The Hyundai Motor Company, at the 2019 AutoMobility LA trade show, revealed its new N division racing prototype called the RM19 Racing Midship Sports Car. Put simply, it’s a Hyundai N prototype (based on a Veloster) track weapon.
But for those not in the know, Racing Midship or RM was a project embarked on by Hyundai in 2012 to develop and connect performance motorsport technologies with future N models. The RM19 is preceded by the evolution made by the RM14, 15 and 16 prototypes. The knowledge garnered from the RM project is believed to eventually trickle its way down to road going applications.
“The RM platform is a versatile engineering testbed, allowing effective evaluation of various powertrains and performance levels, all on normal roads and environments,” said Albert Biermann, head of global research and development for Hyundai Motor Company. “Throughout the evolution of the RM series, our engineers have gained tremendous hands-on knowledge of high performance vehicle dynamics with various front-to-rear weight distributions coupled with the effects of a fully-weighted, high-strength body structure on vehicle performance.”
This all-new RM19 prototype features a mid-mounted turbocharged 2.0-litre direct-injected engine that produces around 291kW. The powerplant, which is mated to a 6-speed sequential box, helps the RM19 sprint to 100km/h from standstill in under 4 seconds, Hyundai claims.
The RM19’s wide-body isn’t just there to make it look aggressive and race-ready but serves to accommodate the wider track along with tyres measuring 245/30 R20 up front and 305/30 R20 out back. Furthermore, it also has a large rear wing along with a huge diffuser beneath it. In front, there’s a track-ready looking splitter and bonnet vent, all done in the name of aerodynamics.
The RM19 doesn’t really shout about its interior, particularly because it doesn’t really have much of an interior to shout about save for the bolstered racing bucket seats, the Veloster N TCR Design steering wheel and bulkhead that separates the cabin from the mid-mounted engine.
Hyundai has also indicated that an all-electric version is possible and perhaps already in the pipeline. Hyundai recently invested $133 million in Rimac and is said to be working closely with them to possibly develop high-performance electrified cars, but that remains to be seen.
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