The all-electric Volkswagen ID.R has broken the outright
Goodwood Festival of Speed Hillclimb record, 20 years after it was set by ex-F1 driver Nick Heidfeld in a McLaren MP4/13 (with a time of 41.6sec).
Driven by two-time Le Mans 24hr winner Romain Dumas,the ID.R achieved a time of 41.18sec and averaged 101.4mph along the challenging 1.16-mile course.
This is the third landmark for the all-electric machine.
It established a new electric-vehicle lap record (6min 55.33sec) at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in June, to add to its outright record (7min 57.15sec) on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in the USA — set in June 2018.
With a further year of development behind it, the all-electric ID.R produces 500kW (670bhp) and 650Nm of torque, and it weighs less than 1,100kg with the driver on board.
It can accelerate from 0 to 62mph in 2.25sec, topping out at 168mph.
Volkswagen motor-sport director Sven Smeets said: “The Goodwood Festival of Speed Hillclimb is iconic; the track is so narrow and difficult to master, with zero room for error.
“Dumas and the whole Volkswagen team performed flawlessly to set the record. Electric cars are becoming more powerful, and it’s great to see them rivalling combustion engines on track.”