BMW has its vaunted ‘M’
badge, and now the upwardly mobile Hyundai is taking the ‘N.’
Showing it is serious about
establishing a performance pedigree, this tenacious Korean automaker is
launching a new performance-oriented N division and bringing several vehicles
to the Frankfurt Motor Show to celebrate.
Hyundai said that the N brand will
build on the company’s motor sports heritage, particularly as a competitor in
the World Rally Championship. Hyundai returned to the WRC in 2014 after a
10-year hiatus, with a racing version of its i20 hatchback sold overseas.
The company will preview a
new version of the i20 WRC race car in Frankfurt as an emblem of its ambitions.
This is the first prototype for the new rally car that’ll run in the WRC
starting next year.
Hyundai also will showcase
two concept cars at Frankfurt’s auto show in September.
The most radical one is
called the N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo. This hybrid sports car — meant to
highlight the future potential of N — will be featured exclusively in the Sony
Playstation Gran Turismo video game.
The Hyundai RM15 concept car,
which first debuted at the Seoul Motor Show in April, is the other one headed
to Frankfurt. It is essentially a tricked-out Hyundai Veloster with a
296-horsepower 2.0-liter engine mounted in the middle of the car instead of up
front for better weigh distribution.
Though the RM15 is only a
concept, its engine is undergoing development for applications in future
high-performance Hyundai road vehicles. The RM15 also showcases other
driver-focused technology that could come into production via the new N division, Hyundai said.
But the company did not
disclose details about any future performance vehicles that will wear an N
badge.
Like Mazda, Hyundai has been getting
more upscale in recent years. It said the N brand is about building new
momentum for “exciting driving dynamics” — a phrase commonly used by the
high-performance M division at the luxury brand BMW.
The Frankfurt Motor Show
kicks off with several press days starting September 15. Among the many
vehicles slated to debut there are the 2017 Kia Sportage, and some reports
suggest, possibly the new BMW M2 coupe.
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