The time may have finally arrived for Hyundai to take its next step as a brand and build a true hero sports car.
The South Korean giant has spent the last few years building its performance reputation with its line-up of N models as well as expanding into electric cars with its Ioniq range. Those two will combine in 2023 with the launch of the Ioniq 5 N and it could open the door for Hyundai to launch its long-awaited sports car.
The Hyundai N Vision 74 reset people’s expectations for the brand, with the retro-styled hydrogen-electric hybrid wowing everyone when it was unveiled earlier in 2022. Now the man who helped create the N Performance brand (as well as the Kia Stinger) believes the time may be right for Hyundai to step into the sports car contest.
Albert Biermann, formerly head of R&D for Hyundai Motor Group and now executive technical advisor, was in Australia for the recent Hyundai N Festival in South Australia and spoke to the media about the brand’s performance future.
Hyundai made little secret of its ambition to build a ‘mid-engine super sports car’ for many years, and Mr Biermann has confirmed there were plans for one with the choice of both a petrol and electric powertrain. However, mid-way through 2021 Hyundai’s head of marketing, Thomas Schemera, indicated the brand wasn’t convinced it could make the leap to selling an expensive sports car.
Mr Biermann believes that is no longer the case, with the introduction of the Ioniq 5 electric SUV proving customers are willing to spend large sums on Hyundai models and the N Performance line-up selling strongly, the image of the Hyundai brand has evolved to the point where a sports car is a realistic opportunity.
“Yeah, I think the brand is transforming to a higher level,” Mr Biermann said. “I think we have a reality in the markets out there, we’re selling €60,000 EVs now, which I think many of our sales people could not even imagine three years ago – and we cannot get enough of those cars. So I think we’re getting closer to such a point. With N we’ve built a reputation that people will trust such a car if it comes from Hyundai N, they will think this is a nice car to have.”
In the past Hyundai hinted that its sports car would be a mid-engine supercar rival relying on a powertrain from Croatian specialists, Rimac. However, the reception for the N Vision 74 coupe may have reshaped Hyundai’s vision for the car.
When asked what a Hyundai sports car could look like, Mr Biermann indicated that the N Vision 74 could be the most likely path.
“I’m not sure, but when I joined Hyundai this was a supercar concept and very modular – which could be combustion or hybrid or pure EV – but that was not the right timing,” he explained. “At this point there is no plan to do something like this. You saw the N Vision 74, everyone [went] crazy for the design, of course now there’s a lot of talk of such a car in a limited [volume].”
Asked if that meant a possible production take on the N Vision 74 using the new e-GMP platform for the upcoming Ioniq 5 N and Ioniq 6 N to create a potential electric rival to the Toyota Supra and BMW M2, Mr Biermann left the door open.
“I’m not so involved in those future things but of course there is talk of such projects, in very limited numbers and so on,” he said. “Will it come alive? The future will tell.”
Keyword: Hyundai N Vision 74 concept may spawn new hero model to take on Toyota Supra and BMW M2