Monday 21st January 2019

VW ID. R aims for Nurburgring EV record

Romain Dumas will use the Pikes Peak record car to target Peter Dumbreck's 6:45 lap

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So it's another Nurburgring lap record attempt - feel free to read elsewhere now. But while some may be a little fed up with endless circling of the Nordschleife, some laps are more significant than others - VW's run at the EV lap record being one of them.

Predictably enough it will use the ID. R to do so, the car that ascended Pikes Peak in less than eight minutes last summer. Furthermore, given his familiarity with both the car and the circuit - having won four Nurburgring 24-Hour races - Romain Dumas will be on driving duties. He has said of the challenge: "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".

The target will be 6:45.90, set in 2017 by Peter Dumbreck in the NIO EP9. That car had the advantage of twice the VW's power - 1,360hp against 680 - which will surely have paid some dividends on the Nordschleife's full throttle sections. The VW can of course counter with a much lower kerbweight - 635kg less than the NIO, at 1,100kg - and the fact it's freed from the constraints of road car development like the EP9.

So it's a 1,100kg race car against 1,700kg road car on the Nurburgring; place your bets now, although given the pace of the ID. R already shown it would be a brave person to go against it. "A lap record on the Nordschleife is a great accolade for any car, whether a race car or a production car", said VW Motorsport Director Sven Smeets. A test programme at an assortment of race tracks will take place during the spring, with the lap record due to take place in the summer. How close to six minutes can it get?

 

 

[E65Ross]

Definitely won't be beating that 919 Hybrid Evo time soon

[E65Ross]

NicoG said:

E65Ross said:

Definitely won't be beating that 919 Hybrid Evo time soon

Stumbled across that video at the weekend - it was totally mental.
As soon as it was finished, I watched it again. Obviously.

The Valkyrie should be able to challenge it though...

Not a chance will the Valkyrie challenge the 919 Hybrid Evo. It's a road car, on road tyres, for starters.

[E65Ross]

donteatpeople said:

E65Ross said:

Not a chance will the Valkyrie challenge the 919 Hybrid Evo. It's a road car, on road tyres, for starters.

The AMR Pro should solve both of those problems.

I'd still be incredibly surprised if it would beat the 919

[E65Ross]

fblm said:

E65Ross said:

donteatpeople said:

E65Ross said:

Not a chance will the Valkyrie challenge the 919 Hybrid Evo. It's a road car, on road tyres, for starters.

The AMR Pro should solve both of those problems.

I'd still be incredibly surprised if it would beat the 919

Agreed. Modified 'road car' vs unrestricted race car. As much as i admire the Valkrie it's a road car and will almost certainly have some compromises as a result which the track mods don't eliminate. If I the pro can even get close to the evo it will be a monumental achievement; remember it has beaten f1 lap records.

I'm pretty sure the AMR Pro is meant to be about 1000kgs, which means it's also heavier than the 919, and I don't think it'll make as much downforce (though I may be wrong!)