The 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is rapidly approaching, and Volkswagen will be there to challenge the standing course record with this - the I.D. R, an all-electric racer purpose-built for the job. The event is set to take place at the end of the month, but VW is already onsite in Colorado, prepping for the big day with a few test runs in an effort to sort out any lingering issues with the new racing machine. Chronicling the latest efforts is this 2-minute, 46-second teaser vid, which shows the I.D. R in action alongside an interview with its driver, Romain Dumas.

All told, the I.D. R certainly has the right specs for something like this. In addition to simply ludicrous aero, this carbon monster is powered by a dual-motor powertrain making 671 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, enough to propel it to 60 mph in just 2.25 seconds.

That’s quick, but Mr. Dumas has the skills to make it work, boasting a resume that includes wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 24 Hours of Nurburgring, and 12 Hours of Sebring, not to mention outright victories at Pikes Peak in 2014, 2016, and 2017.

That said, even the best driver and car in the world won’t make this a cake walk. The Pikes Peak course is highly technical and extremely dangerous, composed of 156 turns spread over 12.42 miles, rising nearly 5,000 feet. The finish line towers above the surrounding landscape at 14,110 feet above sea level, which has a profound effect on cooling and aerodynamics, not to mention the driver’s mental state.

Will VW pull it off? Tune in June 24th to find out.

Further Reading

Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak

Read our full review of the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak}