Hyundai Motorsport unveils new i20 N Rally2 rally car
Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing has unveiled the new i20 N Rally2 rally car for private teams and drivers.
The new model is the successor to the Hyundai i20 R5. With the introduction of Hyundai Motorsport in late 2015, it created the Customer Racing division. The i20 N Rally2 is built on the experience gained by Customer Racing over the past five years.
Hyundai i20 N Rally2
The car rests on a solid foundation, the chassis of the new i20 N, which for the first time brings the sporty performance of the N sub-brand to the i20 hatchback. The i20 N Rally2 rally car features a dynamic road car look designed with Hyundai's new Sensuous Sportiness design philosophy inspired by, among other things, the world of motorsports. The i20 N Rally2's five-speed sequential gearbox has been carried over from the i20 R5, while virtually everything else, including the 1.6-liter turbo, is brand new. This is the result of the work of a team of dedicated designers and engineers, which began in January 2020, who used their five years of experience gained in the i20 R5 project. Over these few years, the team has grown from a few to as many as 60 people.
The result of the work of engineers was several upgrades to the i20 R5 over the past seasons, which improved the handling and performance of the car. The i20 N Rally2 takes advantage of these upgrades, and the use of an all-new chassis takes another big step forward in almost every aspect of the car's design.
New suspension components and shock absorbers provide more comfortable handling on all surfaces. This is crucial in the Rally2 category, which is the backbone of many national and regional championships as well as the WRC 2 and WRC 3 international classes.
The new car is set to continue the success of the i20 R5, which has won numerous titles since its debut in late 2016, including the Spanish and Portuguese championships. The Hyundai i20 R5 was also the fastest on the 2020 Polish Rally Championship circuits and the Hyundai Poland Racing crew won the championship. The i20 R5 teams will continue to enjoy the same high level of support, seamless introduction of the new car.
An extensive i20 N Rally2 test program will begin later this month, with first customer deliveries and final homologation scheduled for summer 2021.
“The Hyundai i20 R5 was the first car from Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing. The new i20 N Rally2 shows how far we've come in the five years since the division was founded. Thanks to the work of our dedicated team of designers and engineers, the new model has been improved in every way compared to the original. We are now focused on testing the car to further improve its performance and reliability, and to make sure that the i20 N Rally2 will allow each of our customers to achieve the best possible competition results.” said Andrea Adamo, Team Director of Hyundai Motorsport.
Photos: Hyundai
