New Volkswagen ID. R Debuts at Nürburgring Nordschleife
Following last year’s record at Pikes Peak, ID. R has been redeveloped to set the electric lap record on the Nürburgring.
The Volkswagen ID. R electric race car makes its world debut today, having been in continuous development following last year’s success at setting the outright record at the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Denver, Colorado. The racing flagship of Volkswagen’s future electric product family has one goal—to set a new electric vehicle lap record on the 12.9-mile-long Nürburgring-Nordschleife. In order for driver Romain Dumas to undercut the current best time of 6:45.90 minutes, Volkswagen Motorsport has redeveloped the ID. R and testing begins tomorrow on the Nürburgring. Fans, however, can virtually drive the ID. R today, as Volkswagen reveals a racing simulator that can be downloaded free of charge.
“The ID. R’s mission to be the spearhead of the fully electric ID. product family continues in full force,” says Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director. “Once again, in 2019, the ID. R will demonstrate the great potential of electric drive, combining emissions-free technology with true emotion. The Nürburgring-Nordschleife is the next step on the journey of the ID. R, a car that shows the way ahead for electric drivetrains in Volkswagen motorsport. To see the ID. R take to this legendary race track for the first time will be a moment guaranteed to give you goosebumps.”
The ID. R’s 670 horsepower electric drivetrain has been adapted to the unique characteristics of the Nordschleife. Two lithium-ion battery blocks serve as energy storage on board the ID. R, and were constructed with expertise from Volkswagen’s product development team. The battery structure is comparable to the technology that will be used in the future production vehicles from the ID. family.
‘Once again, in 2019, the ID. R will demonstrate the great potential of electric drive, combining emissions-free technology with true emotion.’
The most striking feature of this evolution of the ID. R is the aerodynamics, which are designed for a higher top speed. “Last year, the number of turns and the thin air at Pikes Peak demanded maximum downforce,” explains François-Xavier Demaison, Technical Director of Volkswagen Motorsport. “On the Nordschleife lap, the ID. R will reach an average speed of more than 112 mph—with a top speed on the straight of up to 168 mph. We have therefore developed a completely new aerodynamic package using DRS, the drag reduction system known from Formula 1, as well as optimising the energy management, which controls the power output of the two electric motors and energy recovery under braking.”
The DRS is essentially a hydraulically-adjustable element on the rear wing of the ID. R, through which driver Romain Dumas can reduce the air resistance of the vehicle by about 20 percent at the touch of a button. “In contrast to Formula 1, the DRS on the ID. R serves not to overtake, but to improve efficiency,” explains Demaison. “The ID. R has a very powerful drivetrain. The DRS helps to use this performance with lower energy consumption, so that it can continue being deployed for the entire lap of the Nordschleife.”
Driver Romain Dumas has won the famous 24-hour Nürburgring-Nordschleife race four times. Nevertheless, he will treat the track with a lot of respect as he goes into the upcoming first test run.
“I have already driven the Nordschleife with the ID. R on the simulator countless times. But you only get the true feeling from the incredibly high cornering speeds when you’re on the actual track. The extent to which the ID. R has been continuously developed compared to 2018 is impressive. I can’t wait to finally drive the ID. R on the Nordschleife,” says Dumas.
But Dumas will not be the only one to have the opportunity to drive the ID. R on the Nordschleife. Volkswagen has launched an online racing simulation for the free-to-play racing simulator RaceRoom, in which the gamer can take the ID. R to the world-famous track and compete with Romain Dumas—with the option to use virtual reality glasses as well. The computer vehicle model was created based on original ID. R data, while the engineers from Volkswagen Motorsport have given the game developers deep insights into the driving dynamics of the car in order to make the driving experience as realistic as possible.