Race ready—Meet the top dragster
When it comes to its first electric racing car, Volkswagen pushes every limit of performance with this prototype! It is making history and breaking all the rules! Designed as part of Volkswagen’s I.D. project, this prototype has been breaking records since debuting in 2018 at the Pikes Peak International Climb in Colorado Springs. Volkswagen of Akron located on west exchange street in Akron Ohio understands their commitment to success. There, the ID. R became the first car to complete the hill climb in under 8 minutes. No car has ever made it faster! It earned the nickname the Volkswagen ID. R Pikes Peak and has had nothing but impressive performance ever since. Similar to the VW specials in Akron, Volkswagen of Akron wants to peak your interest in a new vehicle. Volkswagen of Akron located on west exchange street in Akron Ohio understands their commitment to success. Similar to the VW specials in Akron, Volkswagen of Akron wants to peak your interest in a new vehicle.
A look back….
It was following the Volkswagen emissions scandal in 2015 that the company pulled out of motorsports events including the World Rally Championship, which they had taken the top spot since 2013, the Dakar Rally and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Both at the World Rally and Dakar Rally, they had won consecutive years. Following the debut at Pikes Peak, the prototype went on to be awarded the Dewar Trophy for their electric motors and drivers.
The record breaking didn’t stop there.
Here’s more…
Specifically designed to compete in motorsport events, the ID. R features two electric motors, located at each axle, allowing for a combined 507 kW, 689 PS (680 hp) and 649 Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque. Weighing in at under 1,100 kg (2,500 lb), the ID.R reaches 0 to 60 mph in an impressive 2.25 seconds. The chassis of this vehicle was co-developed by Norma, French sports prototype and hillclimb specialist. Its unmatched performance is made clear in its total top speed of 423.7 km/h/ 263.1 mph. Similar to Formula One, the ID. R uses a drag-reduction system. This ultimately allows for less drag and a higher top speed.
When it comes to its first electric racing car, Volkswagen pushes every limit of performance with this prototype!
Following its debut at Pikes Peak, it went on to smash the track record at the Tianmen Mountain hill climb in China with a time of 7 minutes and 38 seconds. Impressive stats continue with its place as the record holder at the legendary Nurburgring. There it came in with a lap time of 6 minutes 5 seconds, beating the original electric car record. On that lap, it consumed 24.7 kWh of energy, which Volkswagen explains is a quarter of the energy that a GT3 racer consumes during one lap of the famed 12.9-mile race track. It also achieved a new best time for electric cars of 43.86 seconds at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Southern England. The new record on the legendary Nordschleife has now been added to this successful run.
With a goal to reach the pinnacle of electromobility with the I.D. family, Volkswagen has set high goals with the ID.R and has both met and exceeded them! Their goal is not so much to build the top racing car, but to achieve an ideal balance between energy capacity and weight. Like its name reveals, the R is synonymous with performance and the I.D., the symbol of Volkswagen’s smart E-Technology.
The prototype has even made a name for itself in video games, being featured in “Asphalt 8: Airborne” as a high-end C Class car and obtained from its festival event. The ID. R has also made an appearance in “Forza Horizon 4” as an unlockable car and in “V-Rally 4” as a DLC-unlockable vehicle.
More interesting facts/stats….
The length of the I.D. R is 5,219 or 205.5 inches, and it is 979 mm or 38.5 inches high. It runs on a lithium-ion battery and features Michelin Pilot Sport GT “SLICK” 31/71-18 S9M.
There, the ID. R became the first car to complete the hill climb in under 8 minutes.
In February of 2020, Volkswagen confirmed that a second version of the ID. R would be built. It would be named the ID. R Evo and like its predecessor, is expected to continue to make record attempts at various tracks and courses around the world. It may even potentially revisit some of the benchmarks set by the original I.D. car.
The ID. R truly embodies greatness and that shows on the world’s most demanding race tracks. Its impressive performance capabilities linked to Volkswagen’s electric drive is second to none. In fact, this 500 kW (680 PS) emission-free race car is the racing flagship of the future fully electric ID product family of Volkswagen.
Record-breaking, race ready and at the top of the line when it comes to performance, the Volkswagen ID.R pushes and exceeds every limit. In its all-electric format, it is taking motorsport by storm. Volkswagen’s first electric racing car has what it takes!
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