Volkswagen Sets Sights On Record Breaking Lap At Nürburgring-Nordschleife
Volkswagen has set its sight on breaking the lap record at Nürburgring-Nordschleife with their electric ID. R model.
Also known as ‘Green Hell’, the track in Germany is regarded as the toughest racetrack in the world. The ID. R will be driven by Romain Dumas and the Volkswagen is being fine-tuned to ensure it is ready for the unique challenges of Nürburgring.
Francois-Xavier Demaison, Technical Director at Volkswagen Motorsport, explained “Above all, we will modify the aerodynamics of the ID. R, in order to cope with the conditions on the Nordschleife, which differ greatly from those on Pikes Peak.
“As part of our meticulous preparations for the record attempt, we will put the ID. R through an intense test and development programme at various racetracks in the spring.”
In June 2018, the ID. R broke the lap record at the famous Pikes Peak Climb with Romain Dumas at the wheel, with a time of 7:57.148 minutes, becoming the first driver in over 100 years to complete the race in under eight minutes. The Frenchman also has four victories in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring to his name.
Speaking about the record attempt, he commented “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.
“I can hardly wait for the first tests. Breaking the existing electric record will certainly not be a stroll in the park.”
The current world record for fully-electric vehicles on the track us 6:45.90 minutes, at an average speed of almost 185km/h. This was set in 2017 by Britain’s Peter Dumbreck in a NIO EP9. Volkswagen's attempt will take place in the summer of 2019.
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