Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing has revealed its latest TCR touring car, the Elantra N TCR, bringing another saloon body shape to the global world of TCR designs.
The car has been designed from a blank sheet of paper, utilising the experience gained from Hyundai’s previous two TCR models, the i30 N TCR and the Veloster N TCR.
The car, which had been snapped in spy shots earlier in the year, has completed more than 5,000 km of testing at various race tracks around Europe.
Revealed alongside road-going models at last weekend’s Beijing Motor Show, the new car ensures the maximum relevance to respective markets around the world.
The car is a front-wheel drive, two-litre turbocharged racer with the same six-speed, paddle-shift gearbox as in Hyundai’s other TCR models.
“After three months of testing and development work I am very happy to finally be able to reveal the Elantra N TCR to the world,” said Hyundai Motorsport Team Principal Andrea Adamo.
“Staging the first public showing of the car in China shows our global plans for the cars to strengthen Hyundai Motorsport’s in race series around the world.
“By starting with a clean sheet of paper the Customer Racing department designers and engineers have been able to take advantage of the opportunity to further improve all-round performance of the car, as well as use all of the knowledge and experience gained from two years of racing with the i30 N TCR and Veloster N TCR.
“The Elantra N TCR will join them in our range of available TCR cars, and I am confident that it will share the same level of success.
“We have already made great progress in developing the chassis with a number of different drivers to create a strong overall package for our customers to allow them to continue the success of Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing in TCR competition.”
Gabriele Tarquini has been extensively involved in testing of the new car, and the 58-year-old being involved in the development of both a sprint and endurance model.
“As a driver the Elantra N TCR felt a very nice car to drive, even from the first tests,” said Tarquini. “I’ve already been able to complete a lot of laps in the car in testing, driving both the sprint and endurance versions, which are being developed together.
“Straight away the added experience that Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing had from the i30 N TCR and Veloster N TCR really showed – and we were able achieve good progress in developing the new car from the start.
“There are lots of small changes which customer teams and drivers will really appreciate, such as improvements in the steering system over the previous cars.
“Clearly the Elantra N TCR is much bigger, but the handling means that behind the wheel you cannot notice the difference.
“It is still quite early in the testing for the car, so there is still plenty of opportunity to further hone the chassis and create a strong package for customers to race.”
The first chassis is expected to be delivered to customers before the end of 2020.
