It sure looks like a beefed-up Veloster, but beneath this weird looking exterior could be Hyundai’s high-performance future. How high-performance? Well, it’s time to think supercar levels.
Designed under the leadership of Albert Biermann, former BMW handling guru and now head of global research and development for Hyundai, the RM19 or “Racing Midship” 19 is ready to catapult the Korean carmaker to the big leagues with its “supercar-level handling balance and low-polar-moment-of-inertia agility for outstanding connection to the tarmac at all speeds and driving conditions.”
Powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged direct-injected engine based off Hyundai’s TCR racecars, the RM19 produces 390 horsepower and a 0-100 km/h of about 4 seconds. And unlike its racecars which are affected by “Balance of Performance” adjustments, the RM19 doesn’t have any of these restrictions. Thus, it offers racecar-like levels of performance, balance, braking and grip while retaining daily road-going capability.
Confirmed as an engineering testbed for now, the Hyundai RM platform is versatile—enabling it to fit not just a turbocharged engine, but even electrified powertrains as well.
The question is, will Hyundai actually build a supercar out of the RM platform? Well, they’re currently coy about it. However, Thomas Schemera, executive vice president and head of Hyundai Motor Group’s Product Division didn’t mince words and said that Hyundai has the aspirations to take the high-performance Hyundai N brand “into the prestigious area of supercar-level performance.” Furthermore, it’s been revealed that Biermann “isn’t doing these just for kicks.” If that’s really the case, don’t expect a Hyundai supercar to hit the road soon. The earliest they’ll come up with one would be sometime beyond 2022.
For the uninitiated, the “N” in Hyundai N stands for Namyang, home to Hyundai Motor’s global R&D Center in Korea since 1995, where the N concept was born, and for the Nürburgring, home to Hyundai Motor’s European Test Center. The close connection between Namyang and the Nürburgring created the foundation for N, building upon the company’s motorsport experience to bring thrilling road dynamics for those customers who truly love driving. The ‘N’ logo itself embodies this idea, as it symbolizes a classic road course chicane.
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