In our previous article, we talked about how the team redeveloped the Volkswagen ID.R in order to optimize ID.R for Nurburgring.
A couple of days ago, Volkswagen Motorsport published a new video, showing the car making test runs at the track. The team anticipates some months of testing, tuning and optimizing before a record attempt is made.
The electric race car made its debut at Pikes Peak last summer, where it broke the overall record by 16 seconds.
Now, Volkswagen is aiming for the EV record at Nordschleife, currently held by NIO EP9 with a time of 6:45.90. The Chinese Formula E competitor made the run back in 2017 and the development of EV technology moves at lightning speed. So, we pretty much expect ID.R to complete its mission.
And, after the phenomenal performance at Pikes Peak, everybody hopes that Romain Dumas will also surpass the overall fastest lap record. It was set last June by Timo Bernhard, driving the Le Mans prototype Porsche 919 Hybrid EVO, with a time of 5:19.546.
That’s easier said than done. ID.R, with its Pikes Peak configuration, is heavier and less powerful compared to Porsche’s LMP1 car:
- Volkswagen ID.R – 680 hp, produced by two electric motors positioned at either axle; total weight under 2500 lbs.
- Porsche 919 Hybrid EVO – 710 hp from the turbocharged V4 engine, plus 434 hp from the electric motors; total weight – 1,872 lbs.
Unless Volkswagen engineers have dramatically improved the car’s technical specifications, the overall record may be just a pipe dream for now.
All we know is the ID.R team spent four months, redesigning the aerodynamic package, trading in downforce for higher top speed and faster acceleration. The rear wing features a drag-reduction system which levels out the flap in the straights, allowing the car to go faster.
That said, if there is any weakness in the 919 they can exploit, Romain Dumas is well aware of it. He was one of six drivers to pilot the car during its inaugural 2014 Le Mans season and he’s also Porsche’s current factory test driver. Add to that four victories at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring and there is no one better to pilot the ID.R for the record attempt.
A new feature in the ID.R is the blue and black paint job. It probably won’t help the car’s performance, but it’s a nice change from the somewhat bland grey color we saw at Pikes Peak.