of the usual front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, though it wouldn’t surprise us if Widdett used a modified version of that all-wheel drive setup for the conversion.
In the aero department, the car shown in the renderings on Widdett’s Instagram will feature a large chin splitter, a chassis-mounted wing, two rear hatch spoilers (one on top and one on the bottom of the rear window), side skirts, and a sizeable rear diffuser.
It will also seemingly sport new wheels and tires, lowered suspension, and a hood-exit exhaust in addition to a bold white-and-blue Red Bull livery. And as teased by the caption of the Instagram post, the Mazda will still have four seats and four doors despite the hill climb’s rules not allowing any passengers or co-drivers in the vehicle.
H/T to The Drive!
