Detroit 2019: Hyundai Veloster N TCR

Hyundai isn’t the first brand you think of being in the business of racing, at least in the U.S. Elsewhere in the World, the Korean automaker has been making its mark known in various series such as the World Rally Championship and the World Touring Car Championship with the likes of the i20 subcompact and i30 N. Soon, Hyundai will be taking on the U.S. Racing series with the introduction of the Veloster N TCR.

The model was developed at Hyundai Motorsport Headquarters in Alzenau, Germany. According to the company, the Veloster N TCR shares about 85 percent of the core components with the i30 N TCR, including the turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder with 350 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed sequential gearbox routes power to the front wheels. The TCR version of the Veloster N is wild beast in terms of looks with large fenders, lower grille, and a massive rear wing. 

Hyundai has chosen Bryan Herta Autosport to campaign the Veloster N TCR in this year’s MICHELIN Pilot Challenge, along with handling the sales and support for those who want to purchase one. Bryan Herta Autosport has a fair amount of experience with Hyundai as they took home with the manufactures championship in the 2018 Pirelli World Challenge season with the i30 N.

Pricing for the Veloster N TCR will begin at €135,000 with shipping (about $154,697 at the time of this writing) for those who want to campaign in their race series of choice. Those who want to see the car in action only need to wait a couple of weeks as the Veloster N TCR will be running at Daytona International Speedway for the first round of the MICHELIN Pilot Challenge.

Gallery: Hyundai Veloster N TCR

Source: Hyundai

Hyundai Veloster N Race Car Makes World Debut at North America International Auto Show 

• Bryan Herta Autosport will race the new Veloster N in the 2019 IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge series

DETROIT, Jan. 14, 2019 – With a new generation of Hyundai owners buying the high-performance Veloster N as cars hit dealer lots, Hyundai fuels the excitement even further today with the debut the Veloster N TCR race car at the North American International Auto Show. The Veloster N TCR joins the fierce competition in the 2019 International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) MICHELIN Pilot Challenge. At North America’s premier racetracks, it will line up on the grid alongside the Honda Civic Type R TCR, Volkswagen GTI TCR, and the Audi RS3 LMS TCR.

Hyundai Motor America adds the Veloster N TCR to its championship-winning customer motorsports program operated by Bryan Herta Autosport. Herta’s team will prepare two 350-horsepower Veloster N TCRs for the upcoming season. One car will be piloted by Hyundai TCR veterans Michael Lewis and Mark Wilkins, while the team’s second entry will be driven by team newcomers Mason Filippi, age 20, and Harry Gottsacker, age 18. 

"The Veloster is a perfect fit for the IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge as we expand our motorsports efforts,” said Dean Evans, vice president, Marketing, Hyundai Motor America. “The all-new 2019 Veloster and Veloster N are playful, fun-to-drive cars, and thanks to Bryan and his team we’re excited to introduce them to racing fans across North America. In 2018, we won a manufacturer’s championship, so it is great to get back to racing with our proven veterans, a pair of great young drivers, and this brand-new car.”

“The success we had last year with the i30 N TCR inspired us to expand Hyundai’s motorsports program and bring the Veloster N TCR into a tougher series with longer races and more experienced drivers,” said Bryan Herta, president and CEO of Bryan Herta Autosport. “Transforming the Veloster’s lightweight, rigid architecture into an endurance race car will help us build credibility for Hyundai’s growing N brand and bolster the reverse-halo effect that the Veloster brings to Hyundai’s diverse vehicle lineup. We can’t wait to get this new car out on the track and into competition.”

2019 IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge Schedule
The 2019 IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge Season spans 10 rounds at tracks across North America. The season kicks off on January 25 at Daytona International Speedway.  

Veloster N TCR Race Car

The Veloster N TCR was designed by the same Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Team that developed the championship-winning i30 N TCR. Like its i30 stablemate, the Veloster N TCR is produced at Hyundai Motorsport Headquarters in Alzenau, Germany. The two cars share around 85 percent of their core components, including the 350-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged engine.

The Veloster N TCR is part of the ongoing rollout of the Hyundai N brand globally, and addresses requests of Hyundai Motorsport customer teams in select national markets where the i30 N TCR race car was in competition, but the i30 N road car was not part of a region’s production-vehicle model range. The addition of the Veloster N TCR to the customer motorsports lineup gives teams in national markets where the Veloster N road car is available a more relevant platform for their respective audiences.

Both Veloster N TCR and i30 N TCR are fully homologated for competition in officially sanctioned TCR series. Priority for initial Veloster N TCR deliveries, however, will go to customer teams in markets where the Veloster N road car is offered.

BRYAN HERTA AUTOSPORT TO PROVIDE U.S. SALES AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT
In the United States, Bryan Herta Autosport is the designated sales agent for Hyundai TCR customer race cars. The Veloster N TCR can be ordered for €135,000* plus shipping, with customer deliveries set to begin in March 2019.

Bryan Herta Autosport will also provide technical assistance, spares, and parts support to teams campaigning Hyundai TCR models in the U.S.

* NOTE: US pricing is dependent on exchange rates, which are subject to fluctuation. Based on current rates, for example, the Veloster N TCR would retail for approximately $155,000 plus shipping.

HYUNDAI BACKS CUSTOMER TEAMS WITH CONTINGENCY AWARDS PROGRAM
As Hyundai Motorsports heads into its second year of North American competition, Hyundai Motor America announces that it will support customer teams in the 2019 IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge and 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge with optional contingency awards programs in each series. Participating teams will be eligible for contingency payouts for each 2019 race based on IMSA or Blancpain GT World Challenge race results and eligibility requirements.

In the IMSA MICHELIN Pilot Challenge, both the Veloster N TCR and i30 N TCR are eligible. In Blancpain GT World Challenge, the eligible vehicles are the Hyundai i30 N TCR, Veloster N TCR, and, in the TC class, the Veloster N. 

HYUNDAI VELOSTER N TCR TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Engine
Type:             Hyundai Motorsport 2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged
Power (Max):        350 hp @ 7000 rpm 
Torque (Max):        332 lb.-ft. @ 3500 rpm
Electronics:         Life Racing ECU and power management system

Transmission
Type:             Front-wheel drive
Gearbox:         Six-speed sequential gearbox with pneumatic paddle-shift
Differential:         Mechanical with external pre-load adjuster
Clutch:             AP Racing Cerametallic twin-disc 

Cockpit
Seats:             Sabelt competition seats
Belts:             Sabelt six-point HANS compatible
Instrumentation:        Life Racing compact configurable driver’s display

Chassis
Front suspension:    MacPherson struts with adjustable dampers
Rear suspension:     Four-arm multi-link with adjustable dampers
Steering:         Hydraulic power-assisted rack and pinion
Front Brakes:     380mm ventilated brake discs with Hyundai Motorsport-branded six-piston Brembo calipers
Rear Brakes:        278mm brake discs with two-piston calipers
Handbrake:         Hydraulic control
Wheels:     10x18 inch aerodynamic Braid rims, designed for Hyundai Motorsport 

Bodywork
Structure:         Hyundai Motorsport designed lightweight high-tensile steel roll cage
Bodywork:        Steel and composite fiber panels 
Length:            4,450mm
Wheelbase:        2,650mm
Width:            1,950mm
Track Width:        1,610mm
Fuel Tank Capacity:     100 liters
Weight:         1,285kg minimum (including driver)*

Price
€135,000 (approximately $155,000 in U.S. per current exchange rates)
*mandated by TCR regulations