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Hyundai Nexo, Sonata Hybrid Run Amok in the Desert, Chasing Records

The 2019 SEMA show is just around the corner, and most carmakers that will attend have already finished polishing their products for the Las Vegas rendez-vous. For Hyundai, products mean special, souped-up versions of the Nexo and Sonata that not long ago were doing rounds in the desert.
Hyundai tries to set records on the Bonneville Salt Flats 12 photos
Photo: Hyundai
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And not because they were lost on their way to SEMA, but because they were trying to set new land speed records.

To have something really cool to show in Vegas, Hyundai decided this year to try and set new land records on the Bonneville Salt Flats using the two said models. The runs were conducted in September, and the speeds reach are yet to receive official FIA homologation.

That moment must be close, though, as the carmaker decided this week to let us know how the runs went down.

For the fuel-cell Nexo, very few modifications were made, and nearly all were targeted at the body and safety elements. Wearing a new body wrap and high-speed under bumper valance, the car managed to reach 106.160 mph (170.847 kph), which should be a record for the category if the FIA gives the big thumbs up.

The same can be said about the Sonata. Having shown up in the desert in the hybrid configuration, but with a tad more modifications, including for the powertrain (all changes available in the press release section below), the car managed to speed along at 164.669 mph (265.009 kph).

Both cars were driven during their runs by Dean Schlingmann, a driver who also happens to be senior powertrain engineer at Hyundai America Technical Center.

I was thrilled with the privilege of piloting these two Hyundai land speed record attempts,” the man said in a statement.

The engineering teams from our U.S. technical center, Hyundai Motor America and Korea pooled talents and resources to create these eco-focused vehicles for our exciting achievements at the Bonneville Salt Flats.”

There is no word on whether there were records to beat on the Bonneville Salt Flats for each type of vehicle, or if these two top speeds will become the benchmark.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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