We had already mentioned here at Razão Automóvel, that the arrival of a super-sports Hyundai was, without a doubt, a hypothesis on the table for the brand that, in recent times, has revealed several surprises, starting with the N performance versions.
One of the culprits is Albert Bierman, the former head of BMW's M division, now responsible precisely for the new “N Performance” division, and who has not ceased to amaze us.
After a recent assertion by Yang Woong Chul, Hyundai's Vice President of Research and Development, that they were preparing a high-performance car, the spotlight is on what Hyundai will have up its sleeve, knowing that we've recently seen it arrive two versions of this special division of the brand, the Hyundai i30 N and the Hyundai Veloster N, knowing that Albert Bierman had already promised a third model from this new division.
Theta III Engine
Now, information about the third generation of its Theta engine family, rekindles speculation about Hyundai's rear mid-engine (super)sports. This new generation of four-cylinder gasoline engines will, by all appearances, have a capacity of around 2.5 liters, and will find a place, for now, in the Genesis G80, the executive saloon of the young premium brand of the Korean group.However, the Theta III was conceived to be compatible with several architectures — front-wheel drive (transverse engine), rear (longitudinal engine) and all-wheel drive — and will have naturally aspirated and supercharged versions. The latter are estimated to deliver between 280 hp and 300 hp, depending on the architecture.
But it doesn't stop there. According to what was published by the Korean Motorgraph, a 2.3 liter, 350 hp version of the Theta III is also under development, the application of which would be specific to a two-seat sports model with a rear mid-engine.
Sports or Super Sports?
If previously, the word supersport was mentioned by Hyundai officials — some sources even indicated tests with machines like the Porsche 911 Turbo or the Lamborghini Huracán — 350 hp seems little for machines of this caliber. That's why those responsible declared that it would be a hybrid proposal, to get competitive numbers, and to be worthy of using the super prefix.
But the confusion remains — Hyundai has in recent years been developing rear mid-engine prototypes, which began as an adaptation of the Veloster. The RM (Racing Midship) prototypes are now in their third generation, and the latest RM16 has already been observed several times in tests on the Nürburgring circuit and has even been shown in some motor shows as a concept.
It's hardly the supercar you're talking about — think of this RM16 as a Korean Clio V6. Is there a more radical surprise behind the scenes at Hyundai and the N Performance division? We look forward to…
