Though Pike’s Peak gets the lion’s share of media attention when it comes to American hillclimbs, there is an older, equally terrifying ascent to the heavens, and it takes place in the state of New Hampshire. The Mt. Washington hillclimb, unlike Pike’s Peak these days, includes a partially unpaved section which runs alongside the edge of a craggy cliff. To make this even more terrifying, this section is not terribly flat, and is bordered by boulders and other obstructions. It takes a special blend of crazy, calm and courageous to set the record on a hill climb like this.

Interestingly, the paved sections which begin and end the run are by no means accommodating. Filled with odd cambers and plenty of blind crests, cracks and bumps, the suspension is working overtime. Observing David Higgins’ onboard footage, his Impreza absorbs all the undulations so easily that one might assume they’re rallying a very fast Cadillac. The ethos behind a rally car’s setup is quite different from a highly-strung racer. The rally car has to be both compliant and pointy, with an emphasis on quick direction changes while retaining lots of suspension travel.

Going sideways along an uneven, rock-lined dirt road beside a cliff takes a superhuman level of calmness.

Higgins makes the most of this Subaru; throwing it into corners but with a precision and an air of ease that only come with years of experience. Even when the proceedings get a bit hairy and Higgins begins to flirt with the edges of the road, his hands still turn the wheel smoothly and calmly. In fact, once he crosses the finish line, it’s his co driver who’s whooping and hollering since. After all, they’ve just set the record, but Higgins looks like he’s ready to take a nap. Rally drivers a certainly a different breed.