Hyundai’s 1980s-inspired angular monster electric hot hatch, the 641-horsepower Ioniq 5 N, is getting its own one-make racing series. The new eN1 Cup racer is effectively Hyundai’s version of Porsche GT3 Cup, allowing privateer racers to hit the track in identical equipment to sort out the best drivers from the als0-rans. The series aims to be on track in just a handful of months, kicking off in Korea before hopefully spreading to other markets.
Theoretically, you could buy one of these racers for your own track day use if you were so inclined. I think that would be pretty dang cool. The standard road-going car is already capable of a 3.25-second 0-60 time, and reports seem to indicate that it’s a ton of fun to drive, even at the sorta pudgy street weight of 4,600-ish pounds.
The race car ditches a lot of the creature comforts that make a street car super heavy, however, and according to Hyundai will weigh around 550 pounds less than its street counterpart. Things like air conditioning and adjustable seats will be thrown out the window, and the glass windows will be replaced with Lexan polycarbonate. Surely some of the bodywork will be replaced with carbon, which helps it look cool. You can see in the rendering that the car features some pretty significant aerodynamic modifications for added downforce, likely all carbon as well.
The suspension of the race car will be properly adjustable with spherical bearings all around. The car will sit nearly three inches lower than the street-legal Ioniq 5 N. Six-piston racing calipers will clamp giant rotors up front, while the rear will use a four-piston monoblock. And all of that will sit atop a set of 18-inch wheels with chunky and grippy race slicks.
Traditional race car safety equipment will also come standard. You’ll expect to see containment racing bucket seats to hold the driver, paired with full harnesses. There’s a factory-installed six-point FIA-legal roll cage. The car even features a few things you wouldn’t think about, like additional battery protection.
Drivers in the racing series will be differentiated not only by the livery of each of their Ioniq 5 N eN1 Cup racers, but each driver will have a signature fake exhaust note. Drivers will also be tested on the field of battle when they are forced to “shift” through the N’s simulated N E-Shift gearbox, which apes an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
I remain skeptical of the simulated shifting and ‘exhaust’ notes, but I love racing and I can’t wait to see these screaming electric touring cars hit the track, and presumably each other.
