Volkswagen Motorsport has announced that it will attempt to set a new track record for electric cars on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in the summer of 2019.
“After the record on Pikes Peak, the fastest time for electric cars on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife is the next big challenge for the ID R,” said Volkswagen Motorsport director Sven Smeets. “A lap record on the Nordschleife is a great accolade for any car, whether a race car or a production car.”
The ID R, which is being further developed for the record attempt at the Nürburgring, is powered by two electric engines with a system capacity of 680ps and weighs less than 1,100kg, including the driver.
“Above all, we will modify the aerodynamics of the ID R, in order to cope with the conditions on the Nordschleife, which differ greatly from those on Pikes Peak,” said François-Xavier Demaison, technical director at Volkswagen Motorsport.
“As part of our meticulous preparations for the record attempt, we will put the ID R through an intense test and development program at various racetracks in the spring.”
Romain Dumas will again be behind the wheel for the record attempt. The French driver won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with the ID R in June 2018 and, with a time of 7:57.148 minutes, became the first driver to go under eight minutes. The Frenchman also has four victories in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring to his name.
“The thought of driving the ID R on the Nordschleife is already enough to give me goosebumps. I know the track very well, but the ID R will be a completely different challenge, with its extreme acceleration and huge cornering speeds,” said Dumas.
“I can hardly wait for the first tests. Breaking the existing electric record will certainly not be a stroll in the park.”
The current record for fully-electric vehicles stands at 6:45.90 minutes – at an average speed of almost 185km/h – and was set in 2017 in a Nio EP9.
