VW ID.R’s Record Run Attempt In China Will See It Attack 99 Tight Corners

On September 2, Volkswagen will unleash its fully-electric ID.R onto the Tianmen Mountain Big Gate Road, which features a monster 99 tight corners, is 11 km long (6.83 miles) and ascends 1,100 meters (3,608 feet) towards “Heaven’s Gate”, a high arch in the cliffs on Tianmenshan.

Tasked with driving the car is none other than Romain Dumas, who has already set records at Pikes Peak, at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, and at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the latter taking place last month.

“Tianmen Mountain itself and Big Gate Road are simply breath-taking,” said Dumas. “A stunning natural spectacle meets spectacular road building skill here. Scaling the mountain on this road at race tempo is a real challenge for a driver. I will face it with the utmost respect.”

There is no room for errors on Big Gate Road, with virtually every single turn a tight hairpin. Turn 88, for example, has a radius of only 6 meters (19.6 feet) and a width that measures between 5-6 meters (16-19 feet) – you probably can’t navigate it at more than 25 km/h (15.5 mph). However, on the road’s longest section, the 680 PS (670 HP) ID.R is expected to hit roughly 230 km/h (143 mph).

Also read: Here’s How VW Uses Glycerin To Recharge The ID.R’s Air-Cooled Battery Pack

If you’re not there to break a record with an electric VW racer next month, best thing you can do is check out the route via cable car – it runs from the nearby Zhangjiajie station all the way to “Heaven’s Gate” and the temple on Tianmen.

While no actual record times have been set, other vehicles have taken on Big Gate Road’s 99 corners in the past, as well as the “Heaven’s Gate” steps. Most recently, we saw a Range Rover Sport PHEV driving up the Dragon Road, conquering a total of 999 steps at a 45-degree angle.