Skip to main content

I.D. R is Finally on Pikes Peak

Even though the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has been going on for 96 years and is one of the most famous motorsport events on earth, the track is actually just a public highway for most of the year. So there’s only a short window of time during which racers can test their cars before the locals get ornery.

That time is finally upon us, though. Romain Dumas and the I.D. R have finally run the course for the first time and the reports are good.

“The I.D. R Pikes Peak is the best car that I have ever driven up this mountain,” said Dumas. “The acceleration and cornering speed are really impressive, and on top of that, the car is very convenient. Thanks to the electric drive, I don’t need to change gears and can focus on the line instead.”

Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport’s Director was also complimentary about the car, saying that he was pleased with the performance.

“The news from Colorado is very positive,” said Smeets. “We are on schedule with the preparations for the I.D. R Pikes Peak and can now focus on the fine-tuning.” 

As you may recall, Dumas will leave the starting line with only enough power to get 80% of the way up the Colorado mountain. The rest he will generate along the way. And that’s what the team was testing during their first test in situ.

“Perfect energy management is one of the key factors for successfully attacking the record in the electric car category,” said François-Xavier Demaison, Technical Director at Volkswagen Motorsport. “The first test drive at Pikes Peak was successful. This shows that our computer simulations and the test drives in Europe were on point.” 

Still, there is ample room for improvement.

“It goes without saying that there is always room for improvements,” said Dumas. “In the remaining test drives, we will continue to optimize the tuning. I know the track at Pikes Peak like the back of my hand, but it is the first time I will be driving a racing car with electric drive. I am learning with every meter I drive in the cockpit of the I.D. R Pikes Peak.”

Learning how to drive the car perfectly will be crucial to the record. Because VW has hinged its plan on making a light car with less power than the record holder, a perfect run will be essential to getting to the peak in less than 8:57.118.

“You only get one shot,” said Dumas. “If even only the slightest thing goes wrong, a new e-record is highly unlikely.”

Dumas and the I.D. R will go for the record later this month, on June 24.

The post I.D. R is Finally on Pikes Peak appeared first on VWVortex.



from VWVortex https://ift.tt/2Jm1ByQ
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Watch: The Stig Drives (nearly) Seven Generations of Golf GTI

With Volkswagen announcing “major” updates to the Golf, it seems an appropriate time to look back on what we’ve had so far. And who better to guide us through the rich history of the most popular European car ever made than Ben Collins, the former Stig? Some say he’s never met a GTI he doesn’t love, and that he can’t grow any of his own facial hair. All we know is … Ben Collins is actually a pretty solid presenter. Working his way through seven generations of the GTI (skipping over the Mk6) Collins tells us a little bit about each one and matches each mark to its corresponding facial hair craze. The Mk1 GTI for instance, is light and quick, but can lose traction under hard acceleration (in heavy rain). Despite that, Collins calls the Mk1 a “pure gem.” The Mk4, meanwhile, is a powerful return to form after the perhaps too sensible Mk3. Collins ends in the only way he could, with the Mk7, which accelerates faster than a Lamborghini Countach and is all kinds of wonderful. Watch, ...

Watch: The Story of the Ads that Made VW Big in America

The ads for the original Beetle are almost as famous and well-loved as the Beetle itself. Looking back now it’s easy to forget, though, just how easily things could have wrong. A new short from Dial M Films tracks the history of those early Volkswagen ads that sold America on the people’s car. The story, of course, begins with the visionary agency that made the ads: Doyle Dane Bernach (DDB). As a popular agency for Jewish products, no agency was more aware of the implications of Volkswagen, and no one, it seems, was more skeptical of the brand than DDB. “Remember Those Great Volkswagen Ads?” from Dial M Films on Vimeo . William Bernbach, though, was adament that the firm take the client, probably as a way of attracting other lucrative automotive clients. Saddled with a client that he didn’t want, art director Helmut Krone says in the film that he originally came up with ads that were all wrong. Krone tried to do what other manufacturers did and was intent on selling the Beetle ...

Watch: The Zerouno Cruis’n USA

ItalDesign is drumming up excitement for its new supercar based around the same 5.2-liter Audi V10 that powers the R8. Naturally, it hit the road for a cruise around California last week to celebrate Monterey Car Week. There isn’t much in the way of V10 noise—which is a real shame given the sound it makes—but you do at least get a good look at the car inside and out in this video. With a body made entirely of carbon fiber and designed to be as aerodynamic and light as possible, ItalDesign figures that it will be good for a 0-60 time of just 3.2 seconds. “We put it our best skills into the production of the first car,” said Massimo Bovi, head of pre-series production, when the Zerouno was first unveiled in Geneva earlier this year. “Using some of the finest productions methods and engaging our high-skilled workers.” The car features clever aero tricks gleaned from single-seat racing, like a y-duct up front to improve downforce and turn-in. Available in a number of trim levels, the...