After the diesel emissions scandal, we expected Volkswagen to come out with a bunch of boring electric vehicles as a way of making amends. To some extent, it has, but its latest electric vehicle, the ID R Pikes Peak racer, is anything but dull.
Volkswagen is taking this year’s Pikes Peak Hill Climb very seriously, as the ID R Pikes Peak is a bespoke machine specifically built to tackle the 12.42-mile course. Besides being a competitive entry, VW is hoping to use it as a way to garner some attention for its upcoming electric I.D. family.
We’ve gotten a pretty good look at the ID R Pikes Peak recently, but the video below is our first glimpse at the vehicle in action on a track. In the 36-second clip, it looks like VW is starting to do some initial testing, seeing how the vehicle performs when it’s being pushed.
“The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak is already super spectacular at a standstill, but when moving it goes even further,” reads the description. Even though we take most manufacturers’ claims with a grain of salt, we have to agree on this one: VW’s electric race car is impressive.
Performance that matches its looks
VW packed two electric motors into the ID R Pikes Peak, giving it a total output of 680 HP (500 kW) and 480 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque. Thanks to its ultra low curb weight of just 2,425 pounds (1,100-kilograms), the vehicle is quicker to 62 mph (100 km/h) than an F1 car, capable of doing the sprint in just 2.25 seconds.
The racer does have its menacing look, but the most eerie thing about it is that it is totally silent. We don’t know if it can topple Sebeastien Loeb’s incredible time, but we are definitely interested to see if it can beat the current electric car record of 8:57.118 that was set in 2016 by Rhys Millen in the eO PP03.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiqJFMbf5c8