Watch Hyundai Perfect Race Car Tech For Its Road Cars

Hyundai took a selection of its most enthusiastic engineers and gathered them at Namyang R&D Center in 2012. The company went rallying first, learning the ropes of motorsport. They tested race cars, applied the tech to road cars, rinsed and repeated. Hence, it built the RM rolling labs. It started with the RM14, then the RM15 and RM16.

It was the Veloster's body and chassis that was ripe for accepting a mid-engine placement. Engineers then used the project to test new on-road technologies like the electronic limited-slip differential that now sees work in the i30. It also includes the eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission that's present on all N cars.

The evolution expanded to RM17, 18 and 19, and nowRM20e, which as you can guess, is a battery-powered rolling race car lab. RM20e and RM19 were developed together. They're based on the American TCR race cars and were jointly produced due to the optimized R&D process, planning to transfer RM19 tech to the RM20e. Those latter engineers focusing on the 20e's powertrain.

It took teams from Namyang, Hyundai's Tech Center at the Nurburgring and Hyundai Motorsports to bring this vehicle together. Hyundai says it represents a new chapter of N performance with 793 horsepower and 708 lb-ft of torque. Its high voltage system can be charged up to 80% in 30 minutes, Hyundai says. The Korean brand even teases us with an electric N Drift Mode and a hydrogen-powered version, asthe fuel holds a special placein the company's heart. We can't wait.