Hyundai RM19 sports car concept may make its way to production

MANILA: Hyundai continues to develop its mid-engine Veloster, developing a new concept—the Hyundai RM19 Racing Midship Sports Car prototype, which the brand unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The good news is, the RM19 could be on its way to production. 

Hyundai’s N performance division started developing prototypes for these mid-engine performance vehicles way back in 2012. It has successfully launched the RM14, RM15, and RM16 concepts before the unveiling of the RM19.

Albert Biermann, Hyundai's head of global research and development said that it was through the evolution of the RM series that their “engineers have gained tremendous hands-on knowledge of high-performance vehicle dynamics with various front-to-rear weight distributions coupled with the effects of a fully-weighted, high-strength body structure on vehicle performance."

Thomas Schemera, executive vice president and head of Hyundai Motor Group's Product Division said that the RM19 sports car “signals future brand aspirations for Hyundai's high-performance N brand, solidly moving N into the prestigious arena of supercar-level performance.

Hyundai N will not only increase heartbeats per minute via powerful internal combustion engines but also through the instantaneous torque and environmental sustainability of electrified powertrains moving forward."

Judging from the exterior, the RM 19 is race-ready with a gigantic splitter and large vent in the hood. At the back, there are extra vents that replaced traditional windows for directing air to the mid-mounted engine. A broad wing and massive diffuser underneath round-up that undeniable sportscar look.

There isn’t much glamour or changes inside as it looks like it maintained the same design as that of the Veloster. Minor modifications, specifically the thick-bolstered sport seats and the racing steering wheel are the only visible difference. Also, there are no rear seats. Rather, a bulkhead separates the cabin from the engine.

The Hyundai RM19 super car’s mid-mounted engine is a 2.0- Litre turbocharged four-cylinder out of a TCR-class race car that produces a staggering 390 hp of maximum power. The engine is partnered to a motorsport-spec, six-speed sequential gearbox that can send the car from zero to 96 km in less than four seconds and reach a top speed of 250 kmph. Hyundai also hints of assembling a fully electrified version in the future.

Biermann’s hinted at such a possibility during the unveiling of the RM19, “We are developing high-performance battery-electric and fuel cell electric prototypes in partnership with Rimac as part of our effort to introduce 44 eco-friendly models worldwide by 2025. Our strategy prepares Hyundai N to meet the electrification and mobility challenges that all manufacturers will face in the years to come. For Hyundai, these challenges create significant opportunities to demonstrate our leadership.”

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