Volkswagen ID.R at Sonoma Raceway

Volkswagen’s fully electric hypercar prototype, the ID.R, has been an absolute track monster. The next stop on this tour of destruction is Sonoma Raceway on May 28-31, 2020 during the Sonoma Speed Festival in Sonoma, California. The current track record time of 1:15.430 minutes was achieved in 2019 by Esteban Gutierrez in the Mercedes-Benz F1 W07 Hybrid. Volkswagen’s goal is to overtake that time set by the Formula 1 car by the end of the weekend.

To give a little perspective on how fast the ID.R really is, see the list below of its most notable track records.

• 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed: 39.90 seconds (driven by Romain Dumas)
  • Previous record: 41.60 seconds, set in 1999 by a McLaren MP4/13
• 2018 Pikes Peak Hillclimb: 7:57.148 minutes (driven by Romain Dumas)
  • Previous record: 8:13.378 minutes, set in 2013 by a Peugeot 208 T16
• Nürburgring Electric Car Record, June 2019: 6:05.336 minutes (driven by Romain Dumas)
  • Previous electric record: 6:45.90 minutes, set in 2017 by a Nio EP9
  • Current overall record: 5:19.546, set in 2018 by a Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo
• Tianmen Mountain, September 2019: 7:38.585 minutes (driven by Romain Dumas)
  • Previous record: N/A
  • Volkswagen ID.R

The Volkswagen ID.R pumps out 670 horsepower from the two electric motors located at each axle. The ID.R weighs under 2,500 lbs and gets from 0-60mph in 2.25 seconds. That’s insane. The prototype will be configured with updated aerodynamics and battery load at the Sonoma Speed Festival. The car will join a diverse group of over 220 vintage and modern race cars at the Festival for the annual food, wine and motorsports event.

“Last year we watched the Sonoma Raceway track record topple during the inaugural Sonoma Speed Festival,” said Jeff O’Neill, founder of Sonoma Speed Festival. “We are excited to see that record challenged yet again in 2020, this time by Volkswagen. The ID.R represents the future of motorsports and we are thrilled to share a glimpse of what is to come with our guests.”

Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director said, “The Sonoma Speed Festival at Sonoma Raceway provides a serious motorsport challenge. We are seeking to beat the lap record set by a Formula 1 car and underline the potential of electric drive.”

Tickets and packages for the Sonoma Speed Festival are available at www.sonomaspeedfestival.com/tickets-and-packages/. To learn more about Sonoma Raceway and the Speed Festival, visit www.sonomaspeedfestival.com.