Aston Martin to compete at Pikes Peak, with champion Robin Shute aboard

A through technological upgrade is to be performed on an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 race car as part of its preparation to compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in June in Colorado, where Rivian and BMW also just announced plans to compete.

It will mark the British brand’s first entry into the classic Race to the Clouds since the event’s inception in 1916.

The driver is expected to be Robin Shute, a three-time overall winner and ‘King of the Mountain’ — winning in 2019, 2021 and 2022 when he was also presented with the prestigious Segrave Trophy by the Royal Automobile Club for being the first and only British winner of the hill climb.

According to the British firm Venture Engineering, which is partnering with Aston Martin Racing, the car will be powered by a 4.0-litrer turbocharged V8 engine, and additional technical developments will include engine mapping; damper work; an upgraded aero and reduced weight package from existing and development parts; as well as bespoke gearing.

This year, Venture says, the Aston will be entered in the Time Attack 1 class, which is a division for production-based two- and four-wheel-drive vehicles. There are plans to develop the car further into 2024 for a second run in the Unlimited class, the high-end division for exotics with the least restrictions.

Famed for its altitude and unforgiving weather conditions, the Pikes Peak climb is a 12.42-mile test through 156 twisting turns and an elevation gain of 4,725 feet.