Volkswagen’s ID.R at the Nürburgring
Wolfsburg is the fastest Stromer.
(Photo: vw)
NürburgringWith the electrically driven racing car “ID.R” has VW Set new records in 2018 for the “Pikes Peak” race in the US and the “Good of Goodwood” festival in the UK. The technicians have comprehensively developed the car for the Nürburgring.
Especially in the field of aerodynamics, the ID.R was tuned to the demands of the Nordschleife: less narrow bends but more long high-speed areas set the direction here. Even the first tests a few weeks ago showed the enormous potential of the e-racer. Even if the track at that time was still typically Eifel.
Now the external conditions are ideal already in the early morning. The asphalt band, which meanders through the Eifel forests with around 70 bends, is bone-dry, and the pleasant outside temperatures also prevent the athletes from cooling off Bridgestone-Slicks on the ID.R.
Shortly before nine o’clock Romain Dumas goes for the first installation round. The Porsche-Werksfahrer and four-time winner of the 24-hour race here at the Nürburgring knows both the course and the ID.R well – after all, the latter was tailored almost exclusively to the body, the “Race to the clouds” at Pikes Peak in Colorado to win.
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Now it’s time to move the 500 kW / 680 hp electric racing car across the Nordschleife as quickly and efficiently as possible. “The biggest challenge for me as a driver and also for our engineers is the battery management, so that we can get as much power as possible at the most important parts of the track,” Dumas says when he leaves his ID.R climbs.
ID.R at the Nürburgring
With the electrically powered race car, VW has already set new records in 2018 at the “Pikes Peak” race in the USA and at the “Festival of Speed” in Goodwood, UK.
(Photo: vw)
There is no official time for circulation. So much is revealed, however: The old record of the NIO EP9 (6:45 minutes) was already in this first installation round. However, the Chinese Stromer is, at least in theory, a road vehicle, while the ID.R is a thoroughbred racing car.
But when it comes to record runs on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring, you have inevitably two other records in mind. The “eternal record” of Stefan Bellof, who died in 1983 Porsche 956 a fabulous time of 6:11 minutes burned into the asphalt, which in turn was only 35 years later broken by Timo Bernhard in the Porsche 919 Evo, which set up with 5:19 minutes possibly a record for eternity.
But back to VW ID.R. At the old pit area in front of Tribune 13, the Wolfsburg have built a small tent city, which is home to two of the squat electric racing cars. The presence of such specialists as Willy Rampf, who for many years led the technical skills of the Sauber Formula One team and the rally successes of VW or VW motorsport guru Francois-Xavier “FX” Demaison confirm the seriousness of the project here at the Nordschleife.
A whole horde of in-house mechanics prepares the ID.R for the next rounds. Every move is made, everyone is extremely focused and professional. As you can see, this record attempt is not just about another record for VW, but also about the credibility of electric mobility in the atmosphere of such long-established motorsport meccas as Pikes Peak, Goodwood and the Nürburgring.
Volkswagen team
A whole horde of in-house mechanics prepares the ID.R for the next rounds.
(Photo: vw)
Change of scene: From the perfectly closed start-and-finish area to the “Brünnchen”, the section of the track that is now only called “Youtube-Corner” because of its many accidents. The marshal here, let’s call him “Günther”, who wants to remain anonymous, is not a fan of e-mobility. That’s all too expensive. “Nothing for everyone”.
When the ID.R mastered the fast right-hander on his final lap, as if drawn by an invisible band, he is nevertheless impressed by the high cornering speed that can be achieved thanks to the ingenious aerodynamics and the low center of gravity. Point victory for VW.
Shortly after the helicopter has passed our section to transfer the live image, the ID.R rushes across the finish line. 6: 05.336 – about 40 seconds below the previous record. Mission accomplished.
And yet it is difficult to classify this new record. The – admittedly much stronger – Porsche 919 Evo was another 45 seconds faster but also the “classic car” of Stefan Bellof has only six seconds behind the ID.R classify. And that, although in 1983 there was neither a blocked track nor the tire technology of today.
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