Don't be fooled by the similarities to Veloster N ETCR. Unveiled in Los Angeles, the Hyundai RM19 Racing Midship Sports Car (this is its full name) it is nothing more than a prototype intended to anticipate its future sporting “mid-engine”, that is, with an engine in a central position at the rear.
Equipping the RM19 we find the same engine used by the i30 and Veloster that run on the TCR (a 2.0 l turbo with direct injection). However, as the RM19 does not need to meet the strict TCR standards, the South Korean brand was able to offer a little more power in the prototype that took to Los Angeles.
So, instead of the usual 350 hp of power, the 2.0 l that appears in the Hyundai RM19 debits about 390 hp which are transmitted to the rear wheels through a sequential six-speed gearbox. These numbers allow you to reach a top speed in excess of 250 km/h and reach 100 km/h in less than 4s.
Electrification is also a hypothesis
Although the RM19 presents itself in Los Angeles with an internal combustion engine, Hyundai does not rule out the possibility of electrifying its hypothetical mid-engine sports car, this theory being reinforced when we remember that the Korean brand entered into a partnership with the Rimac.
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By the way, regarding this partnership, Hyundai affirms that it is destined to develop prototypes of models with high electrical performance and the fuel cell.
Member of a long lineage
Described by Hyundai as “a development platform for N Performance's future products, including a potential halo-car”, the Hyundai RM19 is the latest member of an already long lineage of prototypes destined to experiment with the “mid-engine” configuration.
Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President and Product Division Director, Hyundai Motor GroupThe RM19 signals N Performance's future aspirations.
Hyundai's sports “mid-engine” project has been under development since 2012, the year in which the South Korean brand began testing mechanical solutions for this configuration.
So far, this research and experimentation has given rise to three more prototypes in addition to the Hyundai RM19. These are: the RM14 (2014), the RM15 (2015) and the RM16 (2016).
Production arrival has been confirmed, but not officially
Although, officially, Hyundai does not confirm (or deny) the arrival of a "mid-engine" sports car, in statements to Car and Driver, a representative of the brand said: "Albert Biermann does not do these things just for the fun of it", leaving it in the air that sports will become a reality.
However, the same representative of the South Korean brand pointed out that there are still a few years until the sporty “mid-engine” from Hyundai arrives at the stands.