The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak racer is no joke. The German automaker finally unveiled its all-electric time attack racer and, judging by the technical specifications; it looks like it’s ready to conquer the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The I.D. R Pikes Peak has a serious amount of power at its disposal. More importantly, all that power translates to performance abilities that make it quicker than a Formula E race car and a Formula One racer.

We’ll get right to it. According to Volkswagen, the I.D. R Pikes Peak race car comes with a pair of electric motors that combine to produce around 680 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. All that for a car that weighs just 1,100 kilos, or around 2,425 pounds. Sheesh.

Those power numbers aren’t the only things that are eye-popping about the I.D. R Pikes Peak racer. Its biggest claim to fame is its acceleration, specifically its ability to cover 0 to 62 mph in just 2.25 seconds, a staggering number that puts it faster than Formula One and Formula E race cars. For comparison’s sake, modern F1 race cars typically accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in anywhere from 2.1 to 2.7 seconds.

Volkswagen didn’t reveal the I.D. R Pikes Peak racer’s top speed, but given the venue where it’s expected to compete in, the car’s top speed probably isn’t as important as its quick acceleration. Remember, Pikes Peak isn’t a traditional race circuit; it’s a grueling hill climb that features no less than 156 corners to the summit of the mountain. When you have a car like the I.D. R Pikes Peak that can accelerate faster than an F1 race car, you’re going to make a lot of noise in that racing environment.

The priority in performance is a big reason Volkswagen didn’t put much thought into developing the car’s lithic-ion batteries to account for range. There’s no mention on that figure, either, though it is worth mentioning that the race car also has an energy recovery system that allows it to recuperate 20 percent of juice during its hill climb run.

Now that we know what we need to know about it, you can be sure that a lot of eyes will be on the I.D. R Pikes Peak racer when it tackles the 12.42-mile course this June. Defending Pike Peak champion Romain Dumas will be behind the wheel of the car as he attempts to beat the record time for an electric car of 8:57.118 that was set by Rhys Millen in 2016 with the eO PP100.

Considering the fact that Volkswagen hasn’t competed at Pikes Peak since 1987, all eyes will be on the I.D. R Pikes Peak to finally exorcise the demons of the twin-engined, all-wheel-drive Volkswagen Golf that failed to finish the event 31 years ago.

References

Read more Volkswagen news.