Hyundai Motor Company is unveiling a product that encapsulates the next-generation electrification vision of its high-performance brand, N. Today (the 25th), Hyundai released a ‘Hyundai N Day’ video on social media and officially announced the high-performance rolling lab ‘RN24’. A rolling lab is a ‘moving laboratory’ used to test high-performance and advanced technologies from motorsports in real-world driving conditions.
The RN24 is the next-generation rolling lab following the EV ‘RN22e’ and the hydrogen-electric hybrid ‘N Vision 74’ introduced two years ago. It claims to encapsulate the high-performance capabilities of the Ioniq 5 N into a ‘smaller and more agile’ body.
Specifically, it implements the Ioniq 5 N’s maximum output of a 650-horsepower PE (Power Electric) system into a smaller vehicle class. To achieve this, an ‘exoskeleton’ design based on the special protective structure of WRC vehicles has been applied, removing steel plates from the upper parts of the vehicle like doors and the bonnet.
The curb weight of the RN24 is 1,880 kg, which is more than 300 kg lighter than the Ioniq 5 N (2,200 kg). The wheelbase is 2,660 mm, over 300 mm shorter than the Ioniq 5 N (3,000 mm).
With a lighter body and shorter wheelbase, the RN24 allows for even more nimble and agile movement than the Ioniq 5 N. According to European classification, the RN24 falls in the B-segment (small cars) alongside vehicles like the Kona N and i20N, while the Ioniq 5 N is in the C-segment (compact cars).
The RN24 is also equipped with various advanced technologies developed by Hyundai Motor Group’s Namyang R&D Center. Notable among these is the ‘rally mode electronic four-wheel control technology,’ which is designed to maximize Hyundai N’s ‘corner rascal’ (curve driving ability) characteristics.
This technology precisely controls the front and rear motors and the rotation of each wheel to reflect the driver’s intentions when navigating corners. The car, equipped with sensors, can learn values such as turning angle, vehicle tilt, ground contact for each wheel, and the car’s momentum during braking, to distribute the power to all four wheels in real-time.
The E-handbrake installed in RN24 was also developed and tested by the Namyang Research Center. The E-handbrake uses regenerative braking to lock the rear wheels, reinterpreting technology necessary for WRC racing using electronics.
The handbrakes used in racing cars are typically hydraulic systems and sensitive to temperature. However, the E-handbrake developed by the Namyang Research Center maintains consistent braking force at any temperature since it is based on electronic technology. It also reduces vehicle weight since it does not use a hydraulic brake system.
In addition, the ‘N Active Sound Plus’ is equipped with two additional external speakers compared to the Ioniq 5 N, for a total of four speakers.
Hyundai plans to showcase the RN24 for the first time at the ‘Hyundai N x Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival’ held in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, on the 27th and conduct a demonstration run.