Hyundai Motorsport has completed its latest round of testing on the new-generation Hyundai i30 TCR with customer deliveries expected from December.
HYUNDAI IS PUSHING hard into motorsports (three seasons in WRC) to cement its move from cheap and cheerful to, something for everyone. And, with the launch of its first N model set for later this year, the continued testing of its circuit-oriented racer is vital to the continued growth of the brand. And, last week Hyundai completed three days of testing in Spain to fine tune the brakes and suspension package on its TCR package, which is based on the new Hyundai i30.
In a statement, Hyundai said: “The time at the Valencia circuit, which hosted a round of the inaugural TCR International Series season, was spent assessing different brake materials and damper settings. With each set-up change Hyundai Motorsport’s squad of engineers could compare the data not only with the New Generation i30 TCR’s previous runs on the 4km circuit, but with the baseline data gained from both Aragon and Misano. This information was then used, in conjunction with the feedback from Touring Car veteran and lead test driver Gabriele Tarquini, to work towards the ideal configuration”.
Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing department manager Andrea Adamo said: “Already we have proved that we have a very strong base car. However, this early in a project there are always areas where you can still increase performance and, more importantly for customer project, improve drivability. After establishing the foundations for the set-up at our previous tests we are now building on to them.
“At Valencia we focused on the damper and brake settings, and we finished this week with very good information in these areas. Future tests will concentrate on other areas, such as developing the aerodynamic package and maximizing the power from the engine,” Adamo said.
I hope the G70 gets the same treatment, a superhot G70N would be just the perfect replacement for my F6 in a year or two, once the aftermarlet tuners have had time to crack it and whack it.