Hyundai and Toyota promised to make waves when the two auto giants confirmed that they would team up to produce a performance car festival that was supposed to bring two typically separate camps together for the greater good of promoting performance vehicles. The first-ever “Hyundai N x Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival” that resulted was a success and it could help plant the seeds for further partnerships moving forward between the two companies.
A bold idea
The Festival would have seemed like a pipedream several years ago due to Hyundai and Toyota typically being heated rivals especially in performance racing with both companies having teams in the World Rally Championship series. Ironically, the first spark of inspiration for the event came from the WRC teams themselves.
The festival took place at the Yongin Raceway in South Korea and proved to be so popular with festival attendees that the event was sold out shortly after both companies announced the festival. Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda actively participated in the event. Chung joined Toyoda piloting a Yaris WRC performing Morizo’s signature intense performance driving including donuts in the midst of roaring applause of spectators. After the performance run, the two men walked up on stage together thanking nearby fans, shook hands, and shared their thoughts.
“With our high-performance N brand, we’re committed to delivering excitement and satisfying all car enthusiasts. We’ll continue to push forward in motorsport alongside Toyota so that more people can enjoy the thrill of driving,” said Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group. “When I met with Chairman Akio Toyoda earlier this year, we discovered our mutual passion for racing, and I was delighted that we could hold this event. Chairman Toyoda is someone in the automotive industry that I respect deeply, and it’s an honor to be here with him today,” he added. In addition to the message of unity projected by both execs, the festival also proved to be a good opportunity for both automakers to shine with vehicle debuts. Hyundai stole the show in that regard with the debut of the RN24 rolling laboratory as well as another appearance by the N Vision 74 concept car.
Could a repeat performance be coming?
With the strong success of the festival and how well its debut went. Chances are good that the two companies will make more of these festivals. However, beyond the art of providing customers an opportunity to have a good time, the success of this collaboration might create new avenues for discussions between the two firms in ways that they could further collaborate.
Both companies have neither confirmed nor denied these claims but the festival has planted the seeds for such discussions to take place. One such arena for new collaborations could be enhanced synergy in performance offerings which would make sense since there’s already plenty of progress in that arena thanks to the festival. Only time will tell but we look forward to seeing what’s next.
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.