Well, this is interesting. Hyundai has shared a mysterious image of what looks to be a supercar - or possibly the Batmobile - under covers across its social media channels. Fundamentally, it's to preview the company’s upcoming “N day”, where it likes to celebrate all things relating to its performance brand, and generate some community-based excitement for anything cool in the product pipeline.
As far as the teaser shot is concerned, it could well be that Hyundai is on the cusp of revealing something very sporty indeed. Or possibly it has spent an entire afternoon cleverly arranging some boxes around an i20 N to whip us all into a frenzy. The tagline - “envisioning the future of N with legacy” - does suggest that it's a radical new concept.
Obviously we won't too much space guessing what is beneath the covers (although feel free to indulge your wilder speculations below), but it certainly doesn’t look like it’ll be a pumped-up version of anything Hyundai currently offers. The shape suggests a sleek silhouette with a wildly long front end, and a massive rear wing. And is it just us, or does it resemble a Ferrari F40 with a slightly higher nose? Maybe not.
Either way, we've got our fingers crossed that this isn't merely another fantasy car destined for a virtual existence in Gran Turismo. There is also a slight discrepancy between the social media pic and the accompanying YouTube video to bear in mind, which includes some blurred-out footage and a tagline that does without the legacy bit - but adds in lightning bolts and battery whine.
Consequently, there's always the possibility we might see two cars unveiled on N day - especially with an N version of the new Ioniq 6 said to already be on the books. Whatever happens, there is good reason to get excited given Hyundai's recent track record. After all, the new i20 N is a serious alternative to the all-conquering Ford Fiesta ST, and the revised i30 N proves that you can make a decent hot hatch with a flappy paddle DCT. We’re arguably yet to see what a proper EV performance car can offer over one with pistons at an affordable level, but if anyone can do it, it’s a burgeoning N division.
We’ll find out what Hyundai has tucked up its sleeve when the festivities begin next Friday. The unveiling will take place at 2am, but rest assured we’ll have all the details right here if you don’t fancy getting up in the middle of the night…