VW IS BUILDING AN ELECTRIC RACE CAR FOR PIKE’S PEAK

Volkswagen showed the world it was serious about diesel performance by taking a diesel-powered Audi team to LeMans, where the cars dominated the 24 Hour endurance event for the better part of two decades. Now, well- let’s just say that VW is taking a step back from diesel. You know, because of reasons. Instead, they’re shifting their focus to electric cars. And, to prove they’re serious about that, they’ll be building an all-electric race car. For Pike’s Peak.

“I can emphasize it is the project for 2018,” VW motorsport director Sven Smeets said, in a recent interview with Motorsport. “For the future, we have to do well, and prove the concept is working with an eye to the future in the electric world in motorsport.”

Volkswagen will be joining Honda, Mitsubishi, Rimac, and others in the growing electric class at the historic Hill Climb event. Despite the heavy-hitting nature of its competitors, however, VW wants to do more than show up. VW plans to win. “For us it’s clear when we enter as a works team [it will] always be with cars very closely linked to the product on the road,” Smeets explains. “So, if we can call it e-WRX, it would be one of the first series we could have a proper look at because it would fulfill those requirements.”

Surely, Subaru will have something to say about Smeets’ proposed use of the WRX name- but this is about a race car, not blatant copyright infringement. Here’s hoping VW releases more info. and photos of its Pike’s Peak competitor soon.

Source | Images: VW, via Motorsport

Six Volts Topping Pike's Peak - VIDEO

Volt director Tony Posawatz, describes what GM is learning from its repeated trials up and down the Peak:

“As you know, we are very serious about the testing we do on our cars, especially the VOLT with it being loaded with so many “technology firsts,” he said. “We try to prove to ourselves that in the most severe and harshest environments that every VOLT will exceed our expectations including on-going “tweaks” as we finalize our software/controls and assure full completion of all of our tests.”

“It is pretty fun to continue to do work on Pikes Peak when you know your car can handle it,” said Posawatz. “Do all other plug-ins tout their prowess on Pikes Peak? I think not.”

“You know our ReGen braking recaptures a lot of electric miles on the way down and records a really low brake pad temp,” he added. Such low temperatures have occurred that a ranger who performs mandatory brake testing seven miles from the summit actually had to check the Volt twice with his laser gun.