Volkswagen's All-Electric ID. R Arrives At The Nurburgring

Apr. 28, 2019 6:50 AM ET by John Tallodi Nurburgring / 6 Comments

Months of redevelopment have prepared the electric race car for its biggest challenge yet.

VW's 670 horsepower ID. R made headlines last year when it set the outright EV record at the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Denver, Colorado. It has now been extensively redeveloped to take on the 12.9-mile long Nürburgring and break the current EV lap record of 6:45.90 set by the NIO EP9 back in 2017.

"The ID. R's mission to be the spearhead of the fully electric ID. product family continues in full force," says Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director.

"Once again, in 2019, the ID. R will demonstrate the great potential of electric drive, combining emissions-free technology with true emotion. The Nürburgring-Nordschleife is the next step on the journey of the ID. R, a car that shows the way ahead for electric drivetrains in Volkswagen motorsport."

Testing has just begun, and four-times 24-hour Nurburgring race winner Romain Dumas is keen to see how it will fare on the challenging circuit. "I have already driven the Nordschleife with the ID. R on the simulator countless times. But you only get the true feeling from the incredibly high cornering speeds when you're on the actual track. The extent to which the ID. R has been continuously developed compared to 2018 is impressive. I can't wait to finally drive the ID. R on the Nordschleife."

VW has also released an online racing simulator which can be downloaded free of charge for fans who would like to experience this impressive machine in the virtual world.

The redesigned ID. R has had a lot of changes made to its aerodynamics, mostly to help increase its top speed. "Last year, the number of turns and the thin air at Pikes Peak demanded maximum downforce," explains François-Xavier Demaison, Technical Director of Volkswagen Motorsport.

"On the Nordschleife lap, the ID. R will reach an average speed of more than 112 mph-with a top speed on the straight of up to 168 mph. We have therefore developed a completely new aerodynamic package using DRS, the drag reduction system known from Formula 1, as well as optimising the energy management, which controls the power output of the two electric motors and energy recovery under braking." With such a comprehensively updated car piloted by the very experienced Dumas, the ID. R is sure to make the headlines once again.

Volkswagen's All-Electric ID. R Arrives At The Nurburgring

Join The Discussion

Gallery

Volkswagen's All-Electric ID. R Arrives At The Nurburgring

Join The Discussion

Gallery

Related Cars