In January, Volkswagen announced that it would attempt a lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife later this year in its I.D. R electric race car. Now, with just a few months between VW and its first go at "The Green Hell," we're learning a bit more about how VW is preparing for it.
VW announced on Friday that it the automaker is currently in Spain, putting the I.D. R through its paces as the automaker tweaks the vehicle in preparation for its 'Ring run this summer. The I.D. R has already proven immensely successful in other arenas, capturing the EV record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed's hillclimb. The car also captured the overall record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, beating the previous record holder by an impressive 15 seconds.
Of course, Pikes Peak and the Nordschleife are two completely different beasts, and the I.D. R needs to be set up uniquely to tackle each. The thin air of Pikes Peak necessitated larger aerodynamics to manage downforce, but that's not a problem at the Nürburgring, so the automaker will install a smaller rear wing and make adjustments to the front splitter and floor. It will also tweak the battery-management software and adjust the suspension to deal with the famed German track.
The power output will remain the same, though. Two electric motors, one on each axle, combine to produce a net 670 horsepower, which is more than enough for a car weighing less than 2,500 pounds. Romain Dumas, who drove the I.D. R to the win at Pikes Peak, will also be the driver for the 'Ring record run, since he has plenty of experience at the Nordschleife, including four overall victories at the 24-hour race held there.
The I.D. R will attempt to steal the record away from the Nio EP9 supercar, which managed an impressive lap time of 6 minutes, 45.90 seconds. Considering the I.D. R beat the EP9 up the hill at Goodwood by a second, VW's chances are looking good this summer.
