Photo: Volkswagen
Not much time left until the Pikes Peak hill climb race kicks off on June 24, and testing at the world famous site has already begun.
Among the first to reach the location is Volkswagen. The carmaker is pretty excited by this year’s race, as it marks its return to the climb after a 30-years absence, so it doesn’t miss any opportunity to let the world know how things are going.
As most of you know, Volkswagen would try and do things differently this time, so instead of fielding a two four-cylinder combustion-engined car, like in the Golf it used last time, it will use a machine with none.
The car is electric, and it would be attempting to beat the record set for such vehicles by Rhys Millen in 2016: 8:57.188. Powering it along would be a battery-electric motors combo developing 680 horsepower and 650 Nm of torque.
Behind the wheel of the car would sit Le Mans winner and current Porsche factory driver Romain Dumas. The race driver was the one who took the I.D. R for a spin this week in Colorado.
For the test, Volkswagen managed to convince authorities to close the road to the public for three hours, but this is only the beginning. VW says that further tests would follow and a permanent base has been set up in the American state for that to happen.
This week’s test was meant to gather relevant data about suspension, tires and the optimum use of battery charge and energy recycling when braking.
Dumas seems to love every the electric racer, but he does say there is room still for improvements.
“The I.D. R Pikes Peak is the best car that I have ever driven up this mountain,” he said in a statement following the test.
“But it goes without saying that there is always room for improvements. In the remaining test drives, we will continue to optimize the tuning,”
The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is an annual event, taking cars on a climb of 4,720 ft (1,440 m) from the start at Mile 7 on Pikes Peak Highway, to the finish at 14,110 ft (4,300 m). The road is made up of over 156 turns spread over a 12.42 miles (20 km) distance.
As most of you know, Volkswagen would try and do things differently this time, so instead of fielding a two four-cylinder combustion-engined car, like in the Golf it used last time, it will use a machine with none.
The car is electric, and it would be attempting to beat the record set for such vehicles by Rhys Millen in 2016: 8:57.188. Powering it along would be a battery-electric motors combo developing 680 horsepower and 650 Nm of torque.
Behind the wheel of the car would sit Le Mans winner and current Porsche factory driver Romain Dumas. The race driver was the one who took the I.D. R for a spin this week in Colorado.
For the test, Volkswagen managed to convince authorities to close the road to the public for three hours, but this is only the beginning. VW says that further tests would follow and a permanent base has been set up in the American state for that to happen.
This week’s test was meant to gather relevant data about suspension, tires and the optimum use of battery charge and energy recycling when braking.
Dumas seems to love every the electric racer, but he does say there is room still for improvements.
“The I.D. R Pikes Peak is the best car that I have ever driven up this mountain,” he said in a statement following the test.
“But it goes without saying that there is always room for improvements. In the remaining test drives, we will continue to optimize the tuning,”
The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is an annual event, taking cars on a climb of 4,720 ft (1,440 m) from the start at Mile 7 on Pikes Peak Highway, to the finish at 14,110 ft (4,300 m). The road is made up of over 156 turns spread over a 12.42 miles (20 km) distance.
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