French manufacturer Quarkus to take part in the famous Pikes Peak race

156 bends, 20 kilometres, 1500 metres of ascent and a finish at an altitude of over 4,300 metres. That's the challenge that French manufacturer Quarkus is preparing to take up. With the Quarkus P3, their new road-going supercar currently under development, the company from Les Mureaux in the Yvelines will be at the start of the 'Pikes Peak' hill climb on 23 June in the United States.

The Quarkus P3 aims for the summit

Still in development, the Quarkus P3 will take on the second oldest race in America. The race to the clouds was created in 1916, five years after the debut of the Indianapolis 500 in 1911. So why this choice? 

In their press release, Quarkus states that choosing Pikes Peak was a logical and natural choice. Ari Vatanen, a well-known figure in the competition and winner in 1988, is one of the personalities closely following the French manufacturer's project. The choice of the American race is a tribute to the Finnish driver, who was the record holder at the time.

Bruce Jouanny to drive the Quarkus P3 at Pikes Peak

The 71-year-old Finnish driver will not be starting the 102nd edition of the race. This task has been entrusted to Bruce Jouanny, who will be at the wheel of the Quarkus P3 bearing the number 26. An experienced driver and host of Top Gear France in recent years, the Frenchman has been involved in the project since the supercar first took to the wheel.

"I'm delighted to be taking on this challenge and can't wait to discover Pikes Peak. It's a legendary race that fits in perfectly with the development of the Quarkus P3. It's often referred to as a life-size test, and you can't get much better than Pikes Peak. It's a course on a real road, but with its own particular constraints: the altitude, the bumps, the hairpins and fast sections, the precipices... It's a unique setting in which to challenge yourself, as a team, a manufacturer and a driver. I'm sure we're going to learn a lot at every level.

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A supercar born to race... but homologated for the road

For the French manufacturer, Pikes Peak is the ideal place to test their new car: tubular carbon chassis, in-house developed suspension and running gear, compressed 4-cylinder engine, coupled with hybridisation. Around 300 PS under the bonnet, for a weight of 600 kilograms. Race-worthy performance from a road-legal car.

Quarkus P3

After a series of track tests, the Quarkus P3 will take on the altitude of the Alps before flying off to Colorado. After the Pikes Peak event, development will continue, taking into account the results obtained. In the words of Damien Alfano, founder of Quarkus, the French manufacturer will have to achieve in three months what was planned to take nine months.

"Taking on the Pikes Peak challenge when the first development prototype has just been presented is clearly unreasonable. No manufacturer does that! But that's our philosophy, to believe in our dreams, to set no limits and to share this adventure with our customers and partners, who are just as passionate as we are.  When Bruce mentioned his idea of climbing this monument, I simply couldn't say no. The heart spoke. The heart spoke. Now we're going, and it's a fantastic opportunity to boost the development of the Quarkus. We have to achieve in three months what was planned to take nine... Let's go!"

With a project that began at the end of November, Quarkus is up against a tight schedule. But the manufacturer from Les Mureaux can count on the operational and technical support of RD Limited, the company owned by Romain Dumas, four-time winner and event record holder. The Quarkus P3 will be officially presented on 2 May at the Prestige Auto Beaune.

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