Hyundai Motor is to run three cars at the 2016 Nürburgring 24h, as part of the company’s motorsport-inspired development of its new performance sub-brand ‘N’. Hyundai Motor will race two production-car-based models – i30 1.6 Turbo and a Veloster, as well as the development car i30 2.0 Turbo.
The i30 1.6 Turbo will focus on defending its 2015 class win, while the i30 2.0 Turbo development car will concentrate on ‘enhancing the brand’s understanding of performance technologies’.
“This Nürburgring 24h race provides the ideal test bed for our motorsport-inspired N sub-brand development and a key part of our ‘born at Namyang, honed at Nürburgring’ performance-car ethos. The technological inspiration and experience gained from this extreme testing will accelerate our development of high-performance, fun-to-drive N models,” said Albert Biermann, Hyundai Motor head of vehicle test and high performance development.
Around 40% of the developmental i30 is new, with a newly-developed engine at its core plus revised transmission, suspension, and dampers. In September 2015, Hyundai Motor presented the prospect of its future performance N sub-brand models focused on delivering maximum driving pleasure to true motoring enthusiasts. With this goal in mind and as part of the ‘born at Namyang, honed at Nürburgring’ programme, development engineers and technicians have, for several years, carried-out ‘accelerated endurance tests’ with its production cars and now use the Nürburgring also for intense tuning of the N high-performance vehicles.
The development car that will compete in the Nürburgring race was built for Hyundai Motor by race car designers and Hyundai dealership – Schumann. The two other Hyundai Motor racing cars already run were also designed and built by the Schumann motorsport department.
