Hyundai Motorsport has unveiled the newest addition to its range of TCR-specification race cars: the Elantra N TCR.
Joining the i30 N TCR and Veloster N TCR, the Elantra N TCR will be offered to customer teams around the world. Why does Hyundai need three different TCR race cars, you ask? Well, it’s all about offering racers that are representative of the automaker’s road car lineup in various countries.
In Hyundai’s own words, “the addition will ensure maximum relevance to customers around the world, with the new car intended for teams in those markets where the standard Elantra model is sold.”
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The latest car to be designed and built by Hyundai’s Customer Racing Department was revealed for the first time at the Beijing Auto Show. The world premiere followed a busy first three months of testing, during which the car has already completed 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) of running on European race tracks.
Designers and engineers were given the task of taking full advantage of the Elantra road car’s sporty chassis and sedan body shape to optimize the design while also applying the lessons learned racing the i30 N TCR and Veloster N TCR.
In the styling department, the Elantra N TCR adopts an aerodynamically-optimized body kit featuring a sizeable front splitter and fixed rear wing, as well as wide fenders to accommodate the wider tracks and wheels. While Hyundai does not say it specifically, this body kit might preview the looks of the upcoming Elantra N road car, at least to some extent.
In line with the category’s regulations, the Elantra N TCR is front-wheel drive and is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine “derived from a brand new base engine taken from Hyundai’s family of road-going models.” The car shares the same six-speed, paddle-shift operated gearbox as the i30 N TCR and Veloster N TCR.
Hyundai will continue testing the car in the coming months, with the first car set to be delivered to customer teams before the end of 2020.