Volkswagen's electric I.D. R will challenge the Nurburgring in 2019

Everybody sort of knew it would happen, but now it's official -- Volkswagen's record-breaking EV race car will attempt to capture another record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

Volkswagen confirmed late last week that it will take the I.D. R electric racer to "The Green Hell" this coming summer in an attempt to capture the lap record for an electric vehicle. The current EV lap record of 6:45.9 was set in 2017, with a Nio EP9 electric supercar, averaging 115 miles per hour over 13 miles and dozens of tricky corners.

The VW has a mighty good shot at the record. It's already proven quicker than the EP9 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed's hillclimb, where it beat the EP9 by about a second to capture the event's EV record. The I.D. R also captured the overall record at Pikes Peak, where it beat the previous record holder by about 15 seconds.

With an electric motor at each axle granting all-wheel drive, the I.D. R is built to compete. With a net 670 horsepower and a curb weight under 2,500 pounds, it can scoot. VW said it would modify the aerodynamics to handle the Nurburgring's demanding corners. After spending the spring testing at various racetracks, the I.D. R will make its first attempt at the 'Ring in the summer. Romain Dumas, who earned the Pikes Peak record, will once again be behind the wheel for these attempts.

While the ID. R has more than a chance to capture the EV record, odds are it won't be able to beat a different Volkswagen to the overall record. Last year, Porsche's modified 919 Hybrid Evo broke the Nurburgring Nordschleife's 35-year record by almost an entire minute. It also lapped Belgium's Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps faster than a modern Formula 1 car. Odds are, those records will stand for quite some time.