I've driven up Pikes Peak twice, one time I was driving a rental Ford Aerostar minivan that had AWD, with grandma, mom and dad, wife and daughters, took a turn with a little gas to see how it took the dirt corner, freaked everyone out. My dad laughed. This picture is where I gave up on Mt. Elbert.
The short route, even though it's paved, is challenging, and some people run it!