Ford's Next Pikes Peak Car Might Be ICE, Not EVFord (Ford)Ford Racing's demonstrator team may not be a name you know, but you will almost certainly be familiar with the group's work. This is the group behind electric race cars the Supervan that lapped the Nürburgring in under seven minutes, the Mustang that broke seven seconds in a quarter mile, and the ridiculous F-150 Lightning Supertruck that won the Pikes Peak hill climb in 2024. All of those cars made their names with batteries and electric motors, but the group might be branching out to internal combustion engines soon.In a recent conversation with Autocar, Ford Racing lead Mark Rushbrook says this his group is "not going to restrict ourselves to full electric" any longer. "We still have a lot of electric cars in our future," he adds, "but we also have a lot of hybrids coming, and we also have a lot of combustion vehicles coming. So we'll do more demonstrators, but you will see more powertrain technology in them, not just full electric."Ford (Ford)This change is possible because Ford does not actually have any specific reason to run only electric demonstrators. Rushbrook notes that the project exists in the first place because Ford was not interested in what existing all-electric racing series like Formula E offered the brand. "We wanted the ability to truly learn with a free canvas," he says, "and a series like Formula E does restrict you."AdvertisementAdvertisementWith a recent focus shift back to new internal combustion products, the Ford Motor Company's needs have shifted again. That means the demonstrator team can market all kinds of new Ford products with their own radical racers. It opens the door for all kinds of possibilities, but we won't know exactly what the group is cooking up until Ford reveals yet another massively-winged track machine.You Might Also LikeIf You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State
