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Volkswagen Taunts with New I.D. R Pikes Peak Teaser Ahead of World Premiere

The return of Volkswagen to Pikes Peak after a 30 years hiatus is an important milestone for the German carmaker. So is building up enough excitement surrounding its new climber, an electric car called I.D. R Pikes Peak.
volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak 1 photo
Photo: Volkswagen
To be driven by Le Mans winner Romain Dumas on June 24, the car is close to the official unveiling. Volkswagen said it would pull the wraps off the car on Sunday, April 22, at the racetrack in Alés, France, the place where Dumas lives.

“It is the start of a new era in motorsport for Volkswagen – and one thing is already certain: this Volkswagen is set to electrify its public,” said Volkswagen in a statement.

Following the public unveiling, the car will begin its official test program as it prepares for the first encounter with its competitors.

With only a few days left before full specs are released, there isn’t much known about the car, apart from the fact that thist is Volkswagen’s first fully-electric racing car. The Germans have however released a new photo showing the I.D. R.

Not using a combustion engine, the I.D. R Pikes Peak will be capable of maintaining constant power as it climbs to the top. That’s an important aspect if Volkswagen plans to beat Rhys Millen’s electric vehicle time of 8:57.188, set on the climb in 2016.

As said, Volkswagen's last entry in the hill climb race took place in 1987. The carmaker fielded then a dual engine Golf developing 652 horsepower, but all the hype surrounding the car fell through as that model failed to impress.

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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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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