Acura’s best performing sedan ever, the new 2021 TLX Type S, will pace the 99th running of The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, brought to you by Gran Turismo on June 27. Driving the TLX Type S pace car up the challenging 12.42-mile hill climb will be television personality and self-proclaimed car nut Ant Anstead, former host of enthusiast programs like “Wheeler Dealers,” “Master Mechanic” and co-founder of Radford Motors.
The TLX Type S is well suited to pace the field on Colorado’s challenging mountain course with its turbocharged V6 engine producing 355-horsepower, standard Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®) with true torque-vectoring, quick-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission, Brembo® front brakes and double-wishbone front suspension. Moreover, its Type S-exclusive Sport+ driving mode sharpens responses for even greater performance and driver enjoyment.
Known as the Race to the Clouds, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is one of America’s longest running motorsports competitions. Since 1916, drivers from all over the world and a wide variety of vehicles from multiple motorsports disciplines race against the clock as they take on the 156-turn course, starting at 9,390 feet and climbing to the 14,115 summit.
Last year, a development prototype of the highly-anticipated TLX Type S paced the historic hill climb and Acura vehicles have competed in the event since 2012, recording numerous race records and podium finishes. In 2020, Honda R&D engineer James Robinson beat his own Hybrid record by more than half a second behind the wheel of an Acura NSX with a time of 10:01.913. Acura also holds the front-wheel drive record, set by James’ brother and fellow engineer Nick Robinson (10:48.094) in 2018, and the Pikes Peak Open all-wheel drive record (9:24.433) was set by race car driver Peter Cunningham in 2019, driving the Acura TLX GT race car.
British television personality and car restorer Ant Anstead gained popularity in his home country on shows such as “For the Love of Cars” before becoming a household name in the U.S. co-hosting “Wheeler Dealers.” Recently, Anstead and business partner, Formula One World Champion Jenson Button, are bringing luxury coachbuilding back with Radford Motors.
