News Source: topspeed.com

Korean automaker Hyundai  has evolved dramatically over the past few years, to the extent that it also announced plans to launch a series of high-performance models under its new N division. Although road-going vehicles wearing the N badge have yet to arrive, Hyundai did launch the division with the 2014 hyundai i20 WRC  , which marked the brand’s return to rallying after an 11-year hiatus. Having already completed two full WRC  seasons in 2014 and 2015, the i20 WRC has been updated for 2016 and showcased at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show  .

Launched alongside the 2015 Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo  concept car, the new i20 WRC has been developed at the company’s facility at the Nurburgring  circuit in Germany. With the 2016 WRC season set to debut with the Monte Carlo event in January, the Korean brand unveiled the race-ready model at the team’s headquarters in Alzenau.

Hyundai Motorsport will field three cars in every round of the 2016 championship, with Dani Sordo, Hayden Paddon and Thierry Neuville behind the steering wheel. The team will begin its third WRC season with two new i20 WRC cars and one previous model at Rallye Monte Carlo before increasing to three 2016 cars from Rally Sweden.

Hyundai also announced it is already working on a new rally car for the 2017 season. Dubbed R5, it is also based on the second-generation i20 and will be developed with help from Dutch driver Kevin Abbring throughout 2016. Development of the R5 will commence in the first half of the year with homologation to be completed in mid-2016. Privateers will be able to place orders for the new race car in the second half of the year.

Updated 12/10/2015: Hyundai confirmed that it will enter three cars in every round of the 2016 championship. The company also confirmed it is already working on a new rally car for the 2017 season and that it should be completed in mid-2016.

Based on the second-generation 2015 Hyundai i20  launched in late 2014, the new i20 WRC borrows the exterior design features of its road-going sibling, including the headlamps and taillights, as well as the reshaped bumpers and the overall silhouette. More importantly, the i20 WRC is now a five-door racer, whereas the previous car was based on the three-door version.

Of course, these new styling cues were altered significantly, as rally cars feature extreme aerodynamics. As a result, the i20 WRC has wider front fenders, a redesigned bumper with a massive grille and revised air intakes, and a new engine hood with added vents and quick-release pins.

Around back, although both the taillights and the bumper are nearly identical to the road car, the huge wing mounted on the tailgate changes the i20’s appearance dramatically.

Other modifications compared to the standard car include wider rear fenders, modified side skirts, rally-spec, lightweight wheels and tires, and a roof scoop. Though the body kit isn’t that different than last year’s i20 WRC, Hyundai  says the new race car features optimized weight distribution and enhanced aerodynamics. Finally, Hyundai also introduced a new livery for its Shell World Rally Team, with the Mobis World Rally Team paint scheme to be unveiled in early 2016.

Based on the second-generation 2015 Hyundai i20  launched in late 2014, the new i20 WRC borrows the exterior design features of its road-going sibling, including the headlamps and taillights, as well as the reshaped bumpers and the overall silhouette. More importantly, the i20 WRC is now a five-door racer, whereas the previous car was based on the three-door version.

Of course, these new styling cues were altered significantly, as rally cars feature extreme aerodynamics. As a result, the i20 WRC has wider front fenders, a redesigned bumper with a massive grille and revised air intakes, and a new engine hood with added vents and quick-release pins.

Around back, although both the taillights and the bumper are nearly identical to the road car, the huge wing mounted on the tailgate changes the i20’s appearance dramatically.

Other modifications compared to the standard car include wider rear fenders, modified side skirts, rally-spec, lightweight wheels and tires, and a roof scoop. Though the body kit isn’t that different than last year’s i20 WRC, Hyundai  says the new race car features optimized weight distribution and enhanced aerodynamics. Finally, Hyundai also introduced a new livery for its Shell World Rally Team, with the Mobis World Rally Team paint scheme to be unveiled in early 2016. As usual, Hyundai had nothing to say about the car’s interior, but it’s safe to assume it will be a mild evolution of the previous i20 WRC. All told, expect the cockpit to be a stripped out version of the road-going car, with only the dashboard to retain its original configuration. The seats, steering wheel, pedals, and gear shifter will be replaced with race-spec units, while the standard instrument cluster will make way for a simpler display for the car’s vital information. An FIA-spec roll cage will round off the cabin. Not surprisingly, motivation comes from the same turbocharged, 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine found in its predecessor. The four-pot is rated at 300 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque and mates to a six-speed sequential gearbox and an all-wheel drive system. The i20 WRC also uses a Magneti Marelli engine control unit, mechanical differentials front and rear, MacPherson struts with adjustable dampers, ventilated Brembo disc brakes, and 18-inch wheels for tarmac races and 15-inch rims for gravel events.