The Ioniq 5 N is already one of the coolest electric cars out in the market today, but that apparently still wasn’t enough for Hyundai. For the next step-up, the Korean carmaker has now unveiled a full-blown race car for the electric crossover, dubbed the Ioniq 5 N eN1 Cup Car – but because there’s basically no other (currently active) EV race car, it’ll only be able to race against itself.
Still, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N eN1 Cup is a proper race car through and through, complete with slick tyres, adjustable suspensions, stripped out interior, FIA-spec roll cage, bucket seats with six-point harness, redesigned body work, and the whole shebang.
It gets the same power electronics system as the production Ioniq 5 N, which means a dual motor all-wheel-drive setup with 650 hp and 740 Nm on tap. The production car’s fancy electronics has also made its way here, too, including the N e-Shift virtual gearbox, “N Grin Boost” system, and even the N Active Sound+ system with fake pops and bangs which each team can customise for their own cars… for the spectators, they say.
But because of its lighter weight (weighing some 230 kg lesser than the production car), and the reworked aerodynamics through its carbon fibre-reinforced plastic bodywork, the eN1 Cup car should be even more of a menace around the racetrack.
Hyundai doesn’t disclose the race car’s performance figures, nor its driving range, but does say that it’ll get the same larger 84 kWh battery pack that can be recharged at up to 350 kW on DC power, courtesy of its 800V architecture. 18-minute pit stops, anyone?
Of course, because race car, the Ioniq 5 N eN1 cup car has been modified with various safety equipment, including the aforementioned roll cages and bucket seats, as well as fire extinguishers exclusively for electric fires, asphyxiation fire extinguishers, as well as a modified charge port location somewhere inside the vehicle under the rear hatch, all to ensure “the highest level of safety in EV racing”.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N eN1 Cup car will be unveiled at the upcoming Hyundai N Festival. Later this year, it’ll spawn a new eN1 class in the series as a one-make race, where customer teams can participate under “open regulations”, i.e. no manufacturer restriction for their tyres.
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