Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak Tops Qualifying

Volkswagen is all set to take on Pikes Peak with its specially-developed I.D. R Pikes Peak electric car to claim the record for the fastest electric car to cover the near-20km course that consists of 156 turns. The carmaker could not have asked for a better start as not only did the futuristic I.D. R become the fastest electric car to qualify for the event, it even beat conventionally-powered race cars too. Driven by the three-time Pikes Peak winner, Romain Dumas, the Volkswagen I.D. R clocked a time of 3:16.083 minutes, which was 11.049 seconds quicker than the time set by second-placed Simone Faggioli in his Norma M20 SF PKP powered by an internal combustion engine.

Only an 8.3km-long section of the road was used for the qualifying runs. Dumas and the I.D. R will be the first car to line up for the race to the summit, before 61 other cars, on Sunday. The Frenchman will try and beat the current electric car record of 8:57.118 minutes. Here is what the press release had to say

Press Release

Volkswagen I. D. R Pikes Peak sets fastest time in qualifying

• Driver Romain Dumas clocks time of the day at Pikes Peak
• Volkswagen preparing meticulously for Sunday’s race
• Sven Smeets: “Compliments to the team, but that was only qualifying.
• Fastest time in qualifying for the I.D. R Pikes Peak

Romain Dumas and the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak made a clear statement of intent in qualifying ahead of the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in the US state of Colorado. The Frenchman, at the wheel of Volkswagen’s first fully-electric racing car, was the fastest of all the competitors, setting an eye-catching time of 3:16.083 minutes. The three-time Pikes Peak winner went 11.049 seconds quicker than second-placed Simone Faggioli in his Norma M20 SF PKP with its combustion engine. “That was a very good day for us,” said Dumas. “The I.D. R Pikes Peak is incredible. I have never experienced acceleration and power like that in a racing car. I am noticing how the car and I are becoming more and more of a unit with every kilometre,” said the Frenchman.

Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director, was also happy with the way qualifying panned out: “A big compliment to the entire team. We completed an important test yesterday, the findings from which have helped us to further optimize the set-up of the I.D. R Pikes Peak. The result is that the car was superbly prepared today, and the time speaks for itself. However, that was only qualifying. We are optimistic about the race, but must always bear in mind that we only have one single attempt.”

In qualifying for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, each competitor is only running the first section of the 19.99-kilometre course – from the start to the 8.3-kilometre mark. The times are used to determine the starting order for the race. The competitor with the fastest qualifying time starts first. As it stands, this will be Romain Dumas in the I.D. R Pikes Peak.

Volkswagen’s pursuit of the record for electric vehicles, which currently stands at 8:57.118 minutes, begins on Sunday (24 June). First onto the route, from 08:00 local time (16:00 CEST), are the 24 registered motorcycles. They are followed by 62 cars in six different classes. Romain Dumas is scheduled to start in the I.D. R Pikes Peak at about 10:00 (18:00 CEST).