Veloster N

Make
Hyundai
Segment
Hatchback

Hyundai is serious about its future in both motorsport and battery electric vehicles. Introducing the RM20e prototype, which has just made its official debut at this year's Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. At first, the RM20e may appear to be a heavily modified Hyundai Veloster N but we can assure you it's much more than. The RM nomenclature, in this case, refers to the hot hatch's "Racing Midship" rear-drive, midship powertrain setup. The number 20 refers to the prototype being produced in the year 2020. Past vehicles include the RM19, which CarBuzz drove late last year.

Hyundai views the RM20e ('e', of course, means it's fully electrified) as a "rolling lab" for testing high-performance technologies. This time around, its latest experiment produces a supercar-killing 810 horsepower and 708 lb-ft of torque.

The South Korean automaker claims 0 to 62 mph happens in less than 3 seconds and the sprint to 124 mph takes just 9.88 seconds. Top speed, however, is electronically limited to 155 mph. Hyundai says the RM20e blends "racecar-like levels of performance, balance, braking, and grip while retaining daily-driver quietness, responsiveness, and road-going capability."

Could this statement hint at an upcoming production version? We wouldn't at all be opposed to that. The RM20e is also just one result of Hyundai's investment and strategic partnership with Rimac Automobili, maker of the insane C_Two all-electric hypercar.

"The RM20e sports car prototype clearly signals future electrified brand aspirations for Hyundai's performance N brand, moving N into the prestigious genre of supercar-level performance," said Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President and Head of Product Division at Hyundai Motor Group.

"Moving forward, Hyundai N not only increases drivers' heartbeats per minute via powerful internal combustion engines, but also through the instantaneous torque and environmental sustainability of reliable electrified powertrains. RM20e proves that N driving excitement will not be compromised, even in electrified model variants."

Hyundai aims to have 44 "eco-friendly" models on the market by 2025 and the performance-focused N brand will not be excluded. High performance and zero emissions can go together and the RM20e is proof.