The VW ID.R is the fastest all-electric car on the planet and ex-Formula 1 racer and world champion Nico Rosberg recently had the opportunity to test it out.
Very few people outside of Volkswagen have ever had the opportunity to drive the ID.R. In fact, Top Gear’s Chris Harris is the only other person we’re aware of to drive the car. Making Rosberg’s review particularly epic is the fact it was conducted at the Nurburgring GP track just prior to last weekend’s F1 Eifel Grand Prix at the circuit.
Watch Also: VW ID.R Sets Another Lap Record, This Time At Germany’s Bilster Berg
Prior to jumping behind the wheel of the race car, Rosberg had a chat with Romain Dumas who was the one that drove the ID.R around the Nurburgring in 6 minutes and 5.336 seconds last year, setting a new electric vehicle record in the process. Rosberg admits to being quite nervous when first jumping into the tight and claustrophobic cabin but as soon as he launched the car off the line, he was right at home.
In perfect conditions, the ID.R can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in a mere 1.65 seconds but the circuit was a little damp when Rosberg drove the car so he wasn’t able to match that number. Nevertheless, he aggressively launches the car off the line, spinning up all four wheels and getting the car to slide.
The ID.R isn’t as fast as the Formula 1 car that Rosberg used to drive but he does say that it feels similar through the corners thanks to the huge amounts of downforce it produces.