How a race car is built for the road.
Hyundai may not be the first name you think of when it comes to mid-engined performance cars, but the South Korean manufacturer has made some remarkable achievements in this area. Hyundai’s RM series of midengine concepts is a testament to Hyundai’s ability to create performance cars. Hyundai also has a video that explains the story behind these prototypes.
It is important to remember that these concepts are not just for entertainment. The RM prototypes were used to test some of the technologies Hyundai now uses in its production performance N vehicles. For example, the electronic limited-slip differential was first tested on the RM16 before being applied to the i30 N. The eight-speed dual clutch automatic was tested first on the RM19, before it made its way into many Hyundai N cars.
Performance cars, like all other aspects of the automobile industry, must be viable. Hyundai’s latest RM project is the RM20e. It is an all-electric vehicle with an electric motor that can produce 810 horsepower (596 kilowatts), and 708 pound-feet (996 Newton-meters), of torque. This electric racer was created using the same principles as the RM19, as shown in the video at the top. Both were based on the Veloster N TCR racing car.
The only difference between the concepts and the race car is that they are road-legal. Hyundai made the RM19 a Racing Midship by moving the engine and adding passenger seats, a partial frame, and a modified suspension. The best thing about the process is that Hyundai Motorsport provided technologies and know-how throughout the development.