VW I.D R could topple Porsche’s outright Nurburgring record

THE FASTEST car to ascend Pikes Peak, the Volkswagen I.D R, could be headed to the Green Hell with the Porsche 919 Evo directly in its sights.

While not yet officially confirmed, UK publication Autocar reports VW has booked the Nurburgring Nordschliefe for a series of exclusive tests starting in May 2019.

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Much like the I.D R’s initial Pikes Peak brief, the prototype racer’s first target is the electric Nurburgring record of 6:45.90, held by Chinese manufacturer Nio, with the EP9 hypercar.

However, if things go as planned, the I.D R could make an unexpected run at the outright record much like it did in Colorado earlier this year.

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The current outright Nordschliefe record is held by Porsche’s 919 Evo prototype, which started life as an LMP1 race car before the rule book was thrown out and everything turned up to 11. Timo Bernhard recorded a scintillating 5:19.55 lap around the Green Hell earlier this year, running on the full 20.8-kilometre circuit, not the 20.6-kilometre layout used for production car lap records.

Bernhard’s time translates to a staggering average speed of 234.69km/h, compared to the Nio EP9’s 182.71km/h.

According to Autocar, VW simulations suggest the I.D R could achieve a 5:30 lap, with room for improvement. That would require an average speed of 227.26km/h.

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The I.D R’s aerodynamic design will be revised for the Nurburgring record run. The summit of Pikes Peak is 4.3-kilometres above sea level, which prompted an extreme aero package to deal with thin air, limiting top speed at ground level to 241km/h.

While the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb and Nordschleife only differ in distance by 800 metres, the Colorado race cover 156 turns and climbs 1440 metres. Meanwhile, the Green Hell has just 73 bends.

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Volkswagen achieved a 7:57.15 time at Pikes Peak, making the I.D R the only car to ever complete the ascension in less than eight minutes, with an average speed of 150.9km/h.