Since they paved the entirety of course back in 2012, we’ve come to assume people don’t tumble down Pike’s Peak as often as the once did. However, hairpins, laggy turbo motors, and little runoff area aren’t things which mix well, as our friend Robert Walker discovered on a run to the top of the 14,114′ peak.

To suit his Scion for the specific demands of the American hillcimb, Mackin Industries outfitted the FR-S with a 2JZ-GTE from their SEMA IS250, which uses a slew of upgrades to make 800 ponies comfortably. Best of all, most of the stable is available at the summit where the air is so thin, you have to consciously inhale to get half a lung full—you know, the sort of environment where drawing on a Cohiba could cause you to keel over on the spot.

After DSport machined the block, they added a BC forged 94mm crankshaft connected to a set of Carrillo forged rods, ARP 625+ head studs, ARP main studs, HKS 1.2mm head gaskets, Titan Motorsports Billet Main caps, a Greddy intake manifold and JE Forged Asymmetric 11.0:1-compression pistons. With the displacement stretched 3.4-liters, the big Garrett GTX4294R T4 turbocharger is spooled sooner, though the ETS Twinscroll T4 turbo manifold does help in that regard, too.

Even with a broad and accessible powerband, the thrust sent to rear wheels does put a strain on the slicks, and wheelspin is always a few centimeters of pedal travel away. Adding to the challenge, the increased mechanical grip and unassisted brakes requires more muscle to manage the machine, so when Walker had to dial in an armful of opposite lock and stamp the brakes at the cliff’s edge, he was probably pleased he spent the extra time in the gym that year.

Fortunately, he only paid for the incident with a few unsightly grey hairs. Considering the potential plummet, that’s a steal.