Electric VW Pikes Peak Car Gets a Name and a Shape

This June the Volkswagen I.D. R will attempt to set a record at Pikes Peak in the electric prototype class.

The car is designed to show what Volkswagen’s electric vision for the future can achieve and the Pikes Peak Hillclimb is one of the better places to do that since it already has an established electric class thanks to the electric-motor-favoring altitude.

“We want to be at the forefront of electro-mobility with Volkswagen and the I.D. family,” said Dr. Frank Welsch, head of Development for VW, in a statement. “Competing in the most famous hill climb in the world with the I.D. R Pikes Peak is a valuable test for the general development of electric cars.”

Along with the reveal of the name, VW has released a pair of pictures and confirmed, somewhat unsurprisingly, that the race car will be four-wheel-drive.

Volkswagen previously announced that Le Mans winner Romain Dumas will pilot the car to the peak. Dumas was recently featured in a press video receiving a racing suit from Jochi Kleint, who drove a twin-engine Golf (most of the way) up Pikes Peak in 1987.

“It is about time we settled the score,” said Sven Smeets, Volkswagen-Motorsports director in a statement. “The I.D. R Pikes Peak represents an extremely exciting challenge for us, to show what is possible in motorsport with an electric drivetrain. The entire team behind our driver Romain Dumas is highly motivated to set a new record for electric cars.”

When it heads to Colorado in June, VW will be chasing a time of 8:57.118, the record in the electric prototype class set by Rhys Millen in 2016.

The post Electric VW Pikes Peak Car Gets a Name and a Shape appeared first on VWVortex.

from VWVortex http://ift.tt/2pnOLoJ
via IFTTT

Comments

Project SportWagen: Going Stage 2 with APR

When we last left you, the humble little SportWagen was fresh from the development process with our friends at AWE Tuning, sporting a new downpipe, exhaust and intake, allowing things to breathe a bit easier. The car sounded great, but there was no getting around the fact that our wagon was still quite, well, slow. While we realize that nothing we do to the Golf SportWagen at this point will make it a race car, we still felt compelled to do something . To put it bluntly, we had a fever, and the only cure was more power. Flash forward a few hours, and we found ourselves at Waterfest, staring down APR’s palatial spread and the numerous tuned vehicles surrounding it. Earlier in the year, APR had hinted to us that their 1.8 TSI files would be quite impressive, and based on what they were able to do with the 2.0 TSI found in the new GTI and our time in their Golf R, we knew it’d be worth the wait. So with this in mind, we lined our G...

Volkswagen’s Gone to California with Grand California Camper

Volkswagen is bringing the California XXL concept to production. It will debut at the Dusseldorf Caravan Salon as the Grand California. It’s set to be based on the medium wheelbase Crafter van. That’s the company’s full-size commercial van, larger than the T6 Transporter based California. The high roof means room for adults to stand up, though it won’t get the concept’s extended length. The Grand California offers a full wet bathroom. It’s not exactly spacious, though, measuring in at around 31.5 x 33-inches. A toilet, shower, and sink are all crammed into that space, but at least there are motion sensor lights to stop you from reaching for a switch. Standard, the Grand California it comes with berths for two adults. Space for two children is optional, but they’ll be stuck in a berth amove the driver’s area. The kitchen offers a sink, stove, and two fridges. The front seats swivel to add seating space when the RV is parked. It’s also got solar panels, an integrated satellite dish,...

Novitec, Unsatisfied with Aventador SV, Adds More Veloce

The Lamborghini Aventador SV is no slouch, but if you’re into Lamborghinis, chances are you’re into big numbers. Whether it’s in the bank or under the hood, a big number could, and perhaps should, always be bigger, which is where Novitec steps in. Novitec has been modifying Italian cars for years, and their Torado line is dedicated to making ridiculous Lamborghinis even more ridiculous. Their latest effort takes the Aventador SV and remaps the engine to give it 786hp and 544 lb-ft of toque. They’ve also fitted the car with a new exhaust system that cuts 50 lbs off the car. Other mods include a carbon fiber aero package, spoiler, front splitter and air intake, all of which helps it shed even more weight. The Aventador also sits on 21 (back) and 20 (front) inch Vossen wheels. So if you think that a regular Aventador is just a little too pedestrian, give Novitec a call and they’ll hook you up. The post Novitec, Unsatisfied with Aventador SV, Adds More Veloce appeared first on VWVor...

Vorderman Volkswagen

Search This Blog