It’s not quite ready yet, but Hyundai is hard at work bringing its forthcoming hot hatch to market. So in the meantime, it’s providing us with a glimpse inside the development process with this latest video.
Based on the Korean automaker’s latest C-segment hatchback, the upcoming i30 N will be the first in a series of planned performance models being spearheaded by Albert Biermann, whom Hyundai poached from BMW M GmbH to spearhead its new performance division.
The letter N, in case you’re wondering, refers to Namyang and the Nürburgring, the respective locations of Hyundai’s Korean and European R&D facilities.
Following cold-weather testing in Sweden at the hands of Hyundai’s rally ace Thierry Neuville, the i30 N prototype is now undergoing real-world testing on some of the most challenging public roadways in the UK.
The finished product is set to be launched sometime later this year (Frankfurt would be a good guess). But before it’s launched, Hyundai will field a pair of prototypes in the Nürburgring 24-hour race at the end of this month, complete with the same 2.0-liter turbo four and six-speed manual transmission that it’s set to bring to market.