2027 Volkswagen ID 4 Specs, Redesign, Price – Despite Tanner Foust being the best driver, I had the opportunity to race VW’s electric ID 4 on the sandy and bumpy roads of Baja. Tanner Foust failed to even make it to the starting line of the 2021 Mexican 1000 off-road rally, despite being crowned champion by the National Off-Road Racing Association.
Frankly, he had nothing to do with it. His entrance went unnoticed by the traffic officer in charge since he was using an electric 2027. This little SUV barely survived the approximately 1,000 kilometers of challenging terrain before ending five days later, despite starting with the same set of Yokohama Geolander A/T tires.
The Mexican 1000 follows a similar path as the Baja 1000, travelling through some of Mexico’s most desolate districts on the Baja Peninsula. San Felipe and the Bay of Los Angeles were stops along the route that this year’s rally took from Ensenada.
The rally spent one night in San Felipe before heading north and eventually making a full round to Ensenada. Five days had passed. Teams were not allowed to prerun the course, even though they were given a GPS track and a roadbook that detailed potential dangers. 2027 Volkswagen ID 4 Specs
2027 Volkswagen ID 4 Redesign and Update Plan
Exterior & Interior
Fabricator and owner of the Baja racing team Rhys Millen added two rally shocks, skid plates, and 18-inch wheels with 255/70 Geolander tires to the ID 4. For purposes of safety, a cage was installed, along with three-point harnesses and Sparco racing seats. The crew may have access to an additional panel that displays information on the battery, including its temperature, capacity, and remaining range.
Due to the fact that Volkswagen does not have an all-wheel-drive ID4, vehicle 134 relied on the rear wheels to transfer power.
For reasons that will become clear shortly, this is quite dangerous in Baja. The electric engine of the street-legal Pro S ID 4 can generate 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque, and it has a range of around 250 miles on a fully charged battery pack of 82 kilowatt-hours.
The ID 4’s range on a single charge was a concern for Volkswagen in Baja. The rally is completely random, making it a game of luck. For an accurate estimate of the vehicle’s potential range, the range estimator looks at its past trips.
Instead, driver Tanner Foust and co-driver Aldrich To, an engineer at Volkswagen, kept a careful eye on consumption, trying to keep it at an average of 1.6 miles per kWh. Although Foust managed 107 mph on a dry lakebed, that speed would decrease when traveling at extremely high speeds. However, that average might rise once again on level dirt roads.
2027 Volkswagen ID 4 Specs
Engine & Performance
While using the ID 4 for the first time, the most significant mechanical problem arose. The initial incident to be noted was the failure of the new mounts for the rear shocks. The team returned to the regular setup and replaced the improved rally shocks after Foust finished the stage.
Consequently, the car’s speed would drop and its rear end would be quite shaky throughout the rest of the rally. On the other hand, the ID 4’s speed was never amazing. There is a maximum speed, even with slightly greater tire travel and around 7 inches of ground clearance.
On the second day of driving, the physical limits of the ID 4 were naturally revealed. The ID 4 has its own fleet of buggies powered by LS as a sweep vehicle. If the ID 4 was stuck, we could use the buggy to free it instead of waiting for NORRA’s official rescue vehicle. The buggy was unable to maintain a steady lead over the ID 4 due to overheating caused by electrical issues.
Not to mention the fact that the ID 4 lacked any kind of recovery equipment. Nobody needs self-recovery as the ID 4 will always have it, according to the bug’s developers. You might be astonished to hear that no matter where my off-road adventures take me, I never leave home without my trusty Maxtrax.
Things became more serious as we came around a corner and beheld a little slope of dense, fluffy sand with ruts two feet deep.
I was at the wheel, while Foust was in the right seat. Fast acceleration is required for a rear-wheel drive vehicle to traverse soft sand. We were unable to keep up with the others due to our lack of vehicles and authority. Ensnared in jail, we completed the trek. How about the vehicle we have for recovery? A vehicle’s engine is overheating behind us.
As the event was underway, Foust and I attempted to get a pair of flip-flops from his car trunk. We pumped the tires, put stones in front and behind them, and watched many snakes because the rear-wheel drive ID 4 was inefficient without a tow or Maxtrax.
I took control for one more level by utilizing the ID 4’s regenerative braking technology instead of the mechanical brakes. Just like the Rivian R1T in the Rebelle Rally, the ID 4 required careful line finding, hard regen braking, smooth throttle action, and a determination to avoid mistakes. Despite my anxiety about sitting shotgun in an ID4, Foust graciously offered me a free driving lesson throughout Baja.
At around the same moment that the recovery buggy arrived, the official NORRA rescue vehicle also became stuck in the sand. After carrying rescue boards and finding a hard-packed dirt access track, our massive pursuit vehicle was back on the road within fifteen minutes. On that particular day, we lost so much time that we couldn’t cross the finish line. Stage doors had already been shut.
Everything else throughout the rally proceeded well after that. By being pulled behind the sweep buggies and generating 20 kW of regenerative energy, the ID 4 was able to be tow-charged, allowing it to finish a 167-mile special stage. Also, once a stage is complete, there is no clear bar in the rules against refilling the vehicle.
For certain race cars, filling up the gas tank was an absolute must throughout the longer stages. For this, a gas can was utilized. With the assistance of a tow, the Volkswagen was able to pull this off. 2027 Volkswagen ID 4 Specs
2027 Volkswagen ID 4 Fuel Economy
The charging process took place in a trailer housing a 50 kW charger that was powered by a biofuel generator. While using a generator for charging isn’t ideal, the team had to adapt to their situation. Presently, Mexico has an abundance of petrol stations, but much fewer charging stations.
At the same time as the pavement transit portions, the ID 4 climbed into its trailer to recharge before continuing on to the next unique stage of the race.
The ID 4 averaged 1.6 miles per kWh when traveling 113 miles on its longest special stage during the week. Under normal circumstances, the ID 4 Pro S is predicted to have a range of 250 miles on paved roads, whereas the VW’s average range on dirt roads is 125 miles, which is more than half of that. (The EPA states that the entry-level professional has a score of 260.)
There was no winner of the NORRA Mexican 1000 for ID 4. It really finished sixty-first out of sixty-four since twenty-six riders withdrew. The fact that it was the first fully completed electric vehicle—the ID 4—and that it was based on production is the cherry on top.
At the most recent San Felipe 250, Lordstown Motors’ Endurance pickup truck managed to traverse a pitiful 38 miles. After 840 kilometers of difficult dirt racing, the 2027 finished with careful planning and preparation. Privateers and other manufacturers are expected to come in Baja and surpass it now. 2027 Volkswagen ID 4 Specs
Note: The details included in this blog post are derived from pre-release material that was accessible when the article was written. If you want the latest information, you should check official sources or call your nearest dealership.
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