Volkswagen is continuing its I.D. offensive with a new motorsports project, which it calls the I.D. R Pikes Peak. The all-electric prototype racing car is set to take part in this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event that takes place on June 24 in Colorado.
Like is other non-racing siblings, the I.D. R is underpinned by the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB) platform with a four-wheel drive powertrain. The racer is meant to showcase the sporting potential of the platform, and represents the first step towards a closer relationship between Volkswagen R and Volkswagen Motorsport.
“We want to be at the forefront of electro-mobility with Volkswagen and the I.D. family. Competing in the most famous hillclimb in the world with the I.D. R Pikes Peak is a valuable test for the general development of electric car,” said Frank Welsch, Volkswagen member of the board of management with responsibility for development.
Official performance figures weren’t provided, but Volkswagen is aiming to set a new record for electric cars during the hill climb event. Currently, the record in the modified class is 8 minutes 57.118 seconds, set by Rhys Millen in an e0 PP100 in 2016.
“It is about time we settled the score. The I.D. R Pikes Peak represents an extremely exciting challenge for us, to show what is possible in motorsport with an electric drivetrain. The entire team behind our driver Romain Dumas is highly motivated to set a new record for electric cars,” added Sven Smeets, director of Volkswagen Motorsport.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, also known as the “Race to the Clouds,” has been held since 1916 near Colorado Springs in the Rocky Mountains. The 19.96-km (12.4-mile) route starts at just above 9,000 feet and climbs to the summit at 14,115 feet above sea level.
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Looks like Le Mans car instead.
yet another concept car in….gran turismo ^^