During the 2016 Paris Motor Show, Hyundai will present the world with the third-generation i30, the first model slated to receive the go-faster treatment from the N brand. But before Hyundai finishes development on the i30 N hot hatch, the N Concept RN30 will have to suffice.
Compared to the RM15 and the RM16 concepts, the RN30 isn’t based on the Veloster. It is, in fact, based on the all-new i30, platform and design cues included. Slated to debut on September 29, 2016, the Hyundai RN30 has something racy about it, and I’m not pointing to the humongous rear wing.
The massive wheel arches, low-profile tires, aggressive front splitter, and futuristic front lighting make for a racy car, one with a lot of World Rally Championship vibes to it. It’s certainly different from the race-ready i20 WRC, but then again, the RN30 is but a concept car, not a full-on racer.
“Developed to deliver passion and pleasure on the track for everybody,” RN30 was born into this world as a collective effort of a three entities: Hyundai Motorsport, Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center, and the Performance Development & High Performance Vehicle Division. Hyundai has yet to offer us a glimpse of what’s hiding underneath, though we can have a guess.
After all, the Hyundai N Concept RN30 is just an appetizer of what’s to come from the i30 N. Unfortunately no, the exterior styling of the road-going model will be more conservative than what the RN30 has to offer. Nevertheless, the i30 N will be different enough from the regular i30 in terms of visuals thanks to bigger air intakes, bigger brakes, a subtle rear wing, and two exhaust tips.
The business end of the Hyundai i30 N is, of course, a 2.0-liter turbo-four with as much as 265 PS (261 HP) at 6,000 rpm and about 375 Nm (277 lb-ft) of torque at 4,000 rpm. These figures can be observed in the following teaser video for the i30 N and, to be honest, they’re good enough to keep the Volkswagen Golf GTI and other hot hatchback regulars on their toes.
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. Full profile
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