Future Running High

The ID. R Pikes Peak races at the Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Goodwood Festival of Speed celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. This annual gathering of the very best of road and racing automobiles old and new, the Festival allows the crowds to mingle among the stars and cars of their dreams.

A unique experience for all, the Festival is a must-do event if you’re interested in cars, of any type. The host, the Duke of Richmond, invites everything from vintage to current Formula 1 cars, supercars to superbikes, with rally legends and record-holders all being represented over this wonderful weekend. Not just parked, either, but running up a tricky driveway, driven by the most famous names in racing. The list of championship winners here as lengthy as the course itself. With its famous flint wall with the Duke’s beautiful house and estate as a glorious backdrop, it’s a unique challenge, and one every driver relishes.

It is fitting then that Volkswagen’s drive to an electric future made a debut at this spectacular, iconic event. In keeping with the rich and varied mix of vehicles, Volkswagen also brought along a piece of its own hill-climb history to run alongside the I.D. R Pikes Peak, with Jochi Kleint’s twin-engined Pikes Peak Golf also running up the nine turns of the 1.86 km (1.16 mile) track.

The I.D. R Pikes Peak might be all but silent when running, but its incredible speed charged the atmosphere of the Festival. A silent revolution with the capacity to wow, the I.D. R Pikes Peak dominated the running in the timed sessions. Its competition included everything from ex-Indy cars to F1 machinery, powered by everything combustion engines, turbines and electric motors.

No demonstration, but pure racing
Volkswagen driver Romain Dumas said: “Three weeks ago we decided in Pikes Peak we’ll go to Goodwood for a demonstration. I say why we go for demonstration? No, we should go for the race or nothing.” The electric car record was there to be taken, and Dumas and the team were motivated to achieve it.

With its first run on Friday the I.D. R Pikes Peak proved its speed immediately, though some changes would need to be made to account for the different conditions. A higher ride height was needed, while the aerodynamics - suited to the 30 percent less dense air at Pikes Peak - could be lessened for the short climb in West Sussex.

Jochi Kleint and his company car from 1987, the 652-hp-bi-motor Golf MkII “Pikes Peak”.

The atmosphere was absolutely electric as Dumas took the line on Sunday for his practice run in the morning, though the hill bit back, with a dusty turn two seeing Dumas run off the road. Using all his driving skills Dumas managed to prevent the I.D. R Pikes Peak from sustaining any damage.

The competition was quick as the team prepared for the final run, but the I.D. R Pikes Peak’s dominance was never in question. “The track was dirty in the first two corners, I was watching it on my phone before in the car, I knew that it was already difficult. So at this point so I said okay, we'll bring it home again, we'll take no risk. Not crazy risk. We try to do the correct time to win and, yes, it was good enough.”

Smashing the electric car record
Saturday would see the I.D. R Pikes Peak run up the hill, it taking first during the timed shootout, Dumas smashing the previous electric car record up the hill climb.

Jochi Kleint couldn’t hope to match it, but in the unique twin-engined 652 PS 1987 Golf Mk II, he added to the wide variety of unusual, exciting and exotic competition cars running up the hill. Kleint clearly loved the opportunity to drive it again, saying: “It’s amazing to drive a car with two engines. I drove this car three times at Pikes Peak, on gravel, it being a bit different here on tarmac.” It looked very quick and sounded sensational, too, this unique Golf powering up the hill to the delight of the huge crowds.

Jochi Kleint (left) and his Auto Union colleague Hans-Joachim Stuck (right).

As the car lined up for the final run of the weekend the crowd was hushed, knowing they were about to witness something very special. And it was, the battery-powered racer pulled up at the start where it used its four-wheel drive traction and the 680 PS and 650 Nm of torque from its two electric motors to charge up the hill. It won the final timed session, though it would be the Saturday time that would take the honour of the fastest outright time of the entire weekend.

Romain Dumas was delighted to take part: “Goodwood is an absolutely fantastic event and I am more than happy that we won in front of such a great crowd of motorsport enthusiasts,” said the 40-year-old after his latest record-breaking drive. “The hill climb track is short but often dirty and therefore you should definitely not underestimate it. In any case it is a great honour to drive here at Goodwood. You meet so many fantastic drivers, and the cars and motorcycles span a century of motorsport. It is one of a kind!”

The Duke of Richmond congratulated the winning team with champagne corks flying saying: “I’m certain that the outright record will be broken very soon, and it will be by an electric car,” the Festival of Speed celebrating the past while embracing a bold new, plug-in future, the Duke’s vision welcoming all forms of automobile, to create a wonderful, exciting and hugely entertaining spectacle for everyone attending.

“The I.D. R Pikes Peak has once again proven emphatically that it is a fantastic ambassador for our fully-electric I.D. family,” said Dr. Herbert Diess, the Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG and Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand. “I would like to thank the whole team. After the great success on Pikes Peak, at Goodwood we have shown once again how impressive the performance of an electric racing car can be. That is a very good preparation for our great electric car offensive which is starting next year.”

Romain Dumas (left) and Dr. Herbert Diess (right), the Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG and Chairman of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand enjoy the spirit of Goodwood.

In the heady, rich atmosphere of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, among sports and racing cars from all eras the Volkswagen’s I.D. R Pikes Peak demonstrated the future to make history at the famous event, though there might be more to come yet, after all, the outright record of set by a Formula One car in 1999 is tantalisingly close.

"We'll be faster"
Undoubtedly satisfied with setting 2018’s fastest time, and smashing the electric car record, Francois-Xavier Demaison, VW Motorsport’s Technical Director admitted that the car wasn’t perfectly suited for the shorter, narrower and lower Goodwood course, hinting: “We have some ideas to make it faster.”

Dumas, too, relishes the possibility of trying again next year, enjoying the unique atmosphere of the event, as well as the close, tough competition on the challenging course he said: “The I.D. R Pikes Peak was not made for here but it works well and I'm sure we can improve if we come back, it’s very cool to show this kind of car here, and when you are a driver you only ever want to win.”