Volkswagen ID.R smashes Goodwood hillclimb record

The all-electric Volkswagen ID.R race car has made motorsport history again by setting a new all-time record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Driver Romain Dumas completed the 1.86-kilometre course in just 39.90 seconds, breaking the long-standing record, which had stood for 20 years, by 1.7 seconds.

Ex-Formula One driver Nick Heidfeld set the previous record on the famous hillclimb in 1999 by in a McLaren-Mercedes MP4/13 with a combustion engine.

In June, the ID.R also smashed the electric car lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife by 40 seconds, lapping the 12.9-mile circuit in 6 min 05.336 seconds.

The ID R is no stranger to success, having secured the overall record at Pikes Peak in 2018.

“In setting the new all-time record at the ‘Goodwood Festival of Speed’, the ID.R has once again shown that Volkswagen’s electric powertrain can outperform even the most powerful conventional powertrains,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Sven Smeets.

“Romain Dumas exploited the full potential of the ID.R on this short but tricky track. After the victory on Pikes Peak and the e-record on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, he has now achieved another milestone for electromobility.”

Romain added: “I am very proud to have set the all-time record in Goodwood with the ID.R. The short hillclimb is a very special challenge.

“Because the track is so short, I could not afford to make even the slightest mistake, and every aspect of the fine-tuning of the ID.R had to be perfect. That was particularly challenging, as we were not able to test on the route beforehand.”