Hyundai's mid-engined Veloster continues its years of development with the debut of the new RM19 Racing Midship Sports Car Prototype at the Los Angeles Auto Show. This time the company is hinting at a possible production version that would be the halo vehicle for the company's N performance division.

Gallery: Hyundai RM19

The RM19 packs a mid-mounted 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder out of a TCR-class race car and produces 390 horsepower (291 kilowatts). A motorsport-spec, six-speed sequential gearbox sends power to the rear wheels. Hyundai estimates that the sprint to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) takes less than four seconds, and the top speed is in excess of 155 mph (250 kph). The automaker also notes the possibility of building a fully electric version in the future.

The RM19 looks race-ready with a big front splitter and large vent in the hood. Huge fender extensions give the car an aggressive stance. The rear is where things are really interesting because of the extra vents in place of the windows for directing air to the mid-mounted engine. A huge wing attaches to the rear deck, and there's a gargantuan diffuser beneath it.

 

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The interior mostly comes straight out of the Veloster. The tweaks include thick-bolstered sport seats and a racing steering wheel. Rather than rear seats, a bulkhead separates the cabin from the mid-mounted engine.

Hyundai started developing these mid-engine performance vehicle prototypes in 2012 and showed off the work with the RM14, RM15, and RM16 concepts. "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," Albert Biermann, Hyundai's head of global research and development said in the announcement of the RM19 debut.

Beyond vague hints at a production version, Hyundai isn't offering much info about the RM19's future. The existing Veloster N is already Road & Track's 2019 Performance Car of the Year, so an even hotter Veloster could be great.

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Hyundai N Brand Reveals All-New RM19 Racing Midship Sports Car Prototype

RM19 Racing Midship Sports Car signals future high-performance potential for Hyundai N brand
RM19 serves as a development platform for future N brand products, including a potential brand-halo car
Touring Car Racing-based 2.0-liter engine with approximately 390 horsepower
Potential for electrified variants in the future

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20, 2019 – Hyundai Motor Company today introduced the RM19 Racing Midship Sports Car to global media at 2019 AutoMobility LA. RM refers to the N prototype model’s “Racing Midship” body configuration, a key differentiator providing supercar-level handling balance and low-polar-moment-of-inertia agility for outstanding connection to the tarmac at all speeds and driving conditions.

In 2012, Hyundai embarked on a project called RM (Racing Midship) to develop and connect new high-performance motorsports technologies with future N models. Since the initiation of project RM and via evolution of the RM series (RM14, RM15 and RM16), RM models underwent 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.”

Featuring the most powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged, direct-injected engine of its kind, with an output of 390 horsepower, RM19 is expected to yield impressive zero-60 mph performance under four seconds. RM19 shares the 2.0-liter turbo engine with TCR racecars from Hyundai N development. However, unlike TCR racecars which are affected by BOP (Balance of Performance) adjustments, RM19 offers extra boost of its output without these BOP restrictions. RM19 offers racecar-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, yet thrilling propulsion for the RM19. As Hyundai boasts an industry-leading variety of electrified propulsion, including production HEV, PHEV, BEV and FCEV powertrains, various types of electrified powertrains are available for testing a high-performance electric sports car. With the recent investment and strategic partnership with Rimac Automobili, Hyundai works closely together with Rimac to develop high-performance Electric and FCEV prototypes. Hyundai Motor Group has a strategic plan to deploy 44 eco-friendly models by 2025, taking the Hyundai N brand well into the environmentally-focused third decade of the twenty-first century.

“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. “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.”

The ‘N’ of Hyundai N stands for Namyang, home to Hyundai Motor’s global R&D Center in Korea since 1995, where the N concept was born, and for the Nürburgring, home to Hyundai Motor’s European Test Center. The close connection between Namyang and the Nürburgring created the foundation for N, building upon the company’s motorsport experience to bring thrilling road dynamics for those customers who truly love driving. The ‘N’ logo itself embodies this idea, as it symbolizes a classic road course chicane.

Hyundai N’s high-performance technologies are honed at the iconic Nürburgring Nordschleife. Each car taking part in Hyundai Motor’s accelerated durability tests will lap the track 420 to 480 times in both wet and dry conditions, simulating over 100,000 miles of severe driving in just four short weeks. The Nürburgring, with 73 corners and 13 miles of tarmac, is widely considered to be one of the most challenging tracks in the world, with a heritage that is second to none. It is also a motorsports complex and home to Hyundai Motor’s own 3,600 square meter testing center, which is operated by the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center.

Concept Name - RM19 (Hyundai N brand prototype) 

Concept - Mid-ship Rear-drive high-performance vehicle with gasoline-powered, turbocharged internal combustion engine 

Body Configuration - Two-seat, Two-door Coupe Aluminum extrusion front subframe Steel tube and plate rear subframe 

Powertrain Layout - Mid-engine, Rear Drive 

Aerodynamics - Large wing spoiler and rear air ducting for powertrain 

Engine - Enhanced Touring Car Racing (TCR) engine 2.0L Turbo with > 390 horsepower (TBD)

Gearbox - 6 Speed Sequential Gearbox (Identical TCR gearbox w/optimized gear ratios) 

Top Speed - > 250 KPH (> 155 MPH) * speed limited for public road driving

Suspension Type - (Front) MacPherson / (Rear) Double-Wishbone (Adjustable hard points and geometry) 

Dampers - Conventional gas-pressure dampers 

Brake - 6-piston (front) / 4-piston (rear) 

Parking Brake - Mechanical type, in rear 

ABS System - Motorsport ABS M5 (Bosch) * Not valid for public roads 

Steering Assist - Rack-mounted Motor-Driven Power Steering 

Steering Wheel Design - Veloster N TCR Design (with Paddle Shifters) 

Overall Dimensions (mm) - 4319 (Length) x 1945 (Width) x 1354 (Height) / 2672 (Wheelbase) 

Overhang (mm) - 899 (front) / 748 (rear)

Minimum Ground Clearance - 100 mm

Tires - (Front) 245/30R20, (Rear) 305/30R20 

Wheels - 20” X 8.5J (front) / 20” X 11.0J (rear) One-piece Lightweight Forged Aluminum Alloy Wheels Larger, flared wheel housing design 

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