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World’s fastest electric race car to display at Petersen Museum

Bruce Brown
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The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is to U.S. car culture as the Pikes Peak is to hill climbs. It’s only fitting then, that the winner and new all-time fastest record holder from this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will be displayed at the Petersen. It’s also appropriate to the current automotive scene that the winner, which beat the all-time record by 15 seconds, is an electric car.

While many people might assume a Tesla took the hill climb honors, the new Pikes Peak champ is a Volkswagen. The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak will be on display at the Petersen Museum from December 9, 2018, to February 1, 2019.

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During its time at the museum, the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak will be displayed outside the Petersen’s Mullin Design Studio to promote an upcoming event.  Next fall the Petersen will open the “Driving Toward Tomorrow” exhibit, which will feature concept cars including electric designs from many international automobile manufacturers.

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“As we head toward an electric future, we are proud to be at the forefront of the discussion,” said Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges. “Through our collaborations with Volkswagen, we are able to showcase one of the most impressive electric cars in the world, inspiring our audience to be curious about the future of mobility and the implications it has on the automotive industry as a whole.”

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When the electric VW took the hill on June 24, 2018, its combined 670-horsepower twin electric motors unraveled the dangerous 13-mile serpentine course in seven minutes and 57 seconds. Volkswagen’s fully-electric production cars are scheduled to arrive starting in 2020 will be built on the I.D. platform. It’s a sure bet none will look much like the race car, however.

Prior to its arrival at the Petersen Museum, the VW I.D. R Pikes Peak is on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show, which ends on December 9.

For more information about the VW I.D. R’s record-breaking run, check out the video below or read Digital Trend’s coverage of the event and why it means so much to Volkswagen.

If you’d like to see the record-breaking electric VW race car in Los Angeles, the Petersen Automotive Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days week.

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Bruce Brown
Bruce Brown
Contributing Editor
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Commerce teams. Bruce uses smart devices…
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