2023 Hyundai RM20 N is a statement from Hyundai, that it is finally showing some serious interest in legitimate performance cars with the competent Veloster N. Now, it looks like the company will leap from hot hatches to mid-engined sports cars. Although the final product is still a few years away, and indeed we have a lot left to learn. But this brief encounter with the prototype shows that the Korean automaker isn’t just really joking. The final model will undoubtedly be more mannered to drive and might develop fewer horses than the prototype’s claimed 390 ponies. But expect an impressive power-to-weight ratio empowering its performance, and making it compete against stars like the Chevy C8 Corvette and Porsche 718 Cayman.
What’s New?
While the South Korean carmaker has confirmed that it is developing a mid-engined sports car for production. But, sadly we have very little-no concrete information on the final result. Expect that the 2023 Hyundai RM20 N might be a less extreme version of the RM19 concept car that debuted at the 2019 L.A. auto show. The brand also claims that the production model is still a couple of years away.
Engine & Performance
One of the small details that are known and are for sure about Hyundai’s forthcoming sports car is that its engine will be mounted in the middle of the car. Apart from that, only expect or use a combination of speculation from experiences with the mid-engine RM19 prototype. As the car was based on a production FWD Veloster, it housed a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-pot engine that sat over the rear axle and delivered a substantial 390-hp. It is mated with a six-speed manual transmission powering the rear wheels rather than the fronts. Expect the production RM20 N to lack a few horses making it easier to control. It’s more likely that the RM20 N might deliver about 325-to-350 hp and will route it through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Pricing
As per rumors, the RM20 N could either feature a Hyundai or a Genesis badge. While the latter might mind on better business sense, we ponder it’s more likely that the sports car will be sold as a $40,000 Hyundai rather than a $70,000 Genesis. That would put the RM20 N in a price range and league of its own.