“Monster” Tajima Prepares Beastly 86 for Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is one of the fastest, most dangerous hill climb events in the country. The course is frequently narrow and dusty, and falls cliff faces are precipitous. That’s also what makes it one of the most exciting competitions in American motorsport. Veteran racer Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima is aiming to take the crown of fastest from Rhys Millen back to Japan. He’s not relying on the legendary, 1000 horsepower, twin-engine Escudo that earned him the name “monster.” This year, he’s using a GT-86.
Well, at least it looks like a GT 86. If there’s any of the original car underneath that familiar shape, I’d be surprised. The boxer has been swapped out for 3 liter V6. No more boxer rumble. They also dropped the rear-wheel-drive configuration in exchange for all-wheel-drive. Don’t worry though, it’ll still get sideways.
As always, Pikes Peak should be an incredible race this year. We’ll keep an eye out for news on Tajima’s next move.