Hyundai has a history of putting its combustion engines through some pretty taxing scenarios. Its first high-performance, N-branded engine, for example, was first shown to the public at the 2016 Nürburgring 24 Hours, where it powered a prototype racing car before showing up in the production i30 N the following year and the Veloster N in 2019. In fact, the automaker's performance lineup takes its name partially from the famed German racetrack, as well as the company's research center and proving ground in Namyang, South Korea.
Hyundai will return to the Green Hell in May for the 2026 running of the Nürburgring 24 hours endurance race, and this time, it will once again hide its latest performance engine in plain sight. Two Elantra N1 RP prototypes will compete with a pre-production version of the powertrain, a move that will help the company guarantee durability before the engine launches in the next-generation Elantra N.
Read Article