What’s done to the Drift King’s Ioniq 5 N?

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is gearing up for an Australian launch in the first quarter of 2024 but ahead of release, it's cutting laps at the 2023 World Time Attack Challenge in Sydney at the hands of Keiichi Tsuchiya – the Drift King.

Based on a pre-production mule, the car being driven by Keiichi isn’t entirely standard. It’s pretty obvious that it’s running different wheels and tyres, as well as more aerodynamic features, but what else is different?

The rubber is 10mm wider than standard, measuring a whopping 285mm. To promote rear axle swing, it’s running mixed compounds with a super sticky Nankang AR-1 semi-slicks up front, and a sturdier but less grippy NS-2R boots on the back.

Behind the rear five-spoke forged alloys you might notice an extra red brake caliper accompanying the standard two-piston stopper. This is attached to a stylish, CNC-machined lever in the perfect place for the DK to yank and initiate a slide.

Other interior mods include a quartet of fixed-back bucket seats with harnesses strung to a weld-in roll cage painted Performance blue – this facilitates the necessary passenger rides.

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To keep the crowd pleased, Hyundai’s ‘N Active Sound’ system has been fettled with – there’s an extra amplifier hiding under the carpet that drives a pair of 10-inch speakers pointed directly at the floor. This elevates the faux sound, with even louder pops and bangs on the ‘overrun’ and throatier bark under acceleration.

Finally, the drift-prepped Ioniq 5 N is running a set of bespoke, adjustable coilovers. It sits a little closer to the curb (which doesn’t matter on smooth racetracks) and the top mounts allowed ‘N-gineers’ to increase negative camber and castor for enhanced front-end grip and promotes better steering self-centering while sliding.

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Despite losing parts of the interior, the steel roll cage largely offsets any weight savings. Therefore, the Ioniq 5 N still weighs around 2200kg in drift trim.

Apart from that, the Ioniq 5 N is identical to the roadgoing cars we’ll get to pilot soon. It uses the same two motors with a peak power output of 478kW for a 0-100km/h sprint of 3.4 seconds, N Grin shift simulated eight-speed transmission, 0.6G of deceleration from the electric regen, and – naturally – drift mode.

The Ioniq 5 N is being wheeled out tomorrow, check the schedule at the linked article below to find out when you'll be able to see it in action.

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All the changes to the pre-production drift mule are reserved for this vehicle only, but what do you think: Should Hyundai produce an ultra-hardcore Ioniq 5 N down the track? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.