The Director of VW Sports subdivision said in a recent interview that the company wanted to beat the unofficial record Esteban Gutiérrez set at the Sonoma Raceway in California, USA piloting his F1-spec Mercedes W07.
The hybrid racecar, which weighed in under 900 kilograms (2,000 lbs) even with the driver inside, has completed the 3.83-km (2.83-mile) long track in 1:15.45. Its actual engine output rose to nearly 900 horsepower (671 kilowatts) during acceleration.
The Volkswagen ID.R, which should set off to beat this record soon, comes equipped with dual electric motors for 680 PS (500 kW) total and weighs 1,100 kg (2,425 lbs) with the driver inside. This prompts a question of whether the VW engineering team is going to upgrade it for the race.