Friday 20th July 2018

Onboard with the I.D. R - and others

Volkswagen finally delivers the footage we've been waiting for...

---

Ask and ye shall receive. Just the other week we were deploring the lack of onboard footage from the I.D. R's record-breaking run at Pikes Peak, now Volkswagen gives us 'all angles' of the 7:57.148 hill climb. It even features a bit of "holy smokes!" American commentary to get you in the right frame of mind.

The real pleasure though, as we suspected, is the sight of Romain Dumas wrestling 680hp of all-wheel-drive electric car up the course. As before, Volkswagen treats us to the internal whine of the motors, although it's interesting to hear the track side commentators talk of 'hearing practically nothing' as it goes by. It was a similar score at Goodwood last weekend, where, of course, the car repeated its record-setting trick.

We won't argue with the technical prowess required to pull off the I.D. R, nor its ability to thrash the pants off everything else in sight (although a balls-out 919 Evo run at FoS might have tested that scenario) but it does still seem like there are more evocative ways of getting up a hill. Like, for example, in a 616hp Flying Lizard Motorsport McLaren 12C with 23-time Pikes Peak winner Clint Vasholtz driving. Or in a Norma M20 SF PKP - the constructor Dumas used to represent - with Simone Faggiloli. Categorical reminders both that there is no school like the old school...

 

 

 

[matbat]

I'd love to see the in-car footage of it doing the Goodwood hill climb too.

[seefarr]

Once you get past the interview on the third video, the footage is pretty spectacular. It's apparently a 3.7L 800hp engine in a tiny car and it looks....brisk.

[406dogvan]

That first video - the VW one - is a brilliant example of how to take a load of video of what was undoubtedly a spectacular event and make it absolutely tedious and utterly uninformative or exciting.

The in-car angle is of a seat and helmet - who the fk looked at that and said "perfect - use it"???

A static video of a jar of marmalade would have a similar level of excitement and far more anticipation...

[Guvernator]

Sorry to say but zzzzz.

Yes I'm sure the technical engineering that goes into those cars is amazing and obviously the drivers are very skilled but it just does nothing for me. From the outside it looks like a computer could be driving it.

Compare it to the sublime climb dance video and you can see the mostly gravel surface was infinitely more exciting plus hanging the back out at crazy angles over death defying drops, there really is no contest for me. Proof that quicker isn't always better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiWbtOrHeFU

[anonymous-user]

Guvernator said:

Sorry to say but zzzzz.

From the outside it looks like a computer could be driving it.

That's the same for any car no? Well driven or not, a computer could be driving it.

[howertings]

406dogvan said:

That first video - the VW one - is a brilliant example of how to take a load of video of what was undoubtedly a spectacular event and make it absolutely tedious and utterly uninformative or exciting.

I did learn one thing - right foot did all the braking and the left foot was just along for the ride. What I'm wondering about is why.

[upsidedownmark]

Possibly no advantage to left foot braking. If it's 4wd and electric it probably achieves a massive amount of regenerative braking the instant you step off go, so making it less critical to get onto the friction braking quickly?

Agreed it makes it going fast look extremely dull. Suspect that's a by product of the technology.. would take the third one every time!