Golf R

Make
Volkswagen
Segment
Hatchback

Volkswagen today revealed its first all-electric I.D. R Pikes Peak race car, which the company will use to attempt a record run at the international hill climb event in Colorado Springs this June 24th. Teased earlier in renders that left little to the imagination, the I.D. R Pikes Peak was shown in Alès, France-the hometown of its pilot, Romain Dumas-in raw carbon fiber without a livery. The car produces 680 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque from its two electric motors, which are fed by a lithium-ion battery pack of an undisclosed capacity. But how quick is it?

Volkswagen claimed in a release the new racer is quicker "than even Formula 1 and Formula E cars." The I.D. R Pikes Peak is capable of hitting 60 mph from a standing stop in 2.25 seconds thanks to a total weight of approximately 2,500 pounds. Development of the car and its resulting performance at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb will inform engineers on how to build future road-going electric vehicles. "The hill climb on Pikes Peak will definitely be a real acid test for the electric drive. Customers have always benefited from the findings made in motorsport, and we expect to take these findings and use them as a valuable impetus for the development of future I.D. models," said Dr. Frank Welsch, VW executive responsible for development.

Volkswagen is looking to beat the existing electric car record of 8:57.118 minutes set by hill-climb veteran Rhys Millen in the eO PP100 prototype in 2016. The fastest anyone has climbed Pikes Peak was in 2013, when rally legend Sébastien Loeb attacked the mountain in the Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak. That attempt resulted in a 8:13.878-minute run up the mountain. A total of 69 cars and 24 motorcycles will race at the 96th running of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Including the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak, nine competitors are entered in the Unlimited class, though the VW will have an upper hand as it won't lose power do to the thinner air towards the mountain's peak. Expect it to top the time charts for the annual event this year.