Hyundai has come a long way in the last five years, so much so that the new Elantra N is widely viewed as one of the best bang-for-your-buck performance cars on the market.
Equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Elantra N is good for 286 hp and 289 lb-ft (392 Nm) of torque and while these aren’t earth-shattering numbers for a performance car, this video proves that the Hyundai can punch well above its weight.
Rather than bringing along a rival like the VW Golf GTI or Subaru WRX to test out the Elantra N, Sam CarLegion on YouTube decided to pit it against a Dodge Charger 5.7 Daytona, a legitimate muscle car with some enviable pedigree.
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Looking solely at the spec sheet, one would think that the Charger would absolutely dominate the Elantra N. After all, its 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V8 has 375 hp and 395 lb-ft (536 Nm) of torque. It also has the advantage of being rear-wheel drive while the Hyundai is front-wheel drive. One thing that the Dodge doesn’t have going in its favor is weight. In fact, it weighs roughly 1,000 lbs (454 kg) more than the Hyundai.
In the first race from a standing start, the Dodge gets the better launch while the Hyundai struggles to put its power to the ground. In the second race, the driver of the Elantra N does a better job at controlling the wheelspin and wheel hop. The two end up crossing the finishing line neck-and-neck.
The Elantra N then really comes into its own in a rolling race from 32 mph (50 km/h), pulling out a sizeable lead over the Dodge and taking a comfortable win.