Hyundai N

In 1989, Hyundai Motor Company undertook to develop the brand's first domestic sports car. In the same year, at the Tokyo Motor Show, Hyundai presented the first car of its SLC (Sports-looking Car) program,[4] a coupe based on then-recently launched Excel and incorporating the first engine developed entirely in-house. The Excel SLC was equipped with a turbocharger and the gearbox from the Sonata, signaling that it was a performance-oriented car.

In February 1990, Hyundai launched its first coupe offering in South Korea, the Scoupe, based on the second-generation Excel. This model was initially equipped with a 1.5-liter Mitsubishi-derived engine. In 1991, the engine was replaced by the 1.5-liter Alpha engine designed in-house in both normally-aspirated and turbocharged versions.

The Scoupe was considered as Hyundai's first high-performance model.[5] The success of the Scoupe in high-level competitions such as the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb motivated Hyundai to move forward with its SLC program. The next model, called the Tiburon, was derived from HCD-1 and HCD-2 concept cars designed by Hyundai Motor America Design Center in California.[6]

The Tiburon was introduced in 1996, with its shock absorbers developed in conjunction with Porsche, powered by the 2.0-liter Beta engine, and performance-oriented optimizations. The positive reception of the Tiburon led to the introduction of other trim levels, such as the Top Grand Prix Experience (TGX). The model's facelift in 1999, called the Tiburon Turbulence, also introduced two newer trim levels, Type-S and Type-R.[7]

The Tiburon was replaced by the Tuscani in 2001, known in some markets as the Tiburon Tuscani. The Tuscani offered strengthened structural rigidity, updated styling, a more refined interior, and significant powertrain improvements. The Tuscani was introduced using the 2.7-liter Delta V6 engine. Other improvements used by Hyundai on the high-performance Tuscani Elisa model included a special suspension system designed by SACHS, which also began to be used on the 2.0-liter GTS II model in 2004.[8]

The rear-wheel-drive Genesis Coupe sports coupe was introduced at the 2008 New York Motor Show. The model had two engine options, the 3.8-liter Lambda V6 and the turbocharged 2.0-liter units. Additionally, the Genesis Coupe had a Torsen limited slip differential (LSD), electronic stability control (ESC), and other enhancements such as 4-caliper Brembo disc brakes.

Hyundai Motors' amazing track record began in the late 1980s when the Korean brand listened to the voices of millions of enthusiasts clamoring for a high-performance sports coupe. Since then, each generation of Hyundai vehicles, from the Scoupe to the current N models, has left an indelible mark on motorsports history.

Along with the WRC (World Rally Championship), the Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race is a high-level competition where Hyundai Motor Company has participated and obtained great triumphs over the years.[9]

It all started in 2016 when German dealer 'Schumann Motorsport' began participating in the Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race using second-generation i30 vehicles. The information obtained from this modified vehicle allowed the durability of the powertrain, suspension, and other key components to be tested prior to the mass production of the first i30 N model.

By April 2017, the final i30N prototype was already participating in the competition. By this time, Hyundai Motor Company independently started participating in the Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race using its WRT W Racing team. This allowed engineers from the Namyang Research Institute in Korea to do the final testing of the i30 N on the race track itself, proof of Hyundai's commitment to providing a track-proven, high-performance vehicle.

For 2018, Hyundai Motor's two i30 N cars successfully completed the 6 hours of qualifying to subsequently enter the finals of this grueling event. In the end, they took second and fourth place in the TCR class and 58 overall. Of the 150 cars that entered the race that year, only 106 were able to complete the race, including the two i30 N cars.

In 2019, Hyundai Motor North America (HMA) introduced the Veloster N TCR at the Detroit Auto Show. The new model entered the competition that same year along with the i30 N TCR and the i30 Fastback N demonstrating once again Hyundai's progress on the racetrack. Being its first time at the Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race, the Veloster N TCR managed to place 45th overall and 2nd in the TCR class, a milestone, given that the i30 N TCR took first place that same year but only after years of continuous improvement.

By 2020, Hyundai Motor Company was already a rival to be feared at the Nürburgring 24 Hour Endurance Race. The three participating vehicles, the Veloster N TCR, the i30 Fastback N, and the i30 N TCR, achieved the best overall places so far, even after the event was interrupted for 8 hours due to heavy rain.

As changes for the 2021 season, Hyundai participated with the Elantra N TCR, the i30 N TCR, and the i20 N in the SP2T class. The Elantra N TCR finished first in class and 32nd overall, the i30 N TCR finished 2nd in the TCR class and 33rd overall, while the i20 won the SP2T class, finishing 89th overall.

Hyundai's involvement in motorsports was never about gaining brand recognition. The experience gained in the field helped to improve the engines, gearboxes, suspension systems, brakes, and structural integrity of its entire range of vehicles. That's why, in 2012, Hyundai made the decision to gather the best researchers and engineers at its R&D Center in Namyang to create a new brand focused on developing high-performance vehicles, the N brand.[10]

That same year in 2012, at the Paris Motor Show, Hyundai unveiled the i20 WRC concept car along with the announcement that it will participate as a manufacturer in the WRC with its own World Rally Team (WRT). This led to the creation of the Hyundai Motorsport (HMSG) branch in Europe, which was responsible for launching the i20 WRC race car at the Geneva Motor Show.

The creation of the HMSG branch and the launch of the new i20 WRC were part of a visionary plan that became more evident in 2013 when the N logo was unveiled to the public on the 2014 i20 WRC model.[11] The debut of the 2014 i20 WRC could not have been better. In 2014 in the 3rd round, the Mexico Rally, Hyundai WRT achieved its first podium by taking 3rd place. Then in round 9 in Germany, it took first place.

Meanwhile, researchers at the Namyang R&D Center wasted no time using the valuable data gathered from the WRC to introduce the first concept car of the Racing Midship line, the RM14, at the 2014 Busan Motor Show. Since then, the RM line has continued with the RM15, RM16, and RM19 models.[12] These high-performance concept cars based on the first-generation 2012 Veloster have served as a testing ground for new technologies and ideas from researchers that have then been implemented later in the N-brand. Moreover, the RM series showed the world that Hyundai was quite capable of designing mid-engine racing vehicles with aluminum space frames, carbon-reinforced plastic body parts, active spoilers, and electric superchargers among other cutting-edge technologies.

Now that the foundations of the N brand were in place, it was time for the next big step in Hyundai’s master plan. In late 2014 Hyundai Motor Company announced that Albert Biermann would be the Executive Vice President and Head of Vehicle Testing and High-Performance Development.[13] Biermann spent more than 30 years at BMW and was in charge of the M division before leaving. His leadership has since been key to defining the brand's philosophy of high-performance vehicles that are fun to drive and affordable to the public.

Proof of this is that on September 15 of the same year, at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the brand's slogan 'Ngaged' was revealed,[14] which has to do with the moment when the car and the driver become one. Since then, this date has been celebrated every year as the official birth of the N brand.

Just two years later, on July 13, 2017, the first mass-production model of the N brand, the iconic i30 N, was launched in the European market.[15] Since its inception, the i30 N used state-of-the-art technology such as a turbocharged GDi engine, electronically controlled differential limiter (e-LSD), and electronically controlled suspension as part of its standard equipment.

The following year in 2018, the second N-branded model, the Veloster N, was launched, this time targeting the Asia Pacific market. Like the i30 N, it shared the same distinctive N-brand technology. In October of that year, the i30 Fastback was also unveiled at the Paris Motor Show.[16] The i30 Fastback was a five-door coupe version of the i30, using the same engine, suspension, and brakes but with optimizations aimed at the body type, thereby securing the unique agile movement and dynamic driving performance that the N model pursues.

Driven by the resounding success obtained in the 2019 WRC season where Hyundai Motorsport won the manufacturer's title, a new division, the 'N Performance Parts', is launched. The aim is to market official tuning parts of the N brand that include exterior parts such as carbon spoiler and diffuser, interior parts such as steering wheel and parking lever applied with Alcantara material, brake system with monobloc 4-piston caliper and hybrid disc rotor, and 19-inch lightweight among others.

By April 2020, the dual-clutch transmission (DCT) is introduced on the Veloster N,[17] which until now had only a manual gearbox. Other improvements introduced that year were the NGS (N-Grin Shift) system that helps improve acceleration and the NPS (N-Power Shift) that synchronizes transmission shifts with the engine.[18]

Also, in 2020, the i20 N is revealed through the YouTube Hyundai N Worldwide official channel. The new model uses the Gamma II engine from previous generations of the N-Line to produce 204 horsepower. It was this same vehicle that was used to promote the N brand in that year's WRC.

In April 2021, the Hyundai N Day event was held online, mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[19] This event unveiled the brand's new slogan 'Never just drive' as well as the first high-performance SUV model, the KONA N. Additionally, the new Elantra N based on the 7th generation Avante was revealed. Other announcements included the improved NGS of the Veloster N DCT and the use of the Knuckle Integrated Drive Axle (IDA), a technology acquired through WRC that minimizes output loss during acceleration.

Hyundai N vehicles are rigorously tested in extreme track conditions to ensure they meet the brand's three pillars of Corner Rascal, Everyday Sports Car, and Race Track Capability. These models are aimed at performance enthusiasts looking for a street-legal vehicle they can take to the limit on and off the track. In addition to all the aerodynamic upgrades, these vehicles use N-exclusive badging, modified engines, custom gearboxes, variable suspension systems, and all the other upgrades you would expect from an N car. In short, these vehicles provide a level of performance equal or superior to those offered by BMW M or Mercedes-AMG.[22]

Hyundai created the N Line inspired by the success of the original N vehicles. These models include styling and performance upgrades that differentiate them from their standard counterparts. While the N Line vehicles feature better aerodynamics, better handling, premium tires, and more power, one important aspect to consider is that they use the same powertrain as the standard models. In other words, the N Line is the result of improving a stock model with aesthetic elements inspired by the Hyundai N brand and some minor engine improvements to slightly increase power. However, the N Line does not feature exclusive N technologies (such as the N Corner Carving Differential, for example) as these are reserved for the N brand. This line is aimed at enthusiasts who are more interested in driving Hyundai vehicles with a strong sporty accent and mild performance boosts.[23]

As the name suggests, these are prototype vehicles not commercially available to the general public, whose mission is to test revolutionary technologies that would later be incorporated into the N brand. One example is the RM20e,[24] an electric vehicle that develops 810 hp of power and 960 Nm of torque that allows it to reach 0-200 kph in just 9.88 seconds.[25]

Hyundai N offers optional sports trim packages to their mainstream models, known as the N Line. N Line vehicles consist of sport upgrades that are mostly cosmetic, such as different wheels and spoilers.

• Elantra/Avante/i30 Sedan N Line (2020–present)
• i10 N Line (2019–present)
• i20 N Line (2020–present)
• i30 N Line (2018–present)
• Kona N Line (2020–present)
• Lafesta N Line (2022–present)
• Sonata N Line (2020–present)
• Tucson N Line (2019–present)

• 
  2020 Avante N Line
• 
  2019 i10 N Line
• 
  2021 i20 N Line (BI3)
• 
  2020 i30 N Line
• 
  2022 Kona N Line
• 
  2021 Sonata N Line
• 
  2021 Tucson N Line

• RM20e (based on the Veloster JS-Electrification Version)
• RM19 (based on the Veloster JS)
• Veloster N Performance Car
• N Option ‘Show Car’ also known as N’s Brand Shaper
• RN30  (based on the i30-PD)
• Project RM vehicles
• Vision GT (Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo)

• Hyundai N concept cars
• 
  RN30 Concept
• 
  RN30 Concept
• 
  RM16 Concept
• 
  2025 Vision Gran Turismo Concept

• i20 Coupe WRC (2014–present)
• i30 N TCR (2017–present)
• Veloster N TCR (2019–present)
• Elantra N TCR (2021–present)
• i20 Rally2 (2021–present)

• RM14 (based on the Veloster FS)
• RM15 (based on the Veloster FS)
• RM16 (based on the Veloster FS)

• i-max N (based on the Grand Starex/i-max)
• MR23T (based on the Veloster JS)

• i30 Fastback N World Time Attack Challenge (WTAC) Race Car (2019)
• i20 R5 (2016 - 2021)