VW will attempt Pikes Peak record in 2018 with new fully electric race car

Volkswagen had been reluctant to offer info about its new race car but it seems to have gotten over some of its shyness as it published the first batch of teasers last October 18. The company plans to have this model participate in the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Club. When looking at it, one can assess how fast it will be, with its massive front splitter and a huge rear wing. As of now, the only images we have are of the EV’s silhouette. This alone is getting us excited about next year’s hill climb, which will take place on June 24.

The last time Volkswagen attended the challenging Pikes Peak event was over two decades ago, and some of us were not even born yet. It was a twin-engined Golf that the company brought to the event back in 1987, where one engine drive the front wheels, while the other powering the rear axle. Too bad the all-wheel drive creation was not able to finish the hill climb. Decades later, Volkswagen is getting ready for a rematch with what they have to reveal soon.

Volkswagen Motorsport is currently developing the fully electric race car, and based on the photos, it looks like it features a fighter jet-styled canopy on top of its curvaceous body. The automaker is currently working with their technical development center based in their hometown in Wolfsburg Germany. The biggest challenge these engineers will have to face is to create an EV that a skilled driver can drive to complete the hill climb in under 8 minutes and 57.118 seconds, that is needed by Rhys Millen and his e0 PP100 last year.

The automaker did reveal that the race car will be an all-wheel drive that will rely on at least two electric motors, and may even have four - where each motor will power one wheel, allowing for sophisticated torque vectoring. This will also make handling a lot easier.

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a very popular racing event that takes place yearly. In fact, this event dates back to 1916 in the Rocky Mountains near Colorado Springs. Not everyone has the power or the skill to do the hill climb, but those who are equipped will have to cover a 12.4 mile race course that comprises of at least 156 turns before hitting the summit at 14,110 feet (4,300 metres) above sea level.

Currently, it is Sebastien Loed who holds the record for the hill climb. In 2013, he was able to finish the course in just 8 minutes and 13.878 seconds, driving a special built Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak.