If you follow what’s going on in the Formula Drift scene, you’ve probably come across the name “Mad Mike” Widdett. The New Zealand professional racer, sponsored by Red Bull, has been involved in different types of motorsport since the age of six, but nowadays, he is mostly known for drifting in crazy, rotary-powered Mazdas. Now, there’s a new addition to Crazy Mike’s garage, and it’s just as bonkers as the ones before it.
While Mazda is figuring out a way to make a modern rotary engine that covers the latest emissions regulations, Mad Mike adds another rotary rocket to his garage. For the 100th edition of Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, Mike will be brapping up the hill in a rear-wheel-drive converted Mazda 3 that makes 1,200 horsepower}.
As you would expect, the Mazda 3 features a livery, identical to the other rotary cars, driven by the New Zealander. The 26B engine – essentially two 13B engines – breaths through four stacked pipes, protruding through the front hood. Of course, there’s also a rear wing that you can easily use for a dinner table.
For a car, specifically built to tackle the 12.42-mile (19.99 km) Pikes Peak course, the Mazda 3 is quite practical. In an Instagram post, Crazy Mike pointed out that the car features four seats, four doors, and four rotors. The exterior decals hint at some of the parts, used for the build, among which are a Garrett turbocharger (at least one), KW dampers, and Halltech ECU. The more obvious ones are the Rays wheels, wrapped in Toyo tires.
Although ”Mad Mike” Widdett might reveal a bit more about his latest car, before the 2022 Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, on 26 June, we already know it’s going to be crazy fast and make all the right rotary, “brap brap” noises.