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The Drive
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
Fiery Crash in Hyundai's Elantra N Spec Race Points To Bad Brakes. It's the Drivers
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The Hyundai N Festival is a one-make, spec racing series in which several Hyundai N models compete for bragging rights. The 2025 season started in May at Yongin Everland Speedway in South Korea and will hold five more rounds before coming to an end in November. However, the season debut was marred by a heavy crash involving four cars and what appears to be minor injuries to the drivers. The series is divided into three classes, which more or less groups competitors by car model, performance, and modifications. The crash we're discussing here happened in the lowest, entry-level N2 class. That category features the spicy Hyundai Elantra N that we've all grown to love, though with some light modifications. Emphasis on light. The clip below is an archived live stream from the race, so it's seven freaking hours long. I've time-stamped the link to start right before the crash, but if that doesn't work, fast-forward to 4:40:35. Everything is going well until seven laps into the race. The enthusiastic camera drone pilot is closely following the battle for fourth place when the feed abruptly cuts to the No. 17 Hyundai, which appears to have run wide at a corner and crashed head-on into a tire barrier. Suddenly, however, the 17 is rammed by a black Elantra wearing the No. 42. Almost immediately, the blue-and-pink No. 76 joins the party and t-bones the 42. The 76 catches on fire for a few seconds, but the flames appear to fizzle out quickly, though it's unclear if they're fully extinguished because the camera pans right and we lose track of those two cars. By the time we get a second look at the car that first crashed, the 17, it looks like another one's gone off next to it, the No. 10. That car appears to have gone off at an angle, wedging itself between the 17 and the tire barrier. While the video doesn't show the initial crash, the subsequent collisions between the 42 and 76 are fairly heavy. It looks like they were coming into or out of a corner when they encountered those stationary vehicles. Even the commentators react with shock. I've watched this video many times, and I'm still not positive what actually triggered this multi-car crash. If you pay attention to the 17 car before it gets rammed by 42, you can tell that it already has some serious rear-end damage. So, this leads me to believe that another, unknown car triggered this crash, and not the 17. Why is that car not shown? I don't know. I'd guess that the 17 was rear-ended heavily by another competitor, and that's what sent it into the tire barrier before it got sent to hell by a couple more cars. This is where it gets tricky. To me—and the naked eye—this is another run-of-the-mill racing crash. It's a spec series with very lightly modified cars, and rookie drivers racing wheel-to-wheel on a high-speed track. Stuff like this is going to happen, and we should just be glad that no one was seriously hurt. However, if you peek at the YouTube comments—as well as this in-depth thread on Reddit—many people are pointing the finger at the N2's brakes. Specifically, the lack of upgraded brakes. Some commenters go as far as saying that insufficient braking power has been an issue at previous races, and they speculate this crash could be another instance. The official N Festival website describes the N2 category like this: 'This class boasts the highest number of participants in races, segregated into Masters and Challenges based on qualifying performance. The Avante [what the Elantra is called in Korea] N2 Cup car is equipped with safety-oriented tuning parts, offers a regular road driving experience.' Scroll down a little more, and you'll see the N2 Cup Car's specs, which lists 'N Performance 4P Front/1P Rear braking system' under the Brake category, and 'Floating type Front N performance hybrid disc / Rear 314mm disc' under Brake Disc. In the U.S., the Elantra N comes straight from the factory with ventilated rotors measuring 13.6 inches in the front and 12.4 inches in the rear, and single-piston calipers in the front and rear. That appears to be the same case in Korea, though four-piston calipers are reportedly available as an option. I emailed Hyundai to find out if these specs are the same in the Korean market Avante for current model-year cars, and if, in fact, those are the same in the N2 cup cars. A Hyundai U.S. spokesperson reached out to their counterparts in Korea, who replied to my inquiry and clarified that the American and Korean Elantra N come equipped with the same brakes, including the single-piston calipers. However, they also explained that all cars racing in the N2 class feature upgraded, race-prepped brakes. 'The Elantra N sold in the U.S. and the Elantra N sold in Korea use the same braking set, featuring single piston calipers,' a Hyundai Korea spokesperson told The Drive . 'The N2 class race car is equipped with a different motorsport-specific braking setup that features four-piston calipers, floating-type brake disc, racing brake pads, and an additional cooling system.' Hyundai's explanation clears up various claims made on the internet that N2 cars do not feature upgraded brakes. Of course, this does not absolve the automaker or brake manufacturer from any possible mechanical malfunctions or manufacturing defects, but that seems highly unlikely. After all, these are not custom applications where limited testing has been performed on the parts. Several videos are cited as examples of brake failure, such as this one, but in my opinion, as someone with above-average track and racing experience, it's nearly impossible to judge catastrophic brake failure without looking at data coming off the brakes. This video reportedly shows that, but from where I'm standing, it appears the driver was coming into the corner extremely hot. In fact, despite the driver claiming zero bars of brake pressure via the telemetry, you can hear the tires chirping from the ABS trying to mitigate the situation. Furthermore, you can see the speedo reading 168 km/h before losing control of the car, and 92 km/h before impact. I don't know about you, but slowing down from 104 mph to 57 without brakes sounds extremely unlikely. And if you look at the original video of the No. 17 crash, there aren't any skid marks on the track leading to the tire wall. This leads me to believe that my theory about the driver being rear-ended by an unknown car is likely true. Are the brakes to blame here? In this specific crash, I don't believe so. Upgraded hardware is crucial for safety, but there isn't a smoking gun here pointing directly at them. If anything, I'd ask Hyundai and the event organizers to consider running shorter races (five to seven laps instead of 12) and perhaps shorter tracks with lower top speeds. This would put less stress on the drivers and their cars. Racing wheel to wheel for upwards of 30 minutes is no easy feat . And once you factor in that these are mostly rookie drivers, it's easy to understand that unusual crashes like these, where one car ended up upside down for no apparent reason, are going to happen rather frequently. Got a tip? Email us at tips@
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
What if Hyundai revived the Tiburon to challenge Honda's new Prelude?
Maybe you're old enough to remember a time when Hyundai made compact coupes that offered cheap thrills in a practical and efficient package. Before the rear-wheel drive glory of the Genesis Coupe, Hyundai sold a front-wheel drive, two-door coupe, produced from 1996 until 2008, known either as the Tiburon, the Turbulence, the Tuscani, or simply the Coupe, depending on where in the world you lived. Its technical predecessor was the Scoupe, which was significantly less intriguing both aesthetically and mechanically, and its technical successor was the Veloster, which had two doors on the passenger side but just one on the driver's side. Thus, if Hyundai were to return a plucky, front-wheel drive sports coupe to its lineup, the Tiburon has the right pedigree and cult status to offer up its well-regarded nomenclature. Using generative text-to-image artificial intelligence, we take an imagined look at what a revived, true-to-its-roots Hyundai Tiburon could look like, incorporating current Hyundai N design cues and imagining what currently existing powertrains it could optimize. These images are for speculation purposes only and in no way depict any actual Hyundai Hyundai Tiburon was a front-wheel drive, compact sport coupe sold by Hyundai from 1996 until 2008. Throughout its twelve-year run, which spanned two separate generations, the Tiburon was mostly available with several different four-cylinder offerings. Perhaps the most exciting offering came from the second generation, which came with a 172-horsepower, 2.7L V6 mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or an optional 4-speed automatic. Despite its front-wheel-drive architecture, the Tiburon was no stranger to motorsports. It was used for many different types of racing, such as rally and drag racing, but its cultural significance can be traced more to its presence in popular video game franchises, such as Need for Speed, Gran Turismo, and Forza Motorsport. The Tiburon was also no stranger to rivals, as nearly every other non-luxury auto manufacturer seemed to be making affordable, compact, front-wheel-drive sports coupes at the time. These competitors included the Acura Integra and RSX, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Mazda MX-3 and MX-6, Toyota Celica, Honda Prelude and Civic Coupe, Ford Probe, Chevrolet Cobalt SS, Volkswagen Corrado, and more. Unfortunately, almost every one of these vehicles either no longer exists or has become something entirely different, such as a five-door hatchback or crossover SUV. As demonstrated above in Hyundai N's signature Performance Blue paint color, with the appropriate red accents, a revived Hyundai Tiburon could take advantage of the N Performance Division's hard-earned reputation for outstanding and exciting performance to add some much-needed thrills to the compact coupe. Packing the turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine found in the contemporary Hyundai Elantra N, the Tiburon N could benefit from 276 horsepower and 289 lb-ft of torque. Paired with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic, the Tiburon N could send its power to the front wheels, also like the Elantra N, but with less overall weight and sportier the Tiburon would stay true to its roots by offering a relatively spacious–at least for its size–four-seater cabin layout, with carbon fiber-look trim accents, two-tone red and black upholstery, and other red stitching accents strewn about. Out back, the Tiburon's cargo space could benefit from a fastback-like tailgate, allowing for cargo to pass through into the cabin even without folding down the rear seats. Do fold down those seats, however, and there should be enough space to fit some suitcases, golf clubs, or perhaps even a small bicycle. Cars these days seem like they're more expensive than ever, and the lack of selection compared to years long gone by doesn't make things any easier for driving enthusiasts–especially those who don't want to daily drive their cheap, sporty coupes. If you want a sporty coupe in North America, the least expensive options are the $30,000 Toyota GR86, the $31,210 Subaru BRZ, or the $29,330 Mazda MX-5. If a revived Tiburon, sold as a Tiburon N, could be sold at an MSRP just south of the Elantra N's $34,250, it could make for an attractive alternative for those who would gladly sacrifice rear-wheel drive dynamics for significantly more power. Would you take the proposed Tiburon N over a less-powerful but rear-wheel drive Toyota GR86, Subaru BRZ, or Mazda MX-5? Do you find a manual, turbocharged Tiburon N more intriguing than the upcoming hybrid Honda Prelude? Let us know what you think in the comments–we love to hear from you! Love reading Autoblog? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get exclusive articles, insider insights, and the latest updates delivered right to your inbox. Click here to sign up now!
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hyundai IONIQ 5 N TA Spec Sets Fastest EV Record at 'Attack Tsukuba 2025'
Hyundai N sets fastest electric vehicle (EV) record at 'Attack Tsukuba 2025' with IONIQ 5 N TA (Time Attack) Spec, in a time of 57.446 seconds Renowned Japanese professional driver, Nobuteru Taniguchi, drove the IONIQ 5 N TA Spec to victory, beating the previous EV record at the circuit The record-breaking performance strengthens Hyundai Motor's position in Japan's growing EV market Hyundai Mobility Japan also showcases the recently revealed IONIQ 5 N DK Edition SHIMOTSUMA, Japan and SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor Company's IONIQ 5 N has set a new standard in electric vehicle (EV) performance, achieving the fastest lap time by an EV at the 'Attack Tsukuba 2025' motorsport event in Japan, February 15. Held at the legendary Tsukuba Circuit in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, the track is known for its compact and challenging layout, providing the perfect stage for participants to showcase the capabilities of their vehicles. Hyundai N entered the event with the IONIQ 5 N TA (Time Attack) Spec, driven by renowned Japanese professional driver, Nobuteru Taniguchi. "I'm honored to have had the opportunity to drive the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N TA Spec at Attack Tsukuba 2025, which enabled me to significantly break my previous EV record", said Taniguchi. "The IONIQ 5 N TA Spec stops well and handles excellently. Despite the power, the control is outstanding, with great cornering and smooth, stable corner-exit. I could push the car to the limit with real confidence." The IONIQ 5 N TA Spec, a motorsport variant of the award-winning IONIQ 5 N, is no stranger to winning. It took victory at the 2024 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) in the modified production electric SUV category, setting a new record in the process. The vehicle is designed to showcase the strengths of the production-spec IONIQ 5 N without significant modifications. The IONIQ 5 N TA Spec retains the standard car's high-performance power electronics (PE) system. Through software tuning, the TA Spec's maximum output has been boosted to 687 PS, with the rear motor's power increased by 37 PS compared with the standard IONIQ 5 N. Additional upgrades include N Active Sound+ with modified speakers (over 120 dB), new shock absorbers, motorsport-grade brakes, 18-inch Yokohama ADVAN 005 slick tires, a high-downforce aerodynamic package, a Recaro Pro Racer SPA Hans seat, a Sabelt six-point Hans safety harness, a PPIHC-specification roll cage, and an EV fire suppression system. With a lap time of 57.446 seconds, the IONIQ 5 N TA Spec is the fastest EV ever to lap the Tsukuba Circuit. This result was almost two seconds faster than the nearest EV competitor, despite the IONIQ 5 N TA Spec using mostly production components in critical systems such as its motors, battery and control electronics. This achievement signifies Hyundai's advanced EV technologies and strengthens Hyundai Mobility Japan's position in the country's small but growing EV market. Hyundai Mobility Japan recently launched the INSTER sub-compact electric SUV in the Japanese market, further expanding its EV portfolio. "Today's record is a clear demonstration of Hyundai's commitment to advancing EV technologies and delivering exceptional performance," said Joon Park, Head of N Management Group. "The IONIQ 5 N TA Spec's new record, using primarily production components, is not only a significant milestone that validates our technological prowess, but also demonstrates Hyundai N's commitment to bringing high performance EVs deeper into global car culture through events such as Attack Tsukuba." View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Hyundai Motor Company Sign in to access your portfolio
