Volkswagen has released a new video showing driver Romain Dumas piloting its I.D. R Pikes Peak prototype up the namesake Colorado mountain in its first practice run ahead of an assault on the race's EV record.
The video shows the sleek electric racer zipping around curves on the scenic mountain road accompanied only by the high-pitched whine of the electric powertrain as Dumas pushes the car up the 12.42-mile, 156-turn course to the summit at 14,115 feet above sea level.
The all-wheel-drive race car is based on a heavily modified Norma monocoque and weighs less than 2,500 pounds. It borrows some aero features from Porsche race cars. It's powered by two electric motors that generate 680 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque and take it from 0-62 mph in 2.25 seconds.
The previous Pikes Peak EV record of 8:57:118 was set in 2016 by Rhys Millen driving a Hyundai prototype that put out 1,595 horsepower. So VW is betting more on weight savings, downforce and aerodynamics than raw power to scoot them up the mountain quickly.
"It's completely different to drive," Dumas says in the video. "You have no noise, you have no gears ... it's like a rocket, you know? When you go out of any corner ... you have so much power, it's unbelievable."
The real race up Pikes Peak is June 24.
Related Video:
The video shows the sleek electric racer zipping around curves on the scenic mountain road accompanied only by the high-pitched whine of the electric powertrain as Dumas pushes the car up the 12.42-mile, 156-turn course to the summit at 14,115 feet above sea level.
The all-wheel-drive race car is based on a heavily modified Norma monocoque and weighs less than 2,500 pounds. It borrows some aero features from Porsche race cars. It's powered by two electric motors that generate 680 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque and take it from 0-62 mph in 2.25 seconds.
The previous Pikes Peak EV record of 8:57:118 was set in 2016 by Rhys Millen driving a Hyundai prototype that put out 1,595 horsepower. So VW is betting more on weight savings, downforce and aerodynamics than raw power to scoot them up the mountain quickly.
"It's completely different to drive," Dumas says in the video. "You have no noise, you have no gears ... it's like a rocket, you know? When you go out of any corner ... you have so much power, it's unbelievable."
The real race up Pikes Peak is June 24.
Related Video:
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