Mitsubishi has put its little i-MiEV electric city car on steroids to prepare it for the 2012 Pikes Peak hill climb challenge.

Last year Nissan LEAF EV took part in the race, which was good publicity for the car, and now Mitsu decided to do the same.

It’s not all publicity though, as Mitsubishi says they are also looking forward to gather data on the electric system’s durability and reliability under harsh circumstances such as the demanding Pikes Peak hill.

The i-MiEV will take part in the challenge with the same standard powertrain the production version has, but it gets an ultra-massive body kit, and new axles by the looks of things, and a roll bar inside the cabin. The standard i-MiEV with its narrow tires and tiny size is too unstable fro any form of motorsport.

The Pike Peak i-MiEV will be driven by rally veteran Hiroshi Masuoka.