We heard rumors before the 2018 Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb that Volkswagen was bringing a contender to challenge the EV record. With the car being wholly untested on the mountain, Volkswagen didn’t think it had a chance at the overall record. Turns out VW was very wrong.

The ID R is all-wheel drive and has two electric motors that combine to make 670 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. The 0-60 dash happens in 2.25 seconds and the curb weight sits at 2,425 lbs.

With Romain Dumas behind the wheel, the ID R ascended the mountain in a way that made spectators uncomfortable with how quickly it “whirred” by them. A siren noise blared per race rules to alert those at the hill climb that an EV entry was coming. The helicopter chase footage is spectacular and it really looks like the ID R is driving away from the whirly bird on the straight sections.

After 156 corners, the ID R achieved a time of 7:57.148s. That bested Sebastian Loeb’s previous record run of 8:13.878s set in 2013.

A month after Pike’s Peak, the ID R smashed the electric vehicle record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Dumas needed just 43.05 seconds to get up Lord March’s driveway. After Porsche’s record lap of the Nürburgring last summer, it only seems fitting that the ID R should head there next.

Until then, if you happen to be in the LA area, the ID R is on display at the Peterson Museum as part of its “Driving Toward Tomorrow” exhibit. The display runs through February 9th, 2019.

And then hopefully we’ll see it at the ‘Ring sometime after that. For now though, I believe the Volkswagen ID R should be the 2018 Hooniverse Car of the Year.