Last year, Volkswagen made history with its all-electric race car, the I.D. R Pikes Peak, as it conquered the Pikes Peak in a record 7:57.148 with French professional racing driver Romain Dumas behind the wheel. Now, Volkswagen has set its sights on the ‘Green Hell’ for another electric record this year. The record attempt is being planned for summer this year.
Volkswagen Motorsport director Sven Smeets said: “After the record on Pikes Peak, the fastest time for electric cars on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife is the next big challenge for the ID. R. A lap record on the Nordschleife is a great accolade for any car, whether a race car or a production car.”
Major changes will be made to the aerodynamics of the I.D. R Pikes Peak to suit the conditions of the Nürburgring track, which is different from the Pikes Peak, according to technical director of Volkswagen Motorsport François-Xavier Demaison. While Pikes Peak, which starts at an altitude of 2,862 metres and ends at 4,302 metres, the Nordschleife winds its way through the Eifel region at between 320 and 617 metres above sea level. Volkswagen Motorsport is also planning to conduct extensive tests on various test tracks for development purposes.
Romain Dumas will once again be at the helm, steering the car for another record attempt at the Green Hell. After he conquered the iconic mountain in Colorado in the I.D. R Pikes Peak, he became the first driver in over 100 years to complete the run in less than eight minutes. The Frenchman also has four victories in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring to his name. “The thought of driving the ID. R on the Nordschleife is already enough to give me goosebumps. I know the track very well, but the ID. R will be a completely different challenge, with its extreme acceleration and huge cornering speeds. I can hardly wait for the first tests. Breaking the existing electric record will certainly not be a stroll in the park”, said Dumas.
To conquer the Nürburgring, Volkswagen has to beat the current record for all electric vehicles which stands at 6:45.90 minutes. This record was set by Britain’s Peter Dumbreck in a NIO EP9, which he raced at an average speed of almost 185kmph in 2017. Will Dumas manage to break the existing record for electric cars with the I.D. R Pikes Peak at the Green Hell? Let’s wait and watch.