In late 2014, Hyundai Motor Group made a stunning announcement. It has successfully poached Dr. Albert Biermann, then vice president of BMW M engineering, to work his magic on future Hyundais and Kias. Without him, vehicles like the Hyundai Veloster N, Kona N, overseas-only i30 N, and the Kia Stinger GT would not have been possible. Following his 31 years at BMW and six and a half years at Hyundai where he later became head of the Group's entire R&D division, Biermann has decided to retire.

The South Korean automaker has confirmed this in a press release. Fortunately, he'll still remain on board as a technical advisor and will live in Europe.

He already has projects lined up: robots, hydrogen fuel cells, and Urban Air Mobility (UAM).

"It has been a tremendous pleasure and honor for me to work for Hyundai Motor Group and lead our engineering division to become a 'second-to-none' R&D center in the entire automotive industry. Now, our vehicles standout apart from the competition in many aspects and embody our strong engineering expertise and commitment," said Dr. Biermann. "Korea will remain as my second home, and all of my colleagues at Hyundai Motor Group will always be considered part of my family."

Biermann's greatest legacy at Hyundai will be the establishment of the N high-performance division.

Hyundai has since established a solid reputation on the track in numerous racing events. Biermann was also instrumental in his role as R&D boss with the modular architecture development system that was designed to reduce costs and increase new vehicle launch efficiency. "His commitment to delivering the very highest engineering standards has played a key role in our Group becoming one of the top global automotive leaders," said Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group.

The carmaker also announced that Chung-Kook Park will be Biermann's successor. There's no doubt he has some big shoes to fill.