Bonkers Hyundai RN24 is 650hp ‘rolling lab’

Hyundai N’s commitment to innovation and high performance is hardly in question. Not only does the brand seem to be rolling out electrified solutions to motorsport at a bewildering rate (not to mention actually competing in the WRC full-time) it also produces the Ioniq 5 N – a car that everyone seems to agree is the more exciting and best performance EV yet launched. For any other manufacturer, its ’N Day 2024’ event might have been the perfect occasion to take stock – but not Hyundai. Instead, it premiered the RN24, ‘a testament to [its] bold ambitions for the future’. 

The division claims much else for the experimental, stripped-naked ‘rolling lab’, but fundamentally (and amusingly, clearly) it is a fusion of the Ioniq 5 N’s 650hp dual-motor power electronics system with what the Hyundai describes as ‘a compact World Rally Championship-inspired EV chassis’. And while there is talk of bridging the gap between motorsport and production models, it does rather seem like the RH24 is mostly about the LOLs. Not least because it features an e-Handbrake that mimics a hydraulic handbrake – which is obviously good for only one thing. 

Of course, when it’s not going dramatically sideways, the RN24 is supposed to be giving us a hint of what Hyundai N is mulling in its medium-term crystal ball – and when it mentions a ‘meticulous focus on drivability and precision’ we can at least take stock in the idea that the company is interested in reducing the size and weight of its next-generation EVs. Or at least that’s what we assume the exoskeleton-style exposed roll cage is all about, helping the RN24 to achieve a sub-two-tonne kerbweight. 

Certainly, it is considerably smaller than the notoriously large Ioniq, with a 340mm shorter wheelbase (and scaled-down batteries) said to have reduced the concept to B-segment size. Being similar in scale to an i20 N Rally1 car is convenient because Hyundai has essentially pinched all the chassis components – including rally-spec dampers and high-rigidity subframes – as well as something called the WRC Powertrain Drive Control Logic system. As its name suggests, and alongside a ‘Rally Mode’ electronic motor torque control unit, this empowers the RN24 to distribute its power to all four wheels in much the same way a proper WRC contender would. So more sideways stuff, basically. 

“RN24 exemplifies Hyundai N’s commitment to advancing electric motorsport technology by prioritizing the driving experience rather than spec numbers,” said Joon Park, Vice President of N Brand Management Group. “This Rolling Lab proves that there remains untapped potential for high-performance EVs and with new technologies ahead, there is much to look forward to.”

While some of it – most notably the two side speakers and a rear bumper that acts as a soundbar for ‘an immersive soundtrack’ – should be taken with the usual pinch of conceptual salt, Hyundai N has proven itself repeatedly capable of seeing out-there ideas through to fruition. This is still the division, after all, that claims Corner Rascal, Racetrack Capability, and Everyday Sportscar as the three operational pillars it lives by. If nothing else, the RN24 is fan-pleasing evidence that it isn’t taking its foot off the loud and proud pedal anytime soon.