VW hasn’t exactly kept its ambitions of holding the Nurburgring’s electric lap record a secret, but today, the company has actually given us an idea of when it’ll have a go. And, what it’ll need to do to its Pikes Peak-conquering ID R to snatch the ultimate EV ‘Ring honours away from the Nio EP9.
It’ll be running the ID R at the Nordschleife this summer, but it’ll look quite different to how it does now. “In the thin air of Pikes Peak, which sits 4302 metres above sea level, we gave the ID. R a very big rear wing to produce the maximum amount of downforce,” VW motorsport tech boss François-Xavier Demaison says. For the ‘Ring, which includes multiple long straights, downforce levels will have to be reduced. According to Demaison, this will be done by fitting a smaller rear wing and front splitter, and redeveloping the floor. Wind tunnel testing will start this month.
Battery management is also going to play a big factor, and VW Motorsport is having the ID R’s pack developed further in the same labs that are working on power tech for VW’s ID road cars. Finally, the suspension components will need alterations due to the “higher loads of the Nordschleife” as well as the reduction in downforce.
Behind the wheel will be French racing driver Romain Dumas, the man responsible for the ID R’s record-breaking Pikes Peak run, plus an unusual attempt on the Tianmen Shan Big Gate Road in China which will see the man try to beat a ‘virtual time’ this September. For the Nurburgring effort, 6min 45.90sec is the time to better.
Speaking about the ID R’s alterations, he said: “Viewed in isolation, the individual changes don’t appear to be so pronounced, but the ID. R is a very complex overall package. It will all come down to the sum of the tiny details.”
We look forward to the full lap video!
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