Volkswagen ID.R Race Car Sets Sights on Nurburgring EV Record

After its record-breaking Pikes Peak Hill Climb run, the Volkswagen ID.R all-electric race car has its sights set on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife this summer. The automaker hopes to capture the fastest time for an electric car around the Green Hell.

The ID.R is powered by two electric motors that deliver 670 hp. The race car weighs under 2,500 pounds with the driver, or about as much as a Mazda Miata. Because the Nurburgring is vastly different from Pikes Peak, further development of the ID.R is required, so aerodynamics will be one area that VW will focus on. “Unlike the U.S. classic on Pikes Peak, which starts at an altitude of more than 9,000 feet and ends at 14,115 feet, the Nordschleife winds its way through the Eifel region at between 1,050 and 2,024 feet above sea level,” said Volkswagen Motorsport technical director Francois-Xavier Demaison, in a release.

Before the summer record attempt, the ID.R will be put through an intense development program at various racetracks. Piloting the electric race car will be Frenchman Romain Dumas, the same driver who captured the record at Pikes Peak. But breaking the Nurburgring’s record won’t be easy because it currently stands at 6:45.90 for all-electric vehicles. This was done in 2017 by Britain’s Peter Dumbreck in a NIO EP9 with an average speed of almost 115 mph.

The famous Nurburgring-Nordschleife is a 13-mile track with more than 70 turns. Besides being used by various automakers for rigorous testing, the track also hosts the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring endurance race and is a venue for the FIA World Touring Car Cup series. Why is Volkswagen gunning for a record there? For starters, VW has already invested a good deal in the development of the ID.R. Why not get another record out of it? Plus, ‘Ring records earn your brand substantial street cred, which VW could use given its ambitious electrification plans that call for 15 million vehicles in the first phase of its big EV push.

Source: Volkswagen

The post Volkswagen ID.R Race Car Sets Sights on Nurburgring EV Record appeared first on Motortrend.

from Motortrend http://bit.ly/2U7z8OU