Photo: Hyundai
Hyundai is definitely one of those companies who makes concept cars that are much cooler than anything they put into production. That's in contrast with the Germans, who usually show 90% ready ideas.
With former BMW M engineering boss Allan Biermann recently joining the Koreans, it's all too easy to imagine things like the 2010 i-flow (pictured above) could become reality. But the company is grounding itself in reality and changing corporate strategy, we thing for the better.
Speaking to Autocar magazine, Hyundai Motor UK President Tony Whitehorn has downplayed the possibility of a new sportscar. Of course, this is a statement coming from a European executive, but it shows the general direction this company is traveling. According to Whitehorn, "Putting a new sports car into that segment isn’t easy. It’s a big risk."
Many companies have tried and failed to re-launch the sportscar. And some have dropped the idea altogether, like Volkswagen did with that mid-engined car they were supposed to build with Audi and Porsche.
It seems Hyundai wants a bigger slice of the hot hatch market instead, as he suggested they could offer high-performance variants of the i20 and i40. They would take advantage of a "link between the WRC and your mass-market vehicles." Of course, that's only if they can take some victories away from the Polo R WRC that's winning almost every race.
Turbocharged high-performance versions of the i20 and i40 are definitely to our liking, especially since they play in the same park as tried and tested versicles (think Fiesta ST and Skoda Octavia vRS, not Audi S1 and Subaru WRX STI). But competition is really fierce right now, what with Peugeot trying to revive the GTi moniker and all the hype surrounding hot cars from Volkswagen, Renault and Ford.
Good thing they've got that BMW man on the job!
Speaking to Autocar magazine, Hyundai Motor UK President Tony Whitehorn has downplayed the possibility of a new sportscar. Of course, this is a statement coming from a European executive, but it shows the general direction this company is traveling. According to Whitehorn, "Putting a new sports car into that segment isn’t easy. It’s a big risk."
Many companies have tried and failed to re-launch the sportscar. And some have dropped the idea altogether, like Volkswagen did with that mid-engined car they were supposed to build with Audi and Porsche.
It seems Hyundai wants a bigger slice of the hot hatch market instead, as he suggested they could offer high-performance variants of the i20 and i40. They would take advantage of a "link between the WRC and your mass-market vehicles." Of course, that's only if they can take some victories away from the Polo R WRC that's winning almost every race.
Turbocharged high-performance versions of the i20 and i40 are definitely to our liking, especially since they play in the same park as tried and tested versicles (think Fiesta ST and Skoda Octavia vRS, not Audi S1 and Subaru WRX STI). But competition is really fierce right now, what with Peugeot trying to revive the GTi moniker and all the hype surrounding hot cars from Volkswagen, Renault and Ford.
Good thing they've got that BMW man on the job!
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