Things you didn't know about the Hyundai i30N

1. N stands for Namyang

The Hyundai i30 N takes its name from their R&D division located in Namyang, Korea. The letter is also a subtle reference to a chicane, a shape it bears an inherit resemblance too.

2. Racing Pedigree

Hyundai’s have a long standing history competing in the World Rally Championship since 2013, and the racing DNA of the i30N becomes evident not only in its development at the Nurburgring, but for the two pre-production models that actually competed in the 24 Hours Nurburgring. That’s right, before the public could even get their hands on it the chassis was tested in a LeMans style race and what’s more, one of the cars placed fifth in its class, a monumental result for a car not even in mass production.

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3. Racetrack Insurance

Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty will extend to track use, albeit for non-competitive events, and will also cover owners who wish to fit track spec, semi-slick tyres.

4. Aftermarket support from Hyundai

Hyundai Germany will debut its “N Customised” division, set to offer a range of aftermarket parts for the enthusiast market in Australia. An i30N decked out in a range of ‘N Customised” products went on show at the car’s launch with additions like; OZ Racing Wheels, PAGID brake pads, Recaro bucket seats and a three-way adjustable rear sway bar.

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5. Designed by Albert Berman

The former head of BMW’s M division knows a thing or two about designing high-performance sports cars.

6. Gearing up

You may already know that the i30N features a 6-speed manual gearbox, in itself a godsend for motoring enthusiasts, but there’s also an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic due for release in 2019.

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7. Veloster N Spinoff

Revealed at the Detroit Auto Show, Hyundai will launch an ‘N’ variant of its Veloster sports coupe in late 2019 that will host similar styling and running gear to its i30 counterpart; 204kW/353Nm 4-cylinder engine, six speed manual transmission and Performance Blue colour scheme.

8. RN30

Long before the i30N was anything but speculation, Hyundai revealed the RN30, a lower, wider, track variant of the i30N that hints at the N-division’s possible entry into motorsport. It claimed the car would host a 2-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with 280kW and 451Nm, but that was three years ago and only one was made.

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9. Rev-matching

Yes, the i30N will blip the throttle on downshifts, allowing drivers to easily slot into the right gear and drop the clutch in mere seconds. It’s also a smart inclusion as due to the pedal placement, heel-toe can be a little difficult.

10. Built-in strut brace

If you needed any indication where Hyundai’s priories lie in the ‘N’, this is a good indication. Sacrificing practicality for better torsional rigidity in the rear sounds exactly like something a motorsports designer would do. The built in rear strut bar extends across the rearmost shock towers and stops the chassis from flexing during hard cornering.