Toyota and Hyundai are normally heated rivals in the performance car wars with the two firms offering performance vehicles that often go toe to toe with one another out on the track. However, this rivalry also doesn’t mean that the two can occasionally collaborate on certain projects. That includes events with the two companies recently confirming that they will be working together to host a performance car event.
Toyota and Hyundai announce rare team up
The event in question is called the “Hyundai N x Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival” with the event being a rare case of detente between the two firms as they set aside their rivalry for the broader benefit of pleasing enthusiasts and attendees. The event is scheduled to take place on October 27th at the Everland Speedway in Yong-In, South Korea.
As the name implies, both Toyota and Hyundai will be bringing vehicles to the event with Hyundai showcasing the Elantra N and the all-electric Ioniq 5 N while Toyota will bring the GR Supra and GR86 sports cars to the event. In addition to these models, several concept cars and other experimental vehicles will also make their debut at the event including the AE86 H2 concept and a separate experimental GR Corolla that both run on engines fueled by liquid hydrogen. Meanwhile, the N Vision 74 concept and several other Hyundai concepts will also balance things out.
Could this hint at a broader partnership
While it appears the festival itself will be a one-off collaboration between the two for now, both companies say that the festival will be an “inaugural collaboration” between the two companies in Korea. This statement could imply that the two firms will work more closely together in the Korean auto market in the future though neither company revealed any extensive details about what other things buyers could expect.
Toyota is also no stranger to collaborations with the company currently working in similar fashion with Subaru, Mazda, and BMW for various projects. Hyundai tends to be more of a lone wolf when it comes to collaborations but it appears that this icy stance is starting to thaw somewhat with the company recently confirming that it’s exploring a potential collaboration with General Motors with the two firms even signing an agreement of understanding to jumpstart the process.
It will be interesting to see what happens next between Toyota and Hyundai and whether small steps like this festival will help open the way into other projects that could benefit both firms in the long run.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.