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Hyundai Inadvertently Reveals i30 N Project C Without Camouflage

The i30 N is one of the greatest achievement of the N performance division so far. But what happens when you give the i30 N to the engineers for a once-over with an emphasis on lightness and handling? Project C happens…
Hyundai Inadvertently Reveals i30 N Project C Without Camouflage 22 photos
Photo: screenshot from YouTube
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Confirmed on August 20th with minimal details and a few photographs of a camouflaged prototype, the i30 N Project C is out of the bag thanks to an unlisted video uploaded to YouTube by Hyundai of Europe. The thing is – and we’re not surprised – the media dep has since taken the clip down.

The reason for this change of heart is that Hyundai intends to reveal the i30 N Project C in full at the IAA 2019, carbon-fiber hood and everything. More carbon fiber can be seen on the side mirror caps, rocker panels, and lip spoiler up front while the gear knob for the six-speed manual transmission boasts short-throw operation and a specific design with a chrome finish.

Moving on to the interior of the hot hatchback, here is where you’re greeted by red stitching, red go-faster buttons, a sport mode that makes the driving experience that much sportier, and Sabelt body-hugging seats with red accent stripes, lots of Alcantara, and a few leather patches on the sides. As far as we can tell, there’s no Project C branding regardless of where you search for.

Only 600 units will ever be made by Hyundai of Europe, all of them equipped with 19-inch lightweight wheels with N center caps to bring the point home. There’s no telling how much Project C will cost, but look forward to a higher price than the i30 N with the Performance package optioned (€33,100).

It wouldn’t come as a surprise if Project C pushes €40,000 given that carbon fiber is an expensive material, more so if you remember that Hyundai has also re-tuned the chassis as well. The C in Project C takes its name from Area C, a track at the Hyundai Namyang development center in South Korea.

As far as suck-squeeze-bang-blow is concerned, don’t expect anything more than the i30 N Performance. In other words, look forward to a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with 275 PS and 353 Nm of torque (271 horsepower and 260 pound-feet).

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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