When Hyundai first started its rolling lab series in 2012, the goal was to create vehicles that not only helped draw plenty of attention to them, but also helped the company understand the finer aspects of driving as the Korean car giant prepares to boldly expand its presence in the EV landscape.
The latest member of the series is perhaps the most utterly bonkers one of them all with the company unveiling the all-new N RN24 a wild drift machine that’s supposed to help the company probe the sheer limits of performance driving while also giving the N brand a valuable tool to help make future production EV models.
RN24 is the fever dream we never knew we wanted
The RN24 was built from the ground up for maximum performance with the engineers even sacrificing the bulk of the bodywork to shed weight. The few bits that are left form a sleek exoskeleton roll cage and while the concept originally started life as an Ioniq 5 N you wouldn’t know it from the radical transformation that took place. Forged 19-inch black alloy wheels are from the Elantra N and the roof spoiler is borrowed from the TCF race car. Despite the diet, the concept still weighs over 4,000 lbs (4,144) with the concept being over 700 lbs lighter than its source material.
The wheelbase is also 13.4 inches shorter than the Ioniq 5 N but that shortened wheelbase is on purpose and allows drivers to throw it about alot easier for spirited drifts and other vehicular-related hoon activities. At the heart of all this is the same dual-motor setup and 84 kWh battery pack seen in the Ioniq 5 N but the cells were reorganized to help the part fit into the shorter wheelbase. Hyundai didn’t reveal final horsepower and torque figures but look for them to be carried over from the stock Ioniq 5 N. That’s fine since the concept is capable of making the sprint to 62 mph in 3.4 seconds before topping out at 149 mph.
Bare bones interior is ready for fun
The interior is roughly what you would expect of a Mad Max-inspired creation with the steering wheel and seats being the key design points. The steering wheel is borrowed from their rally program with the center of the wheel featuring advanced controls. The rear fenders double as a sound box and strategically placed speakers allow the car to have an “exhaust note” which can be heard at full blast when it’s being put through its paces. Other goodies include a Powertrain Drive Control system from the WRC car and tunable settings that allow the driver to tweak the amount of power going between the front and rear wheels.
The concept is not entering production but Hyundai revealed that the RN24 is sparking new conversations about high-performance EVs within Hyundai and how some of the engineering marvels that we see here in this drift-happy creation might eventually trickle down into future N EV products that aim to meet the needs of buyers in their respective niches in the broader performance vehicle segment.
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.