It is just over a year since the Hyundai i20 WRC concept made its debut at the Paris Motor Show, but after months of testing the stage-ready car has been unveiled in all its Shell-Helix liveried glory.
The new Hyundai Shell World Rally Team was announced at a special media event on the doorsteps of Hyundai Motorsport's facility in Alzenau this week before it sets off for the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship opener in Monte Carlo next month. Joining the i20 WRC car at the event were lead driver Thierry Neuville and Juho Hänninen, who will drive the second i20 WRC at selected events. It was also announced that both Dani Sordo and Chris Atkinson will partner Neuville at several rallies during the season, with Sordo driving on Rallye Monte-Carlo and Atkinson confirmed for Rally Australia.
Hyundai Motorsport has stated that its primary objective for the 2014 season will be finishing each round of the championship with both cars still in play, to better enable it gather knowledge and data for the subsequent years.
"We have worked tremendously hard to get where we are today and to be able to launch our new WRC team to the world," explains Team Principal of Hyundai Motorsport GmbH, Michel Nandan. "In less than one year, we have built and tested a brand new WRC-specification car, the Hyundai i20 WRC, and established a professional team and modern motorsport facility. It's a huge accomplishment but we know that we have a lot to learn in our first season."
Anything else?
Hyundai also used the media event to announce its new performance division. Simply titled 'N', the first product of the new division is expected to be a hot i20 to tie in with the firm's entry in the WRC. A turbocharged 1.6-litre engine (possibly the one used in by sister company Kia in the cee'd GT) is expected, though whether 'N' will produce cars in numbers to rival the Fiesta ST and Renaultsport Clio or go down the limited production route as Citroen did with the DS3 Racing remains to be seen.
The N division takes its name from the Namyang R&D Centre in Korea that Hyundai describes as being "at the heart of the technological innovation and development" of the brand. Despite the name the N cars will be built at the same plant in Germany that will produce the i20 WRC racers.