Volkswagen I.D. R EV to beat Porsche Nurburgring lap

Volkswagen Motorsport is planning an attempt to set a new outright lap record of the Nurburgring with its Volkswagen I.D. R racer by setting a time faster than the 5:19.55sec set by the Le Mans-winning Porsche 919 Evo last July.

According to Brit mag,

In reality, the German car-maker thinks the electric racer, that weighs less than 1100kg and produces 500kW and 650Nm of torque, has what it takes to rob the lighter still (849kg) 865kW Porsche 919 Evo of its prestigious Nurburgring crown.

Volkswagen's confidence is believed to have come from on-track simulations that suggest a modified version of the I.D. has enough performance to beat the heavily modified Porsche race car.

Volkswagen Motorsport is reported to have now booked a series of exclusive tests at the Nurburgring from May next year with the aim of celebrating the new outright lap record ahead of the first I.D. hatch launching in the third quarter of 2019.

The current pure-electric record lap of the Nurburgring was set by Chinese car-maker Nio, when its road-legal 1000kW EP9 set a time of 6:45.90sec.

It's thought to give the edge over the lighter, more powerful Porsche, the I.D. R will be specifically modified and adapted to the unique challenges of racing at the Nurburgring.

The revisions, disclosed by an insider, also include a completely revised aero kit and a far higher top speed than the 250km/h the Pike Peak car topped out at.

Set to once again be behind the wheel for the Nurburgring record attempt will be Roman Dumas who has won the Nurburgring 24 Hours four times. Dumas has also twice won the Le Mans 24 Hours, including once driving the Porsche 919 Hybrid.

For the lap to be successful, Dumas must record an average speed higher than the 238km/h recorded back in June.