Two weeks ago, Volkswagen broke the all-time record to ascend Pikes Peak in Colorado in an electric I.D. R Pikes Peak racer.
Now, you can watch the full record-breaking run for yourself.
The German automaker recorded the entire drive from a helicopter and, in was a smart decision, added audio recorded inside the car so everyone could experience it.
The video starts with the racer zipping away from a decent crowd of people before it begins winding its way into the trees. The helicopter loses sight of the speedy car a few times, but always manages to pick it up after the next bend.
The road quickly empties of spectators and, for a majority of the attempt, the driver – Romain Dumas – is left alone with the legendary road, green pine trees and the steering wheel.
As Dumas climbs, the video gets more impressive. He made it above the tree line in just minutes and, toward the end of the run, it appeared he was almost on the same level as the helicopter.
Dumas ended up shaving 16 seconds off the old record in the purpose-built electric car.
“Awesome!” declared Dumas after the run. “We exceeded even our own high expectations with that result.”
The video isn’t too bad either.
Quite underwhelming given the complete paving of the route. The "record" only applies to the two years since the route was paved and has nothing to do with any other record set for this climb.
Why is the car so noisy?
What’s the bid deal? It’s not like he had to shift gears or anything. Here, hold my beer, give me the keys. . .