Hyundai hasn?t launched its long-awaited performance derivative of the i30N yet, although it?s been teasing us about it for months. But that hasn?t stopped the company from showing off an even higher-performance derivative, the RN30, at the Paris auto show.
We?ve already told you about the ambition of the N performance division?s boss, former BMW M executive Albert Biermann, to launch an all-wheel-driven version of the i30N. Behind the pretense of it being a wind-testing show concept, the RN30 seems to be pretty much that car. Propulsion comes from an amped-up version of the newly developed 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that will power all of the smaller N models, with Hyundai claiming a peak output of 375 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque. The engine has a bigger turbo to make more boost, and that apparently requires the use of some forged internal components.
We?ve only got the official release to go on at this point, which is artfully vague about many of the details?we?ll try to find out more once we corner a Hyundai exec.
The RN30 has a dual-clutch automatic transmission and what we?re told is an electronically controlled limited-slip differential?Biermann previously hinted that this would incorporate torque vectoring, so we presume it?s on the rear axle. There?s also a switchable sport exhaust and claimed weight savings through the use of “high-performance plastic materials” developed with BASF and a comprehensive stripping out of non-essential...