The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is just days away, and it already looks like Volkswagen and its I.D. R Pikes Peak Racer is going to propose itself as a strong proposition, setting the fastest qualifying time thus far.

Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak and its Infamous Run

The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak is an all-electric racer designed in-house by Volkswagen and is built around the brand’s latest EV tech. It is the companies first all-electric race car and Pikes Peak is the first competition it will be driven in. And, so far, things are looking good. Its driver, Romain Dumas, has managed to set a qualifying time of 3:16.083 – the fastest time thus far and offsetting second place by more than 11 seconds.

“That was a very good day for us,” said Romain 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 kilometer,”

Keep in mind that this isn’t necessarily mean that Volkswagen will win the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in the all-electric class or set any records. The qualifying run is merely the first section of the course, or 8.3 km of the 19.99 km overall distance. Should the I.D. R Pikes Peak retain the best qualifying run, however, it will be the first to start when it comes time for cars to start heading up the hills. Motorcycles kick off in the morning, and for now, Dumas is scheduled to make the first car run as early as 18:00 CEST or about 2 hours after the event starts.

If Volkswagen looks to break the record for electric vehicles, Dumas will have to pilot the I.D. R Pikes Peak from start to finish in less than 8:57.118 – a record set by Rhys Millen in an eO PP100 back in 2016. It’s a tough nut to crack, no doubt, but so far things are looking pretty promising for Volkswagen this year. For the record, the I.D. R Pikes Peak pumps out 671 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of all-electric torque, not a staggering number when compared to the 1,595-horsepower eO PP100. It does feature a purpose-design aero package that delivers some outrageous downforce, even at the highest point of the course and it weight just 2,425 pounds (1000 kg.) When you consider the fact that Volkswagen hasn’t participated in 31 years, this could make for one hell of a return, don’t you think?

Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2018 Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak.

What You Need To Know About The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Read more Volkswagen news.