Thanks to a little trick called the N Grin Shift system, the 2022 Hyundai Elantra N front-wheel-drive compact performance hatchback can snatch a little more hp out of the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine. But will it be enough against the Golf R AWD hoot?
Sam, the host of the Sam CarLegion channel on YouTube, is quite happy with his latest feature (uploaded on July 5th) embedded below. And the reason is simple: after many trials and tribulations, he has finally got a 2022 Mk8 Volkswagen Golf R on his hands – thanks to a fan who drove the car to Canada from Maryland, USA.
Now, he plans to make the best out of the time with it, and the first skirmish is against the great front-wheel-drive 2022 Hyundai Elantra N with the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), which has brought forth some surprises during previous encounters. Now, with the N Grin Shift system, the Elantra N can up the pony count from 276 to 286 horsepower, but that is still not going to be enough to best the 315-horsepower 2022 Golf R with AWD and DCT.
So, even though Hyundai has a slight weight advantage, we kind of imagine beforehand how the trio of digs will roll – especially since we are dealing with the unprepped surface of an airstrip (the windy location is a decommissioned airport somewhere in Canada). The races kick off at the 3:59, 5:50, and 7-minute marks, and they are all of the same variety, even though for each attempt, there are different drivers at the wheel: that Golf R wipes the floor with the Elantra N, every single time.
Well, the rolls are a different course on the menu, on the other hand. For example, the low-speed (31 mph/50 kph) attempt (at 8:25) shows that Hyundai’s team found the proper gears for a perfect launch, and the Elantra N is inching ahead of the Golf R to claim its sole victory. That is right, the roles are again reversed for the last race, a roll from 62 mph/100 kph, where the Golf R again has the upper hand – although not as obvious as during the digs.
Now, he plans to make the best out of the time with it, and the first skirmish is against the great front-wheel-drive 2022 Hyundai Elantra N with the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), which has brought forth some surprises during previous encounters. Now, with the N Grin Shift system, the Elantra N can up the pony count from 276 to 286 horsepower, but that is still not going to be enough to best the 315-horsepower 2022 Golf R with AWD and DCT.
So, even though Hyundai has a slight weight advantage, we kind of imagine beforehand how the trio of digs will roll – especially since we are dealing with the unprepped surface of an airstrip (the windy location is a decommissioned airport somewhere in Canada). The races kick off at the 3:59, 5:50, and 7-minute marks, and they are all of the same variety, even though for each attempt, there are different drivers at the wheel: that Golf R wipes the floor with the Elantra N, every single time.
Well, the rolls are a different course on the menu, on the other hand. For example, the low-speed (31 mph/50 kph) attempt (at 8:25) shows that Hyundai’s team found the proper gears for a perfect launch, and the Elantra N is inching ahead of the Golf R to claim its sole victory. That is right, the roles are again reversed for the last race, a roll from 62 mph/100 kph, where the Golf R again has the upper hand – although not as obvious as during the digs.