F1technical.net

Volkswagen has produced an all electric all wheel drive 680 HP car to attack Pikes Peak.
To quote AutoWeek "This screams of VWs eagerness to generate an electric atmosphere around the launch of it's forthcoming line of I.D. EVs." The car will compete in the Unlimited Division.
"The battery was the biggest challenge. We try to find the lightest battery possible , witht he most energy" That led them to the door of U.S. based A123. The car will weigh less than 2500 LBs including driver.
It will have two motors delivering a combined 680 HP with the rear motor delivering more than the front.
There is the question of sound. Organizers require cars to make 120 dB... way more than they produce naturally.
They promise the car will not run out of charge before crossing the finish line. Le Mans winner Romain Dumas will drive.
Their objective is to better the EV record of 8minutes 57.118 seconds. The bigger question is can it beat the all time record of 8:13.878.

It's interesting from an engineering perspective, but from a PR perspective I can't help but think they're trying to create a good image for themselves with electric power, since the good image with Diesel backfired massively.
I have no knowledge about stock exchanges and that sort of thing, but I feel dumb for taking so long to realize that an image is probably way more profitable to a car company than the products they create.

Diogo:
A good ad campaign seems to trump a good product these days.

Strad, did you say the rules require 120 decibels? I've never heard of a rule that makes the cars louder, that's really interesting. But how could they possibly do that with an electric car without wasting a ton of energy?

Pike's Peak is an amazing event, strad.. ( 'Only in America!' - As the saying rightly goes)..

& so it was no surprise to see legendary US F1 Champion Mario Andretti's name on the winners honour board there too..

Pike's Peak was a dirt track when M.A. won it back in `69.. but since he was a multiple US dirt-track Champ..
(& sole driver to win the F1 Championship/Indy 500/Daytona 500, along with many Sebring sports car victories)..

Pike's Peak has another US technical 'claim-to-fame' - being - 'bout a century ago, the site of US turbocharger research,
& of course, the electric & turbo ICE vehicles.. still carry an inherent advantage over N/A machines there..

jh199 wrote: ↑

25 May 2018, 04:38

Strad, did you say the rules require 120 decibels? I've never heard of a rule that makes the cars louder, that's really interesting. But how could they possibly do that with an electric car without wasting a ton of energy?

A big speaker with its own battery. Blare out some noise. Entirely pointless of course.

I have a picture in my head of a tesla semi towing a trailer with the grateful dead playing and a wall if speakers 16 wheel drifting round the corners

jh199 wrote: ↑

25 May 2018, 04:38

Strad, did you say the rules require 120 decibels? I've never heard of a rule that makes the cars louder, that's really interesting. But how could they possibly do that with an electric car without wasting a ton of energy?

Playing cards in the spokes. The plastic ones are really loud!

jh199 wrote: ↑

25 May 2018, 04:38

Strad, did you say the rules require 120 decibels? I've never heard of a rule that makes the cars louder, that's really interesting. But how could they possibly do that with an electric car without wasting a ton of energy?

Looks like they're getting the driver to do it

Haha that must be the secret!

What a strange rule though

jh199 wrote: ↑

25 May 2018, 04:38

Strad, did you say the rules require 120 decibels? I've never heard of a rule that makes the cars louder, that's really interesting. But how could they possibly do that with an electric car without wasting a ton of energy?

In previous years electric cars on Pikes Peak have some beep sound when driving. Probably because of that rule.

Is the 120dB for spectators to clear the roads? SPL depends where you measure it - 120dB how far from the car??

If they want some attention, install a speaker producing Star Wars Tie-Fighter sound, that would be cool and will bring a lot of attention

Is the 120dB for spectators to clear the roads?

I believe it's something like that.
It could be the beep mentioned by senja needs to be that loud.

Spoked wheels and a flat stuck dragging (amplified) like this