Hyundai i30 N prototype will run in Nurburgring 24-Hour race

Known as the i30 2.0L Turbo N, the heavily modified vehicle shown here has been developed by the company’s new ‘N’ performance arm.

Based off the current i30, the hatch’s primary goal is to give the car maker an understanding of its performance technology to aid the development of future high-performance N models.

“This Nurburgring 24h race provides the ideal test bed for our motorsport-inspired N sub-brand development and a key part of our ‘born in Namyang, honed at Nurburgring’ performance-car ethos,” said Albert Biermann, Hyundai Motor head of vehicle test and high performance development.

“The technological inspiration and experience gained from this extreme testing will accelerate our development of high-performance, fun-to-drive N models.”

Above: the Hyundai i30 1.6L Turbo N spied in 2015

According to Hyundai, around 40 per cent of the development car is new. Along with a brand-new engine, the transmission, suspension, dampers and wheels have all benefited from upgrades. Wider front and rear fenders have also been attached for this track-focussed version.

Along with performance upgrades, all the usual safety paraphernalia has also been fitted to make the car race-ready.

While the i30 2.0L Turbo N’s experience in the famed race will be largely experimental, Hyundai will be chasing a win with two other production-car-based entries. An i30 1.6L Turbo will be defending its 2015 class win, and a race-ready version of the Veloster will also take to the track.

Hyundai is clearly pushing hard with the development and future production of its performance models, but local fans may be disappointed to learn that some of the new N models may not even be offered in Australia.

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