The Volkswagen ID R electric time attack special has a new mission on its hands: Obliterate the EV lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

The current record is the 6:45.9 set by Nio and its EP9 track car back in 2017. VW will attempt to break the record this summer and insiders have suggested the lap time could go as low as 5:30.

That's close to the overall record for the 12.9-mile track claimed last June by Porsche with its 919 Evo time attack special based on the 919 Hybrid LMP1 race car. The car, with race driver Timo Bernhard behind the wheel, set a 5:19.55 lap, or enough to crush the previous record of 6:11.13 set in 1983, also by a Porsche.

Romain Dumas drives the Volkswagen ID R at 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Romain Dumas drives the Volkswagen ID R at 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

The ID R came to life for the sole purpose of competing at the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The car was successful and smashed the old record of 8:13.878 with a 7:57.148 time. Driver Romain Dumas was behind the record-setting run, and he's on tap to set the Nürburgring record as well. Dumas is a four-time winner at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring and previously raced for Porsche, so he knows the track well.

The ID R will be modified slightly to perform its best at the 'Ring. The changes will mostly be in the area of aerodynamics, as the car will need to handle much higher speeds than it did at Pikes Peak. There will be tweaks to the powertrain, too, though it will still consist of an electric motor at each axle producing a combined 670 horsepower. Weight of the car will also remain under 2,500 pounds.

VW will be testing the ID R at a number of top tracks starting in the spring as part of its preparations. Of course, any shot at the record largely depends on Mother Nature. VW hopes to have credible performance titles in its hands as it prepares to launch new electric cars falling under the ID banner, the first of which will be the Golf-sized ID Neo hatch due in 2020. The first ID car sold in the United States will be a small crossover. It's also due for launch in 2020.

2020 Volkswagen ID Neo spy shots

2020 Volkswagen ID Neo spy shots