Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima, arguably one of the quickest drivers the world has seen, is returning to the 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with the Tajima Rimac E-Runner Concept_One. Developed and built by Nobuhiro's own shop, Monster Sport, in cooperation with Rimac Automobili,->ke3928 a Croatian manufacturer known for the Concept One electric->ke1030 supercar,->ke177 the E-Runner Concept_One is set to become the most powerful EVs to race at Pikes Peak.->ke1001

The project brings together not only "Monster" Tajima's storied experience with the "Race to the Clouds," but also Rimac's state-of-the-art drivetrain technology, including its All Wheel Torque Vectoring System and small and light, but still efficient battery pack. Their goal is quite ambitious: to break the previous track record for electric vehicles.

"We are quite confident that Tajima Rimac E-Runner Concept_One will break previous year’s record. He is a great driver with tons of experience. With the support of our best engineers and technicians, our technology, powertrain, battery-system and Torque Vectoring, he will be able to push the boundaries of electric race cars to a whole new level,” said Rimac founder Mate Rimac.

The 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is scheduled to take place on June 28th. Until then, let's have a closer look at the E-Runner Concept_One.

Continue reading to learn more about the Tajima Rimac E-Runner Concept_One.

Exterior

Although Tajima and Rimac released only one photo of the all-electric race car,->ke148 it's enough to see that this vehicle was built to break records and top Pikes Peak at an incredible pace. Take the canopy off and this thing looks like a classic Can-Am car. Keep it on and it's some sort of Le Mans->ke1591 prototype. It's low-slung and aerodynamic, it has a massive splitter and sharp fender add-ons at the front, and a massive, low-mounted wing at the rear. In fact, scratch that Can-Am remark, the wing alone reminds me of the Jaguar XJR-9 that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Daytona in the late 1980s.

Besides sporting an aggressive appearance, the E-Runner Concept-One also wears an appropriate racing->ke447 livery. I just hate it when race cars wear dull liveries, but it's not the case here. Tajima's ride is wrapped in three shades of blue -- including a French Blue-like hue that reminds of classic Bugatti->ke16 racers -- complemented by white spots and a black-and-yellow wing. This is a car you simply can't miss running past you, despite its nearly silent drivetrain.

Interior

As with most purpose-built race cars, the E-Runner's cockpit is focused on driver safety. Charging up Pikes Peak is quite dangerous, as one mistake is enough to send you tumbling downhill a long way. It happened several times recently and it was the safety equipment that allowed the drivers to survive. Although Tajima is among the most experienced drivers to race at Pikes Peak, you can never be too careful.

The cabin's main features include a full roll cage, a bucket seat with six-point harness, a quick-release steering wheel, and the necessary buttons and switches on a no-nonsense dashboard (if we can call it that).

Drivetrain

This is where the E-Runner Concept_One becomes truly spectacular. While Tajima's previous E-Runners were far from slow, the Concept_One is the most powerful race car the Japanese driver has set foot in. Responsible for this are the four independent electric motors developed by Rimac. Mounted at each wheel and powered by a 57-kWh battery pack, the motors crank out a total of 1,474 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque. That's significantly more power than the Bugatti Veyron,->ke1112 the world's fastest production car, and more importantly, more than twice the power Tajima had in 2014, when he completed the course in 9 minutes, 43.90 seconds.

The Concept_One also uses an innovative chain drive system instead of gearboxes and differentials, which Rimac says it was specifically developed for this project and saves "a lot of weight and space." It also features an bespoke racing version of the Rimac All Wheel Torque Vectoring system, which can vary the torque on each wheel depending on the steering angle, speed, longitudinal and lateral forces, yaw-rates, and several other variables.

As far as performance goes, the Concept_One is one crazy machine. Rimac says it will hit 62 mph in 2.2 seconds and 124 mph in 5.4 seconds. Top speed is less impressive at 167 mph, but more than enough for a course such as Pikes Peak.

The massive output and the technology behind the Concept_One should enable Tajima to not only best his previous record, but also establish a new record in the Electric Class division. The previous benchmark was established in 2014 by Greg Tracy in the Mitsubishi MiEV Evolution III. Tracy's record sits at 9 minutes, 8.188 seconds, nearly one full minute behind the overall record set in 2013. Given Tajima won't have any technical issues, the Concept_One, which weighs in at 3,307 pounds, has everything it takes to become the fastest EV to climb Pikes Peak in 2015.

Drivetrain Specifications

Competition

Mitsubishi MiEV Evolution III

Although this specific car won't compete in the 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, it's the vehicle Tajima and his E-Runner Concept_One will try to dethrone on his way to setting a new course record for electric cars. The Evolution III was built around the same concept as the E-Runner, using electric motors at all corners. However, the Mitsubishi->ke58 was significantly less powerful, at "only" 611 horsepower.

Driven by American driver Greg Tracy, the Evolution III completed the "Race to the Clouds" in 9 minutes and 8.188 seconds, crossing the finish line in second place overall, only a little more than two seconds behind the winner.

Read our full review here.

eO PP03

The PP03 is one of third EVs to run in the Electric Modified class in 2015 and possibly Tajima's main competitor for the record. Unlike the Concept_One, the PP03 uses six electric motors powered by a 50-kWh battery pack. Although it's slightly less powerful than the E-Runner at 1,367 horsepower, the PP03's peak torque of 1,593 should make a difference up the hill. Not to mention it's more than 600 pounds lighter than the Concept_One at 2,646 pounds.

The eO PP03 will be driven by Rhys Millen, who has previously raced a modified Hyundai Genesis Coupe at Pikes Peak, on top of being a Global Rallycross Championship regular from 2011.

Conclusion

The fact that the E-Runner Concept_One has more than twice the amount of power than any other EV ran in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb as of 2015 speaks volumes about how far electric cars have evolved recently. This thing is more powerful than a Bugatti Veyron, and although some might argue it's just a race car, I bet it won't be long until this technology trickles onto a production, road-legal vehicle that will smash Guinness records. Meanwhile, the Concept_One is out to set a new Pikes Peak record, and with Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima himself behind the wheel, we have every chance to witness history in the making at the 2015 Pikes Peak Hill Climb.