What's the news?
The menacing outline of this competition car looks like it should be some sort of Le Mans racer or similar GT track vehicle - but actually, this is a Volkswagen all-electric race car that's going to power up a dusty mountain road in Colorado.
Yes, Volkswagen has announced that it wants to return to the world's most famous mountain race, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, over in the US, for the first time since 1987 - and it's going to do it with a zero-emissions EV in order to set a new record.
Just to recap, the Pikes Peak race is held on a 20km, 156-turn asphalt course (parts of it used to be gravel, however) that ascends 4,700ft up the American mountain, with a finishing line that's 14,000ft above sea level. If you want to know more, check out the 1989 film Climb Dance, or look up 'Sebastien Loeb Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak' to see the fastest-ever time up the route, set by the French rally legend in 2013 (he did it in 8m 13.878s... which is very, very quick).
Volkswagen's entrant won't be that fast, sadly, but the all-wheel-drive prototype is aiming to set a benchmark for fully electric vehicles, which means it is going to have to complete its run in less than 8m 57.118s. And why is it doing this, you might ask? Well, by 2025, Volkswagen wants to become the leading manufacturer of electric vehicles, having 23 all-electric models on sale around the world. This is just a springboard to that eventual EV goal and a way of building customer awareness in the coolest of fashions, too.
"The Pikes Peak hill climb is one of the world's most renowned car races," said Dr Frank Welsch, Member of the Board responsible for Development. "It poses an enormous challenge and is therefore perfectly suited to proving the capabilities of upcoming technologies. Our electric race car will be equipped with innovative battery and drive technology. The extreme stress test posed by Pikes Peak will give us important feedback that will benefit future development, and it will showcase our products and their technologies."
The Pikes Peak vehicle is being developed by Volkswagen Motorsport in close cooperation with Technical Development in Wolfsburg. "The race on Pikes Peak is a new beginning for us. We are developing an all-electric race vehicle for the first time," added Sven Smeets, Volkswagen Motorsport Director. "The project is also an important milestone in our new motorsport orientation. Our team is literally electrified about taking on this incredible challenge."
Anything else?
Held since 1916 on the giant mountain in the Front Range of the Rockies, Pikes Peak is sometimes referred to as the 'Race to the Clouds'. Volkswagen Motorsport last competed 30 years ago with a twin-engined Golf, which didn't quite make the finish. Smeets concluded: "It is high time for a rematch."
You can watch a video of that Golf in action, right here.