I.D. R Pikes Peak race car unveiled

Added: 23 April 2018

Volkswagen ushered in a new era of electric motorsport for the brand on Sunday night (22 April) as it unveiled the I.D. R Pikes Peak in Alés, France.

The machine is Volkswagen’s first fully-electric racing car and was built, as the name suggests, to tackle the legendary Pikes Peak hill climb in America.

The event on Pikes Peak, known as the “Race to the Clouds”, starts at 2,862 metres and finishes at 4,302 metres above sea level. For more than 100 years, it has been the most spectacular hill climb in the world of motor racing.

Volkswagen took part with a twin-engine Golf in 1987 but came up just short of victory. The goal is now to settle that score by setting a new record for electric cars.

The new I.D. R Pikes Peak will be driven by Frenchman Romain Dumas at this year’s event on 24 June.

Watch the unveiling: