If at first you don’t succeed, then try again. It took Hyundai almost nine years, but the South Korean automaker announced its return to the World Rally Championship (WRC) at the Paris Motor Show.
Hyundai’s previews attempt with the Accent WRC did not yield the results that the team expected, so it withdrew in 2003. However, it had a long-term goal of setting up an in-house racing team in Europe and competing in the world’s top rally championship.
This resulted in the WRC i20 that made its premiere today in Paris and will battle the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Citroen DS3, VW Polo and Mini Countryman in special stages around the world.
“The World Rally Championship is recognized as one of the most dramatic sporting series on Earth”, said Hyundai Motor Europe marketing director Mark Hall. “It’s a spectacle filled with excitement and dynamism − the perfect embodiment of the Hyundai brand.”
Although the company didn’t divulge any details of the i20 WRC, FIA regulations stipulate that entrants must be based on a production car and feature 1.6-liter turbocharged engines, all-wheel drive transmissions, sequential gearboxes and aerodynamic parts.
By Andrew Tsaousis
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