Meet Goldmember: the First-Ever Self-Driving Pikes Peak Challenger

The Peak Of Man and Machine

Pikes Peak is a mountain range in Colorado that is normally just a geological feature, but it also has a long and storied motoring history. Dubbed the “Race to the Clouds,” it began its inaugural race in 1916. The race takes place on a 12.42-mile course with 156 turns, climbing from an initial elevation of 9,390 feet to the 14,115-foot summit. 

Over the decades, it has become a testing bed for man and machine. Pikes Peak has given the world some of the most iconic race cars ever, and the same can be said for the modern renditions of the race, with EV racers regularly partaking in the festivities.

Now, even EVs without drivers can take on the challenging hill climb, thanks to Unplugged Performance.

Unplugged and Unmanned

EVs have become a favorite among hill-climb racers, thanks to their instant torque and huge power. Since Pikes Peak follows the same format, the ultimate winner is the car that clocks the fastest time and, in most cases, breaks the current world record. Unplugged Performance, the leading aftermarket Tesla tuner, has competed at the race almost regularly, with campaigns running from 2020 to 2023.

For all of those participations, Unplugged Performance tapped the services of American racing legend Randy Pobst, but for 2026, they’re going for the unconventional by entering the first-ever autonomous Pikes Peak race car called the Goldmember.

The name alludes exactly to where you think it does, and the car is based on the brand’s purpose-built Cybercab robotaxi. Goldmember also takes the aggressive aero package last seen on the Dark Helmet racer; the tuner group raced up the mountain in 2023.

The end result is an aggressive-looking, gold-finished, butterfly door race car. It just can’t look the part; it actually has to perform. Unplugged Performance installed a tri-motor system that makes 1,020 hp and 1,050 ft-lb of torque. It has a 0-60 time of 1.5 seconds, which is on par with the quickest EVs on the market today. While the weight tips in at 4,200 pounds, the real headliner is the aero kit, which generates the same amount in downforce, essential to keeping the car on the road for the 19-mile hill climb.

Milestone for Machines

As mentioned, the Goldmember will be taking the hillclimb with nobody behind the wheel, a first for the event and certainly a challenge in itself. Unplugged Performance calls their software the Full Self-Driving: Hillclimb. This is a fully dedicated, purpose-built system based on the systems already in place on the Cybercab platform. The system will be tuned to take on the daunting task of 156 turns and an ascent of 5,000 feet.

Unplugged Performance believes that autonomous racing is a natural testing ground for self-driving technology. The group claims that if the FSD system can tackle the task of Pikes Peak, the readiness argument for public use becomes more compelling.