Hyundai RM16 N (spy shot)
The RM16 N-inspired
prototype pictured here doesn’t have a chance to make it into the World Rally
Championship, chiefly because only subcompact cars are allowed to participate.
Also, three things: the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 rubber, red-painted Brembo
brake calipers, and production car-like wheels.
Hyundai appears to be working
on a production car for the road. As you can see from the spy photos, the front
fascia design and huge side air intakes behind the doors are tell-tale signs
that this is a mid-engined brawler. Then there’s the rear end’s ludicrously large
bumper, complemented by venturi tunnels and two exhaust exits. The generous
haunches also indicate that this is a midship.
Another thing to
take into consideration is the long-due promise of sportiness from Hyundai’s N
division. Whereas today’s standard is all-wheel-drive hot hatchbacks such as
the Ford Focus RS, a mid-engined Hyundai Veloster would be a lot more exciting
than a generic hot hatch. Speaking of which, the all-new Hyundai i30 will also
get an N performance variant in 2017.
The real question is, will the Veloster-based
hooligan get rear- or all-wheel-drive? It’s hard to tell from the current set
of spy photos, but chances are it will be really fun to drive. If the concept
car is anything to take a cue from, then expect rear-wheel-drive and a
2.0-liter T-GDI with 300 PS and 383 Nm of torque.
Source : autoevolution
