Volkswagen guns for Pikes Peak record with electric I.D. R

Volkswagen has unveiled its new all-electric I.D. R Pikes Peak prototype racing car, ahead of a bid to steal the record at the iconic hill climb this summer.

A series of computer-generated images released by the German carmaker offer the first fully rendered images of the car, which until now had been seen only in shadowy preview pictures.

The I.D. R looks similar to a “modern-day Le Mans prototype”, featuring a “sizeable front splitter” and a “centre fin extending over the rear bodywork”, says Autocar.

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There is also a “huge rear wing” above a “multichannel diffuser”, both of which should help generate a significant amount of aerodynamic grip at high speeds, according to the magazine.

Underneath the Le Mans-inspired bodywork sits the company’s electric platform, which Top Gear says will be used for the upcoming I.D. Vizzion saloon and Buzz camper van.

Performance specs have yet to be revealed, but Volkswagen says the electric racer will be powered by a four-wheel drive system. This could mean the car will be powered by either two or four electric motors, with one on each axle or one on each wheel.

The I.D. R will need to be powerful if the firm is to have any hope of taking the electric record at the annual 12.4-mile hill climb in Colorado.

New Zealand-born racing driver Rhys Millen set the all-electric record in a 1,574bhp Drive eO PP100 in 2016, with a time of eight minutes and 57 seconds, says Engadget.

Fans will have to wait until the 24 June to see if Volkswagen can become Pikes Peak record holders.