Nick Heidfeld's 20-Year-Old Goodwood Record Has Been Broken By The VW ID R
Heidfeld’s run up the hill two decades ago was pure theatre; the V10 screaming as the car darted all over the road on the bumpy surface (nine-year-old me was lucky enough to be there at the time and needless to say, it left a huge lasting impression).
Quick Nick’s time of 41.6 seconds to cover the 1.16-mile course was not only a record, but so fast and frantic that it prompted Goodwood to ban F1 cars from setting competitive times up the hill ever again.
Since then, many have tried to beat it and failed, including all sorts of outrageous bespoke hillclimb vehicles. If they couldn’t beat it, would anything? Even the electric VW I.D. R, which had shattered the record at Pikes Peak, couldn’t get within two seconds in last year’s event.
Fast forward a year, however, and the I.D. R has undergone some changes, allowing it to set the record for electric cars at the Nordschleife and the second fastest of all time. Volkswagen returned for another crack at Goodwood with the car and, on the Friday of the event, Romain Dumas was finally able to beat Heidfeld’s time.
Technically it isn’t a record because this was merely practice and not the full timed run on Sunday, but we wouldn’t put it past Dumas dropping the benchmark even further by the end of the event.
It’s a seriously impressive run - but in all honesty, I know which video I’d be returning to more often…
UPDATE: Dumas has since gone even faster, clocking an astonishing 39.9sec run.
A version of this article was originally posted on WTF1
Comments
Wow that’s fast. But will it go to the under 40 seconds mark?
It just did
But it didn’t sound or look half as good as the McLaren
I agree it needed to have some character to it not having straight cut gear whine
True… but what a machine! Fair play to VW for smashing another record. ICE has a ruddy big challenge on its hands to claim back that title before they’re banned. I soooo want a petrol screamer to be able to match the pace of an EV
Maybe that’s why the 919 Evo isn’t there, would’ve shown up the IDR
The Mercedes W09 is there, I wonder how long before Ocon is told to give it hell up the circuit and go flat out with Hypersofts on and them in the prime condition, I could see a sub 40 second lap time being set….
F1 cars have been banned outright from setting timed laps. It won’t happen
Wow it just beat a record made by a 20 year old car… Am I meant to be impressed?
Everyone was impressed when the Porsche 919E broke the Nürburgring record, that record has stood since the 80s. So yes, you should.
People have been shooting at that record for 20 years for a reason. It’s a record for a reason. The fact that it’s 20 years old is a testament to the achievement
Everyone was impressed when the Porsche 919E broke the Nürburgring record, that record has stood since the 80s. So yes, you should.
People have been shooting at that record for 20 years for a reason. It’s a record for a reason. The fact that it’s 20 years old is a testament to the achievement
Decent point but still not impressed sry
why should i be happy that record got broken by a electric box on wheels ? I’m sorry, but electric boxes on wheels get automicatly disqualified by me.
#Electromobility
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