Hyundai Ioniq 5 N eN1 Is a Very Complicated Way of Saying Badass Electric Race Car

The usual suspects snatched the awards this year as well, but we're interested in one in particular: the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. It's the car that was designated the 2024 World Performance Car in New York, snatching the title for the South Koreans for the third consecutive year.

But the car is special for more reasons than that. First, it is the first Hyundai electric car to wear the mighty N badge. As such, it comes with some very impressive hardware setup and performance numbers.

The car is built on Hyundai's Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and uses a dual-motor setup that develops a combined 641 horsepower, unevenly distributed front and rear – the motor at the back pushes with the power of 378 hp.

The motors are fed their juice by an 84 kWh battery whose range sits at around 278 miles (448 km, but that'll probably be lower under EPA rules) and benefits from regenerative braking.

Although street-legal, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has been made by the South Korean company with a clear goal in mind: be properly enjoyed at the track in an "intense” manner.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is again in the news this weekend because it has now spawned a track-only version. It's called Ioniq 5 N eN1 Cup, and it has been specifically developed to take part in a dedicated racing class that debuts this year.

The class is called eN1, and it will debut this year as a means to advance the development of electric racing cars. That means it will take an open regulations approach, allowing, for instance, the use of various tires supplied by whatever producers racing teams see fit.

The eN1 Cup, as it's officially called, will debut at the end of April at Inje Speedium in South Korea, during the Hyundai N Festival. But the carmaker is already hard at work testing the car, and it officially pulled the wraps off of it this weekend, at the official practice round.

The Ioniq 5 N eN1 Cup is described as a "unique electric racing car" that should usher in "a new era in sustainable racing." Mechanically speaking (and by that I mean in terms of powertrain and performance) it is identical to the road-going Ioniq 5 N, but a series of special enhancements make it special.

On a visual level the main differences compared to the car it is based on come in the form of low and wide-style over-fenders, and front lips and rear wings for better downforce. Slick tires wrap around forged wheels.

A regular Ioniq 5 N tips the scales at a little over 5,000 pounds (2,275 kg), but the car has been slimmed down. By removing unnecessary components (we're not told exactly what those were) and installing a FRP hood and polycarbonate windows, the car's weight was brought down to 4,343 pounds (1,970 kg).

While Hyundai did take out some of the base car's components, it kind of added others in their place as well. And many of them are targeted at ensuring the safety of the drivers, this being a race car and all.

The eN1 Cup racer is equipped with roll cages, and racing seats packing seat belts. To prevent the effects of potential fires, extinguishers of various kinds (including ones exclusively meant for electrical fires) are provided. On top of it all, the charge port location has been changed compared to the base car.

Because this is an EV we're talking about, the experience of watching it race could be a bit diminished due to the lack of a proper racing sound. Well, not really, as Hyundai's got that covered too.

The race car is equipped with something called N Grin Boost overboost, virtual shift, and differentiated and amplified active sound. Combined, these should ensure the proper soundtrack during races – and we should have quite a symphony, as each team will have the ability to make the car scream in their own unique tunes.

Back to the eN1 Cup, after its debut on April 27, the series will be followed by a total of ten races. There is no fixed racing format, as the Cup will alternate between one-on-one knockouts and traditional sprints.

All of this is done in a bid to give engineers a better understanding of electric cars and the methods for racing them properly. Additionally, the series will also test charging infrastructure, fire, and emergency response.

The series is only open to racing professionals, meaning Joes with financial means and some skill will not be able to enjoy the Ioniq 5 N eN1 Cup. Not yet, at least, and do remember there is the regular 5 N alternative to be had, with pretty much the same capabilities, and with a price sticker reading a little over $67,000.