PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILL CLIMB

As teams prepared for the 2020 Pikes Peak Hill Climb, the Colorado time trial welcomed an unexpected entry in the form of the 000 art car: a 991 GT2 RS Clubsport driven by three-time King of the Mountain, David Donner.

Since 1916, Pikes Peak has been one of the world’s most challenging motorsport contests. The 12.42-mile course’s rapid ascent from its start line at 9,390 feet to the finish line at 14,115 feet taxes driver stamina and acuity. Donner is no stranger to the track’s extraordinary challenges, having taken three overall wins and three class wins at an event that has long attracted top rally and racing drivers from around the world, many of them supported by manufacturer works teams.

“I was never interested in returning to Pikes Peak unless I could drive a car with true racing pedigree, plenty of horsepower, traction control and ABS,” says Donner. “The GT2 RS Clubsport checks all those boxes, but then you place this amazingly powerful 911 on Michelin racing tyres and we have a truly spectacular Porsche, and that’s before we talk about its looks!”

The car’s colourful wrap was the result of a collaboration between Michelin, Meguiar’s, Swiss watch maker, Chopard, apparel brand, Champion, and was applied by Pro Graphics Install in Denver. Overseen by 000 co-founder, Pete Stout, the project saw Donner tread familiar ground — in addition to his own Pike’s Peak legacy, his father drove an RS-61 to three wins on the mountain in the 1960s. At the close of the 2020 event, Donner registered a stunning time of 9:36.559, not only winning the Time Attack class, but also placing third overall.