Hyundai Elantra N could form basis for a race series in the U.S.
Hyundai might bring its five-year-old one-make racing series to the U.S. next year. In 2019, Hyundai inaugurated the N Festival in its home South Korean market, a series of six events that included single-model racing that’s since become the largest of its kind in the country. The initial classes for amateurs counted the Veloster N Cup and Avante N Line Cup, the Avante being our Elantra N Line. In 2022, Hyundai added the Avante N Cup that put 15 professional drivers among 15 amateurs. Korean Car Blog reported the automaker recently debuted its updated Avante N Cup car, the brand’s head of motorsport, Til Wartenberg, saying, “This year, athletes from various regions such as Europe, Korea, and the United States participated in the [Nurburgring 24-hour Race], and got good results. We plan to announce Hyundai Motor’s excellence in the One-Make Race, which is scheduled to be held in various regions such as China and the United States. We will continue to strive to provide an environment where more people can enjoy motor sports culture in various regions.”
Hyundai’s N division engineered the competition sedan on its own, making much sharper mods compared to the amateur-only Veloster N and Avante N Line cars. On the debut model, the production car’s 2.0-liter engine and eight-speed dual-clutch are mechanically unchanged, but remapped software delivers a 10% bump in horsepower and torque. A new KW Competition suspension with 16 pillow balls instead of rubber bushings improves power application and handling feedback. Adjustable shocks can be customized further with four choices of spring and a small window of camber change. The 19-inch racing rims wear 240-section Hankook tires and hide Alcon six-piston brakes front and back that clamp larger discs. Drivers can choose among five brake pad compounds specially developed for the various N Festival circuits and race types, either sprint or time trial. Extra intake ducts shove more air to the stoppers, vents on the FRP hood clear engine heat, and a CFRP swan-neck rear spoiler boosts downforce.
It’s a race car inside, everything stripped but a driver’s seat, six-point roll cage, racing wheel, digital dash, and spec telematics device. The gutting and polycarbonate in the glasshouse cut 408 pounds from the production Avante N’s curb weight.
The updated car for the 2024 season puts on wider fenders and new bumpers for better aerodynamics, and a set of wider tires promising higher cornering speeds.
We know the 2024 N Festival will travel to six stops in Korea next year; we don’t have information on U.S. stops yet. Hyundai’s already got Elantra Ns running a couple of series here: Five Elantra N TCR cars campaigned in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC) this year, and two Elantra N TC cars fought for the title in the TC America Series Powered by Skip Barber Racing School championship. Hyundai teams finished IMPC first and second, Jeff Ricca’s Ricca Autosport took the team title in TC America. Ricca also made a guest appearance at the final N Festival event this year, we’d expect he’ll make some kind of appearance in or around the one-make series when it launches in 2024.
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