Fully electric VW I.D. R revealed ahead of Pikes Peak record bid

Volkswagen unveiled its Pikes Peak challenger, the I.D. R, on Sunday, as it aims to beat the existing electric car record of 8min 57.118sec. Romain Dumas, three-time Pikes Peak champion and double Le Mans 24 Hours overall winner, will take the helm on June 24 over the 12-mile, 4720ft Colorado climb, which comprises 156 corners.

The manufacturer touts a weight of under 1134kg and figures 680hp and 479 lb ft from its two electric engines, reaching 0-60mph in 2.25sec. The I.D. R recovers energy during braking and feeds it into lithium-ion batteries and will generate 20 per cent of its total energy during the run up Pikes Peak.

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Related:

• ‘We’ve got the weapon’ – Millen and Bentley to tackle Pikes Peak
• Le Mans winner Dumas to drive electric Pikes Peak VW
• Memories of Pikes Peak

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Dr Frank Welsch, VW board member, said that the Pikes Peak car’s technology would translate to the road, calling it “a real acid test for the electric drive.

“Customers have always benefited from the findings made in motor sport,” said Welsch.

The car will be tested on circuits rather than Pikes Peak itself, where testing is strictly limited to the days before the event. 

“It was absolutely fantastic to see the completed I.D. R for the first time, and to take it out for its first spin,” said Dumas.

“What Volkswagen has managed to put together from scratch over the past few months has my greatest respect. I had obviously seen initial pictures of the car – but it is even more spectacular in the flesh. We now have a packed schedule of testing ahead of us, and I am looking forward to every metre!”