671bhp one-off Nurburgring spec racer notches 2nd fastest ever lap recorded at infamous German circuit
The Volkswagen ID R. has broken the all-electric lap record at the Nurburgring, setting the 2nd fastest ever time recorded on the 12.9-mile Nordschleife circuit in the process and notching up another record to go alongside Volkswagen’s Pikes Peak victory with the one-off special racer.
The time of 6:05.336 smashes the old record, which was held by Chinese EV start-up NIO. In 2018 the brand sent its EP9 hypercar around the circuit in 6:45.90. The EP9, however, is a road-legal vehicle.
Two time Le Mans 24h winner Romain Dumas was at the wheel of the ID R. for the record snatching lap.
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It also means that the Nurburgring-spec ID R. is the second fastest vehicle ever to lap the German circuit, but is some way behind the sub 5:20-minute lap set by the Porsche 919 Evo last year.
The updated ID. R still uses a 671bhp all-wheel-drive electric drivetrain fed by two lithium ion batteries, but Volkswagen says that the system has been adapted to match the characteristics of the Nordschleife, with optimised energy management and recovery systems.
The ID. R’s now sports revised aerodynamics too. The rear wing sits far lower than before, as it no longer needs to fight the thin air of Pikes Peak to produce a decent amount of downforce.
To deal with the Nordschleife’s huge straight the ID R. now sports a Formula 1 inspired Drag Reduction System (DRS). The car is wrapped up in a new dark blue and black livery too.
What else does the Volkswagen I.D. R have to beat? Click here for the current Nurburgring lap records…
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