Aurobay, a HORSE Powertrain company, powers Christian Merli to victory in the Pikes Peaks Unlimited division
Race day on Sunday at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was an epic moment for Aurobay, a HORSE Powertrain company. Driving the 2024 WOLF AUROBAY GB08 2.0 HP, powered by Aurobay’s High Performance 2.0 litre engine, Christian Merli pulled clear of the competition to victory in the Unlimited division of Pikes Peak.
The Aurobay-powered Wolf Racing car completed the run in just over nine minutes, clocking a time of 9:04.454. This performance not only secured first place in the Unlimited category but also placed Merli as the second fastest competitor overall up the mountain.
“This is an extraordinary moment for Aurobay and HORSE Powertrain: we have taken a stock production engine, adapted it to the high-altitude conditions of the race, and prevailed over strong competition that raced us hard up the mountain. We were expecting a good result after all of our simulations and test runs, but seeing our engine and car at the top of the Unlimited division time sheets is incredible”, said Michael Fleiss, CEO Aurobay Sweden.
Additionally, Aurobay and driver Christian Merli achieved the fastest ICE time and earned the title of Rookie of the Year (fastest rookie). Christian Merli pushed the car up the mountain with an average speed of 79.346 kph.
“The Aurobay engine and the Wolf car felt great: all the fine-tuning, work on the test rigs, and calibration improvements we did after the test runs paid off. For me, after five FIA European Hill Climbing championships, this represents another great experience in my career: it’s a dream come true,” he said.
“We are particularly proud that we managed to win the Unlimited division in such a gruelling race with a stock production engine. Aurobay and HORSE Powertrain will soon launch our performance offering at SEMA in November. We wanted to showcase the level of quality and adaptability that we will bring to the racing sector”, said Michael Fleiss.
Also key to Aurobay’s victory was the use of a 70% renewable fuel, highlighting the company’s commitment to developing engines compatible with fuels of the future.
Aurobay’s racing endeavors continue with participation in the Kumho TCR World Tour with Cyan Racing Lynk & Co and, as HORSE Powertrain, in partnership with Kristoffersson Motorsport in the FIA World Rallycross Championship.
About Horse Powertrain Limited
HORSE Powertrain is a new global leader in powertrain solutions, with 19,000 employees on three continents. It partners with automotive OEMs worldwide to enable a faster transition to cleaner mobility. Each year, its subgroups, Horse and Aurobay, produce c. 5 million next-generation powertrain solutions, including engines, transmissions and hybrid systems. The company has 17 global plants and 5 R&D centres around the world, serving multiple OEMs including Renault Group, Geely Auto, Volvo Cars, Proton, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors Company. HORSE Powertrain is headquartered in London, UK, and has €15 billion in yearly revenues.
About Aurobay, a HORSE Powertrain company
Aurobay develops and manufactures world-class next-generation powertrain solutions to meet the global demand for cleaner mobility. With a heritage of more than 100 years of continuous powertrain innovation, its 10,000 employees work across research and development, engineering and manufacturing. In 2023, Aurobay had revenues of EUR 4.6 billion from producing 2,650,000 hybrid engines, electric motors, and transmissions in its state-of-the-art manufacturing sites in Sweden and China. Aurobay is part of HORSE Powertrain Limited, a newly formed company with a heritage from Geely, Volvo Cars and Renault Group. HORSE Powertrain Limited has been created as a global leader in hybrid and combustion powertrain components and systems.
