Paris show: Hyundai set to get racy

HYUNDAI is planning to spread its motorsport wings by expanding beyond its current commitment to the World Rally Championship (WRC).

The move was confirmed by the South Korean car-maker’s high-performance vehicle development and testing head Albert Biermann when talking to Australian journalists at the Paris motor show, where the company is not only showing off its latest i20 rally car but also an i30-based race-style concept, the RN30.

Asked if the RN30 could be a hint at future race plans, Mr Biermann said: “I think motorsport is an important thing.

“As you know, high performance is bringing the excitement of a racecar into the everyday driving.

“We have the WRC (team) doing a great job already for some time, and we will keep going.

“We will add more motorsport activities to it – not only the rallying. There is more motorsport to come from Hyundai brand. I cannot give any more specifics than that.” Hyundai has had two stints in the WRC since 2000, the most recent since 2014, with mixed success.

The rally team races i20 hatchbacks in the WRC, in both outright and Group N classes.

This year, it is having one of its most successful seasons, running second in the championship.

Apart from the RN30, Hyundai is also showing off its 2017 WRC i20 contender.

The three-door hatch is undergoing testing in Europe ahead of its competition debut in the Monte Carlo Rally in January.