WOLFSBURG: In a first, the all-electric Volkswagen ID. R has set a new record for the stunning Tianmen Mountain Big Gate Road, a 99-turn route that had never before been used as a performance car benchmark.
With a time of 7 minutes, 38.585 seconds, Volkswagen ID. R driver Romain Dumas demonstrated the power and precision of the ID. R on one of the world’s most scenic and technically challenging roads.
The four-wheel-drive ID.R is driven by two electric motors with a total system performance of 500 kW (680 PS), riding on tailor-made Bridgestone Potenza tyres. A start and finish line were defined for notarial purposes, especially for the record attempt with the ID.R.
The ID.R currently holds the records on Pikes Peak (USA) and at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (Britain), the electric lap record on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (Germany), and now the fastest time for an ascent of Tianmen Mountain in China.
The 10.9km road has numerous hairpins, some with a radius of just six metres. Tackling the route means using a strategy of short sprints, entering fast winding sections with speeds of up to 230kph, and hard braking manoeuvres in extremely narrow tunnels.
