They say that a change is as good as a rest and so a new look for the Volkswagen ID.R. could be seen as being very restful. For those that are new to the ID.R. story, the project started in 2018, with the fully-electrically driven race car from Volkswagen Motorsport sporting grey, blue and red colours while setting five records on three continents and yet at the Goodwood SpeedWeek (16.–18.10.2020), it will compete clad in a new blue-silver livery. The Volkswagen design team have explained to MotorMartin how they have deliberately decided to choose the following colour tones. Blue serves as an identifying characteristic for Volkswagen Motorsport and Volkswagen R. Scale Silver has been taken from the colour programme for the ID.31, the first production model from the range of fully-electrically driven cars by Volkswagen. To underline the close connection to the ID. family, the ID.3 will appear alongside the ID.R at Goodwood SpeedWeek. The first model from this totally new generation of fully electric vehicles has been on sale since 20th July. Delivery has already begun for the ID.3 1st Edition, limited to 30,000 cars.
The colours in the new design for the ID.R are not the only aspect shared by the sporting figurehead for the Volkswagen electro offensive and the ID. family. “Of course, the colour scheme is one of the first characteristics that catches the eye,” says Marco Pavone, Head of Exterior Design Volkswagen. In addition to the choice of colours, the honeycomb elements are another distinguishing feature. On the ID.3, these are present on the front skirt and the C-pillars, for example. With the 500 kW (680 PS) ID.R, the honeycombs do not just play a part on the outer skin, featuring in the “Union Jack”, the British flag that appears as a homage to Goodwood SpeedWeek. Inspired by the form of the honeycomb, the tremendously rigid hexagons find application in composite materials in the monocoque and in the aerodynamic components of the electric racing car.
Volkswagen have shared the follow details with MotorMartin regarding this exciting new development of the impressive I.D.R.
The black roof represents another characteristic of the entire ID. family. “On the ID.R, the film application stops at the shoulder line on the monocoque and only continues upward with an aluminium frame on the windscreen, which is drawn into the side air intake like a C-pillar,” says Pavone. “That comes from the ID. family, primarily from the ID.3. This chrome accent is also to be found on the A-pillar, the roof frame rail and the C-pillar. That is a feature common to all ID. models.”
The closeness to the ID. family was an important premise for the design team. “When we make it, it must be recognisable one-to-one as a member of the ID. family,” says Pavone about the specifications. “Of course, that is extremely challenging as you have to pay attention to other things when you are designing a high-performance vehicle. We managed to achieve this despite the aerodynamic challenges and I believe that customers and motorsport fans can recognise the car as an ID. member – even if you were to completely remove the decals.”
1 ID.3 – NEFZ power consumption in kWh/100 km: combined 14.5; COD emissions g/km: 0; efficiency class: A+.
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