Hyundai Elantra N TCR and i20 N To Make Nürburgring Debut
The Hyundai Elantra N TCR and i20 N joins the i30 N TCR for a Nürburgring endurance race.
Hyundai has made major strides in the motorsport world and this week they’ll be taking the next step. They are entering three cars – the Elantra N TCR, i30 N TCR and i20 N into the 49th ADAC TOTAL Nürburgring 24 Hours. The team is looking to top last year’s second-in-class finish with the Veloster N TCR.
What’s significant for Hyundai is that this is the first Nürburgring endurance race for both the Elantra N TCR and i20 N. The race will be livestreamed from 9.30pm (Malaysia time) on the 5th of June at hyundai-n.com.
Here’s the press release with more.
PRESS RELEASE
Hyundai Motor Company will race Elantra N TCR, i30 N TCR and i20 N at the 49th ADAC TOTAL ‘Nürburgring 24 Hours’ in Nürburg, Germany. This is both Elantra N TCR and i20 N’s debut at the Nürburgring endurance race.
Like last year, Hyundai Motor will livestream the entire race, providing two angles, including an onboard camera. The livestream will be available at hyundai-n.com, starting at 3:30 p.m. CEST (10:30 p.m. KST) on June 5 and running until 3:30 p.m. CEST (10:30 p.m. KST) on June 6.
This is N brand’s sixth straight appearance in the ‘Nürburgring 24 Hours’. The relationship between N brand and Nürburgring runs deep. The N brand takes its name from Nürburgring, where Hyundai Motor operates a technical center, as well as Hyundai Motor’s Namyang R&D Center in Korea. Nürburgring provides a challenging proving ground for all of N brand’s high-performance vehicles.
Drivers Marc Basseng, Manuel Lauck and Moritz Oestreich will pilot the Elantra N TCR on its maiden voyage in the 24 Hours. They are looking to top their second-in-class finish with the Veloster N TCR in last year’s race.
Luca Engstler, Jean-Karl Vernay and Hendrik Still will drive the i30 N TCR. WTCR driver, Engstler was part of the i30 N TCR team at the 2020 event. Vernay also races in FIA WTCR and PURE ETCR, and this will be his first time driving in the ‘Nürburgring 24 Hours’ but he has run in WTCR sprint races at the track with different manufacturers for the last three seasons.
Meanwhile, Marc Ehret, Kai Jordan, Markus Lungstrass and Guido Naumann will take turns behind the wheel of the i20 N (SP2T class).
Buckle Up for More N Brand Fun
In the lead up to the race, Hyundai released ‘Buckle Up for N’, a video promoting its participation in ‘Nürburgring 24 Hours’ and other upcoming motorsport events, including the FIA WTCR in Germany and WRC in Sardinia, which will both take place the 2021 season on the same weekend. The video depicts people in everyday situations — seated at a boardroom table, on a porch in a rocking chair, at a table in a fancy restaurant and in a lavatory stall — strapping on a six-point racing harness. It underscores the universal message of ‘Driving Enthusiasm’ that is at the heart of the N brand.
With the ‘Buckle Up for N’ promotional video and like-minded social media marketing, Hyundai Motor aims to build N brand recognition with driving enthusiasts, ― particularly the so-called MZ generation ― who are strategically significant for the motorsport industry and have an indisputable impact in shaping culture and trends.
“With each race, we are building N brand’s exciting high-performance image and Hyundai’s reputation as motorsport champion,” said Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor Company.
Vice President and Head of N brand management & Motorsport sub-division at Hyundai Motor Company, Till Wartenberg added, “While N-thusiasts will not be able to join us on the track again this year, we will make sure they don’t miss any of the fun by delivering excitement to their screens with streaming of the Nürburgring 24 Hours race online.”
Racetrack capability is one of the main strong points for N brand vehicles, making it possible for customers to experience driving thrills at both the track and on the open road. Hyundai’s technical center at Nürburgring is where many of N’s technical developments and continuous optimizations are carried out. Participation in the ‘Nürburgring 24 Hours’ race provides an ideal platform for demonstrating the company’s competitiveness and N brand’s technical excellence.
Since its 2013 debut, N brand has built a fervent following with its winning combination of everyday sports cars and its rapid rise in rallying and customer racing. Together with Hyundai Motorsport division, N brand has logged victories and podium finishes at multiple races, including FIA World Rally Championship, FIA World Touring Car Cup, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and Nürburgring 24 Hours. Hyundai’s decision to participate in the inaugural all-electric PURE ETCR race this year will be a testament to the company’s readiness for electric racing as well as its commitment to take a bold lead in the industry’s electrification efforts.
Hyundai Motor recently launched the all-new KONA N, a hot SUV, and continues to actively expand its N and N Line lineup. The flow of new N and N Line models will include variants in each major vehicle segment, suiting the needs of all types of car enthusiasts.
About the Author
Subhash Nair Written work on dsf.my. @subhashtag on instagram. Autophiles Malaysia on Youtube.
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