All sorts of plans are in flux these days, but given the reports that have been floating around, it seems likely Volkswagen is planning to whip up a Tesla-fighting electric sports car — one that uses technology from (or is at least inspired by) its barnstorming ID.R race car prototype. Comments from the head of Volkswagen’s R performance division suggesting such a vehicle could be a long way off cooled off the speculation a bit…but a new trademark filing may indicate that VW is developing that electric sports car — or at least preparing for that day.
On March 25th, 2020, VW filed a U.S. trademark application for “Peak Edition”, to use the term in reference to an automotive trim. One interpretation of this would be that it’s a reference to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, where the ID.R notably smashed the all-time record in 2018. If you were going to import ID.R tech into an electric sports car — or even whip up a sportier trim of a production electric car — that victory means “Peak Edition” would be a natural fit.
Of course, “Peak” is also a generic mountain reference, which could allude to something more overland-y. Adding more robust-looking off-road trims to soft-roading crossovers is a major trend in the automotive industry; we could just as well be in for a Peak Edition that adds body cladding and trim bits to a Volkswagen Tiguan.
The latter suggestion would fit with VW’s recent strategy of doubling down on crossovers in the U.S. and reserving almost every cool car it produces for the European market. Still, we’re hoping that it’s the former…especially since “Peak Edition” sounds way cooler than “ID.R.”
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