Hyundai Motor Company has unveiled its RM19 Racing Midship Sports Car. RM refers to the N prototype model’s ‘Racing Midship’ body configuration, providing high-level handling and balance, as well as low-polar-moment-of-inertia agility.
In 2012, Hyundai embarked on the Racing Midship project to develop and connect new high-performance motorsports technologies with future N models. Since the initiation of project RM, RM models have undergone extensive road testing to validate newly developed technologies, observe their effects on performance, and improve them for subsequent application on future N models.
“The RM platform is a versatile engineering testbed, allowing effective evaluation of various powertrains and performance levels, all on normal roads and environments,” said Albert Biermann, head of global research and development for Hyundai Motor Company.
“Throughout the evolution of the RM series, our 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,” he added.
Featuring a 390hp 2-liter turbocharged and direct-injected engine, the RM19 is expected to yield a sub-four second 0-100km/h time. RM19 shares the 2-liter motor with TCR race cars from Hyundai N development.
However, unlike TCR racecars which are affected by Balance of Performance adjustments, RM19 offers extra boost of its output. RM19 offers race car-like levels of performance, balance, braking and grip while retaining daily road-going capability.
In addition to the gasoline version, state-of-the-art electrified powertrains could provide clean propulsion for the RM19.
“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,” said Thomas Schemera, executive vice president and head of Hyundai Motor Group’s product division.
