Photo: CarPix
Getting ready to fight the best hot hatchbacks is thirsty work. So the i30 N stopped its rigorous Nurburgring testing to fill up with premium unleaded and rub shoulders with other prototypes. That thing to its right is the BMW 8 Series, while a Mercedes wagon appears to flank its left, probably the weird E63 with All Terrain suspension.
We are genuinely excited with the Hyundai i30 N, not because it will be the fastest hot hatch, but because it might be another great all-rounder. Frankly, the A45 has too much power and speed for the road. But the Korean car packs about 250 HP and a good balance for everyday use.
It's not restrained either. Like a Golf GTI, the i30 N has to loud exhaust pipes sticking out the back. Its design has also been aggressively changed over the standard hatchback, with a wide mesh for the grille that lets you see the radiator behind it, like some trampy fishnets.
We could continue to use dirty language in describing the way the 20-inch wheels sit over the red brake calipers. But it could end in censorship.
The standard i30 N will produce 250 HP, about the same as the Focus ST. However, there will be a performance pack version with 275 PS, which is what we're looking at in these spyshots.
The standard gearbox will be a six-speed manual. As a final thorn in Volkswagen's side, Hyundai plans to offer an eight-speed wet-clutch DCT gearbox at a later date. However, that could take until 2019 to happen.
“We are getting closer and closer to the final development stage of the i30 N,” Albert Biermann, head of Hyundai’s high-performance arm, recently said.
Production will start in December this year, so we're likely to see the first-ever Hyundai N model in Frankfurt this fall.
It's not restrained either. Like a Golf GTI, the i30 N has to loud exhaust pipes sticking out the back. Its design has also been aggressively changed over the standard hatchback, with a wide mesh for the grille that lets you see the radiator behind it, like some trampy fishnets.
We could continue to use dirty language in describing the way the 20-inch wheels sit over the red brake calipers. But it could end in censorship.
The standard i30 N will produce 250 HP, about the same as the Focus ST. However, there will be a performance pack version with 275 PS, which is what we're looking at in these spyshots.
The standard gearbox will be a six-speed manual. As a final thorn in Volkswagen's side, Hyundai plans to offer an eight-speed wet-clutch DCT gearbox at a later date. However, that could take until 2019 to happen.
“We are getting closer and closer to the final development stage of the i30 N,” Albert Biermann, head of Hyundai’s high-performance arm, recently said.
Production will start in December this year, so we're likely to see the first-ever Hyundai N model in Frankfurt this fall.
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