Hyundai unveils naked RN24 electric car
Auto giant unveils its wildest car yet, taking an interesting approach to high-performance motoring.
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Hyundai’s next performance car could follow a proven recipe by putting powerful engines from larger vehicles into a much smaller package.
It has worked for everything from the Volkswagen Golf GTI to classic Ford Mustangs.
And it might even work in electric cars.
Hyundai has built a show car combining the 478kW of wallop from the full-sized Ioniq 5 N with a compact body closer in dimensions to the compact Hyudai Inster.
Roughly the size of a Hyundai i20 compact hatchback, the wild machine is a stripped-back rolling laboratory for next-generation performance.
It points to a compact, high-performance electric hot hatch that Hyundai ambassador Albert Biermann has hinted at in the past.
One that could combine the Ioniq 5 N’s staggering acceleration and electronic sophistication with the agility made possible by a lighter, smaller, car.
Other interesting elements include a WRC-style handbrake lever used to lock the rear wheels and induce slides.
That’s something Ford included in the latest Mustang, in the form of an electric controller for the rear brakes.
The concept car also moves driver-adjustable features such as torque bias and braking behaviour from a complex set of menus on the touchscreen to relatively simple controls on the steering wheel, inspired by the high-tech driver controls found in WRC, F1 and the World Endurance Championship.
Don’t expect the car’s stripped-back exoskeleton style to be sold for the street. But you can bet on Hyundai introducing a smaller, cheaper, electric performance car in the future.
Manfred Harrer, executive vice president and head of the Genesis and performance development tech unit said the concept car demonstrates the future direction of high-performance Hyundai N electric vehicles.
“Hyundai N is not just a brand but a representation of our commitment to innovation and high performance,” he said.
“RN24 is a testament to our bold ambitions for the future.”
Originally published as Hyundai unveils naked RN24 electric car
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