Volkswagen’s latest motorsport project has been named: I.D. R Pikes Peak is the title of the all-electric prototype racing car, with which Volkswagen will compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on 24th June 2018 in Colorado, USA.

The four-wheel drive sports car combines its ambassadorial role for the future, electric I.D. family with the sportiest range of Volkswagen products, the R GmbH models. At the same time, it is also the first step towards an intensification of the cooperation between Volkswagen R and Volkswagen Motorsport. The Volkswagen brand plans to offer more than 20 fully-electric cars by 2025. Manufacturing of the first production model in the I.D. family is scheduled to start at the end of 2019 in Zwickau, in the Saxony region of Germany.

“We want to be at the forefront of electromobility with Volkswagen and the I.D. family,” explained Volkswagen Member of the Board of Management with responsibility for Development, Dr. Frank Welsch. “Competing in the most famous hill climb in the world with the I.D. R Pikes Peak not only has symbolic meaning, but is also a valuable test for the general development of electric cars.”

Jürgen Stackmann, Member of the Board of Management with responsibility for Sales, Marketing and After Sales, added: “Pikes Peak is without question the most iconic hill climb in the world. For Volkswagen, it represents a fantastic opportunity to charge the topic of E mobility, both emotionally and from a sporting perspective, thanks to the I.D. R project.”

Race to the clouds at 4,300 metres, score to settle after missing out on victory in 1987

The international Pikes Peak hill climb – also known by aficionados as the “Race to the Clouds” – has been held since 1916 near Colorado Springs in the Rocky Mountains. The 19.99-kilometre route runs from the start at 2,800 metres to the summit at 4,300 metres above sea level. Volkswagen last entered the Pikes Peak hill climb in 1987 with a spectacular dual-engine Golf, which generated an impressive 652 hp. However, the Wolfsburg-based manufacturer narrowly missed out on success.

“It is about time we settled the score,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director, Sven Smeets. “The I.D. R Pikes Peak represents an extremely exciting challenge for us, to show what is possible with an electric engine in motorsport. The entire team behind our driver Romain Dumas is highly motivated to set a new record for electric cars.” The record in the electric prototype class currently stands at 8:57.118 minutes and was set in 2016 by New Zealand’s Rhys Millen (e0 PP100).

Donington Park will reverberate to the glorious sound of historic race car engines as more than 400 world-class competition cars dating from the 1920s to the early 2000s battle it out at the Donington Historic Festival.

The all-access paddock will be scented with the unmistakable fragrance of Castrol R and other evocative odours that instantly transport enthusiasts back to the golden era of motorsport. It’s a classic motor racing fan’s dream come true, as Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Austin-Healey, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Frazer Nash, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lister, Lotus, Porsche – to name but a few of the legendary marques represented in the entry list –  take to the track in a living motorsport museum.

Touring Car buffs have not one, not two, but five different grids of ‘tin tops’ spanning six decades with seven races between them. There’s glamour galore in the 1950s and 60s GTs and sports cars, and single-seater action from historic Formula Juniors, Formula 5000 and Formula 2 cars, while proving that age is no barrier to agility on the track, a fine selection of pre-War sports cars will show what motor racing looked like in the 1920s and 30s.

Spectators can also enjoy a celebration of Donington Park’s famous 1993 European Grand Prix with F1 car track demonstrations on the Saturday and Sunday of the event, plus static displays on all three days. In addition, there are pitlane walks, Group B rally car and historic kart demonstrations, thousands of classic cars gathering in the infield, lunchtime classic car club parades and DHF’s family-friendly, inclusive atmosphere.

• Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY will make its global debut at Berlin E-Prix on 19 May
• I-PACE racecar has successfully completed its first shakedown and Michelin tyre test
• The world’s first international production-based electric race series will hit the streets of the world’s most iconic cities in 2018/19
• Jaguar Racing to work with M-Sport as technical operations partner

Whitley, UK, Monday 23 April 2018: The Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY racecar will make its global public debut on the streets of Berlin ahead of the ABB FIA Formula E-Prix, as Jaguar leads the charge in the future of battery electric vehicles.

Following the launch of the Jaguar I-PACE in March, Jaguar Racing will mark this historic moment for the new international production based electric vehicle race series with a demonstration lap of the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY racecar on Saturday 19 May at the Tempelhof circuit. The display will take place during the Berlin E-Prix showcasing this exciting racecar to a global audience, and to promote the championship ahead of the season five launch later this year. The driver of the car in Berlin will be announced shortly.

James Barclay, Team Director Jaguar Racing, said: “We are excited to reveal the new Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY racecar in Berlin and demonstrate its dynamic capabilities for the first time. The team at Jaguar Racing and Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) are building the key foundations for the incredibly exciting championship and we are pleased with the progress of our test and development programme, which has included a successful tyre test with our partner Michelin.

“We are really happy with the way the championship is progressing, and we are attracting more interest from teams around the world who want to be involved in this pioneering championship. We would also like to welcome M-Sport, who bring a wealth of experience, expertise and professionalism to the team as technical operations partner for the eTROPHY.”

Jaguar Racing have carried out successful development tests alongside Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) in Warwickshire, UK, to engineer and refine the performance of the production-based racecars, which has included chassis set-up, powertrain performance, energy management and aerodynamics tuning. The eTROPHY development car has also completed its first shakedown at Jaguar Land Rover’s test track in Gaydon, England and initial tyre tests with Championship Partner, Michelin in Ladoux, France.

Jaguar Racing have enlisted MS-RT, the race technology division of M-Sport, as technical operations partner for eTROPHY. They will provide on-track engineering and technical resource and deliver the ‘Arrive and Drive’ package for competitors. M-Sport are an experienced and respected automotive company and will become a valued partner to Jaguar Racing. In addition, current partner, Williams Advanced Engineering will support the eTROPHY series in various technical areas including vehicle control systems.

The eTROPHY racecars are based on the Jaguar I-PACE, and up to 20 eTROPHY racecars will line up on the grid in some of the world’s great cities including Hong Kong, Rome, Paris and New York from the start of the 2018/19 series of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. The full race calendar will be revealed later this year. Further news on eTROPHY teams will be announced shortly.