Upgraded racer arrives fresh from setting electric Nordschleife record, beating Nick Heidfeld’s 1999 time by 0.5 seconds
Volkswagen has broken the outright hillclimb record at Goodwood Festival of Speed with the 671bhp ID R electric racer.
Fresh from its record breaking efforts at the Nurburgring, where it set the fastest lap ever for an electric car with a time of 6min 05.336secs, the ID R has tackled the Goodwood hill in 41.18 seconds, beating Nick Hiedfeld’s previous hill record of 41.6 seconds. The record for the Sussex course had stood since 1999, when Heidfeld set it at the wheel of a McLaren MP4/13 F1 car, although modern F1 machinery is no longer timed up the hill.
All the news from the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2019
The 671bhp ID R broke the outright record at the Pikes Peak hill climb last year, but needed heavy modifications to cope with the 12.9-mile Nordschleife’s long straights and fast corners.
They included a new F1-inspired aerodynamics package, which added a new rear wing, redesigned front splitter and drag reduction system (DRS) which, when deployed, reduces downforce by as much as 20%. Changes to the energy management system help the car reach its top speed faster, while using less energy from its twin lithium-ion battery packs.
Driver Romain Dumas, who has won the Nurburgring 24-hour race four times dethroned the Nio EP9 electric hypercar by more than 40 seconds. The EP9 set the previous record for fastest EV around the ‘Ring in 2017 with a time of 6:45.90.
Volkswagen also teamed up with free-to-play racing simulator RaceRoom to let players digitally compete with its real-world record attempt. A virtual version of the ID R was created using data from the original car, with VW Motorsport engineers helping to create a realistic driving experience.
“The ID. R’s mission to be the spearhead of the fully electric ID. product family from Volkswagen continues in full force,” Volkswagen’s Motorsport Director Sven Smeets, said. “Once again, this time in 2019, the ID. R will demonstrate the great potential of electric drive, combining emissions-free technology with true emotion.”
Read more
How Volkswagen broke the Pikes Peak hillclimb all-time record
Goodwood Festival of Speed updates
Volkswagen to bid for electric Nurburgring lap record
Source: Autocar
