Hyundai Veloster N TCR race car blazes into Detroit
It'll do battle against racing variants of the Audi RS3, Honda Civic Type R and VW GTI.
The Hyundai Veloster N is an absolute blast to drive, but the version modified for series racing looks like it'll be even wilder.
Hyundai introduced its new Veloster N TCR race car at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show . It's meant to compete in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, which was renamed from the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge after the title sponsors swapped at the end of 2018. The Veloster N will race in the touring car (TCR) class, one of two classes in the series.
Under the hood is a Hyundai Motorsport 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 gas engine. It's good for 350 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, which is 75 hp and 72 lb-ft more powerful than the road-legal Veloster N. Power heads to the front wheels through a six-speed sequential transmission and a mechanical differential.
It'll look a little different when raced, since it'll be littered with sponsor stickers and other liveries.
The Veloster N TCN shares approximately 85 percent of its main components with the i30 N TCR touring car in Europe, including the engine. Both are manufactured in Germany, at Hyundai Motorsport's headquarters. Hyundai wanted to make sure its race cars closely matched what was on offer at the dealer, and the Veloster N TCR fills in the market gaps where the i30 isn't offered for sale, including the US.
The exterior is properly bonkers, with some massive fender flares over each wheel, aggressive aerodynamics on the bumpers and a honkin' wing out back, connected at the center of the liftgate. Inside, it's decked out with competition seats, six-point harnesses with HANS compatibility and a configurable driver's display. As expected, there's a steel roll cage in there, too, since it wouldn't be legal to race without one.
The Hyundai Veloster N TCR will make its racing debut in a four-hour race at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 25. Groups who want to race these cars will have to plunk down 135,000 euro (about $155,000) for the honor. Teams running this car in the US will receive assistance and support (and, perhaps most importantly, tires) from Bryan Herta Autosport.
Detroit Auto Show: Check out all the big reveals right here.
Hyundai Veloster N: The road car is pretty darn good.