Hyundai has revealed that it will be bringing three cars to the Nürburgring 24 Hour endurance race, including an i30 2.0 Turbo N development vehicle.
Hyundai, keen to promote its performance subdivision ‘N’, will field a 1.6-litre i30, a race-spec Veloster, as well as a development version of the upcoming i30 N hot hatch production car.
The 24-hour event at the Nüburgring will provide the perfect backdrop for the 2.0-litre turbo’s development and testing, particularly for the all-new 2.0-litre engine. The 1.6-litre i30 will have its hands tied trying to defend its win from last year.
Behind the wheel of the 2.0 Turbo development car will be Hyundai’s Bruno Beulen, as well as Nordschleife specialists Michael Bohrer, Alexander Köppen and Rory Pentinnen.
“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’s head of Vehicle Test and High Performance Development.
Hyundai says that 40 per cent of the i30 N development car is completely new, with the majority of work occurring within the engine bay, transmission upgrades, changes to the suspension and dampers, as well as the steering, safety features and wheels. There’s also a pumped wide-body aero kit. Check out the video below for some insight into the engine’s development.
