Drift King Keiichi Tsuchiya is getting behind the wheel of the new Hyundai Ioniq 5 N at the World Time Attack Challenge (WTAC).
Tsuchiya, the Japanese driver famous for founding the first professional drift series, will put the Korean electric car through its paces in a series of demonstration laps at the event.
The WTAC will run from September 1-2 at Sydney Motorsport Park.
It’s quite a different beast from the Toyota AE86s he’s famously hurtled around corners, but the Ioniq 5 N does come with a feature designed specifically for drifting.
The N Drift Optimiser is designed to help maintain the vehicle’s drift angle.
“We’re thrilled Hyundai has decided to team up with World Time Attack Challenge for the Australian debut of Ioniq 5 N. With a 478kW output and the legendary Keiichi Tsuchiya at the wheel, the fans are in for a great demonstration,” said WTAC CEO Ian Baker.
In addition to Tsuchiya’s demonstrations and signing sessions, Hyundai will also have displays at the event for its N TCR race car and its range of N road cars.
Hyundai owners will also be able to take advantage of vehicle health checks.
The Ioniq 5 N will officially go on sale in Australia later this year, with customer deliveries commencing in early 2024.
It features a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain with 448kW of power and 740Nm of torque.
There’s also an ‘N Grin Boost’ (NGB) function that ups the outputs to 478kW and 770Nm for 10 seconds.
This is 48kW and 30Nm more than the related Kia EV6 GT, and 239kW and 165Nm more than the dual-motor version of the regular Ioniq 5.
Hyundai claims the Ioniq 5 N can do the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.4 seconds when using the NGB function, and flat out you’ll be doing 260km/h.
These two electric motors are fed by an 84kWh battery pack, which is the highest capacity battery Hyundai has ever offered in an electric vehicle (EV).
The Ioniq 5 N has an 800V electrical architecture and a maximum DC charging rate of 350kW. Hyundai claims when plugged into a 350kW DC fast-charger the Ioniq 5 N can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in 18 minutes.
In addition to the dual-electric motor powertrain, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has a number of different modes and functions that allows it to live up to Hyundai N’s three pillars – that it be a ‘corner rascal’, have racetrack capability, and yet also be an ‘everyday supercar’.
There’s an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential, specially tuned power steering, enhanced battery thermal management system, battery chiller, launch control, as well as the aforementioned drift mode.
The Ioniq 5 N also has a battery preconditioning function that optimises the battery cells for ‘Drag’ or ‘Track’ driving, as well as an N Race mode that allows owners to choose between ‘Endurance’ or ‘Sprint’ modes.
Hyundai N has given the Ioniq 5 N a so-called N Active Sound that’s designed to provide a “futuristic EV sound but also ICE-like engine and exhaust sounds”. There are different themes, with sound coming from a 10-speaker sound system – eight of these are internal, with the other two external.
This active sound function is paired with an N e-shift function that simulates an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with artificial jolts between gears.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N comes with the “most powerful” braking system the company has ever offered on a vehicle. There are four-piston brake calipers on the front and single-piston caliper brake calipers on the rear.
Hyundai also has a specially designed N Brake Regen function that offers up to 0.6G of decelerative force through regenerative braking alone. Even under ABS activation the regenerative braking can still provide a maximum of 0.2G decelerative force.
On the outside the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is 80mm longer, 50mm wider, and 20mm lower than the regular Ioniq 5, with cosmetic changes including active air flaps, a front splitter, a rear wing, and lashings of Hyundai N’s new highlight colour Luminous Orange.
The Ioniq 5 N rides on massive 21-inch forged aluminium wheels wrapped in 275/35 R21 Pirelli P-Zero tyres.
Inside the Ioniq 5 N receives a redesigned steering wheel that’s flanked by N buttons, which can be configured to activate specific drive modes. The N Grin Boost button is on the steering wheel too.
Another highlight of the Ioniq 5 N’s interior is the fixed centre console, featuring knee pads and shin supports, which has been optimised for track driving.
There’s also a sliding armrest, cupholders, USB-C ports and a wireless charger on the centre console.
The Ioniq 5 N has front bucket seats that are 20mm lower than the regular model’s seats and have reinforced bolsters. They are finished in a black and Performance Blue two-tone design.
