VW ID R To Attempt Electric Nurburgring Lap Record

Volkswagen will attempt to break the Nurburgring lap record for electric vehicles with a modified version of its ID R race car.

The German automaker’s motorsports division has booked Nurburgring sessions for early May 2019, Autocar reports. The VW ID R will undergo a series of tests during that outing to the infamous 12.9-mile circuit and may make an attempt for the record at that time as well. VW is reportedly hoping to crack the electric lap record at the ‘Ring before the launch of its first ID-branded electric production car in late 2019.

The fastest EV to lap the Nurburgring thus far is the NIO EP9, which lapped the track in an incredible 6: 45.9. That impressive lap time was set by British Le Mans ace Peter Dumbreck on a set of slick tires.

The EP9 is a limited-run, road-ready supercar built by Chinese manufacturer NIO. It makes 1,141 hp from its four-motor electric drive system and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 2.7s before topping out at 195 mph. While the 671 hp ID R has a lot less power than the EP9, it has more downforce and will also benefit from engineering expertise of VW Motorsport, so it stands a good shot at beating it.

Autocar claims the ID R could challenge for the outright record, which we have serious doubts about. The outright Nurbugring lap record, as you likely already know, is held by the Porsche 919 Evo, which lapped the ‘Ring’ in just 5:19.5 with Porsche hotshoe Timo Bernhard at the helm. The ID R won’t have enough power to hang with the 919, in our opinion, but we’re happy to be proven wrong.

We’ve embedded the onboard video from the NIO EP9’s insane Nurburgring lap below, which is definitely worth checking out. Do you think the ID R can beat it?

[source: Autocar]

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