VW unveils its radical all-electric I.D. R Pikes Peak racer

The wraps have just come off Volkswagen’s first electric racing car, the I.D. R. The German carmaker hopes it will steal the electric record at the legendary Pikes Peak sprint event in Colorado on 24 June.

Designed exclusively to compete in the 12.4-mile hill climb race, the I.D. R has ultra-light carbon fibre bodywork and winglets. Thanks to these it has a weight of just 1,100kg.

Underneath the vehicle’s aggressive bodywork sits a twin-electric motor system that delivers 671bhp and 470lb-ft of torque, Autocar reports. This helps the I.D. R sprint from 0-62mph in 2.25 seconds – which is faster than a Formula 1 car – before reaching a top speed of 149mph.

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The electric motors are paired to a lithium-ion battery pack, the magazine says, which is mounted on the car’s floor to keep the weight as low as possible. This provides a better weight distribution than a regular petrol-powered car, greatly improving the vehicle’s handling and grip.

Volkswagen has called on double Le Mans 24h winner Romain Dumas to drive the I.D R, says Top Gear. The French racing driver, who’s also the 2016 World Endurance Championship winner, won the Pikes Peak hill climb last year.

He will be gunning for the event’s electric record, currently held by New Zealand-born racing driver Rhys Millen.

Millen set the all-electric record in 2016. He was behind the wheel of the 1,574bhp Drive eO PP100 with a time of eight minutes and 57 seconds, Engadget reports.

Volkswagen will need to beat that time if it wants to set the overall record of eight minutes and 13 seconds, the tech site says. This has been held since 2013 by nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastian Loeb driving a bespoke Peugeot 208 T16.