Not many people are aware of the progress Hyundai Motor has made in motor sports in recent years. This is part of the reason why the car-loving community here was surprised to hear that a car racing team run by Germany-based Hyundai Motorsport topped the fourth round of the 2016 FIA World Rally Championship in Argentina last month.

The WRC, which began in 1973, is a world-famous motor sports series like Formula One. One big difference being that vehicles in the competition are mass-produced cars spotted on the road rather than those exclusively built for racing. 

Besides the team performance, Hayden Paddon of the Hyundai team also clinched his first ever WRC victory in round four of the 2016 WRC season.

“The Hyundai team has gained upward momentum in the initial phase of the 2016 season. So far, the team is ranked the second after the Volkswagen Motorsport team (on the wheel of Golf R),” a Hyundai Motor spokesperson in Seoul said, raising hope for the final victory at the yearlong competition which has 14 rounds.

The expectation is based on the improved performance of all-new Hyundai i20 world rally car, which is optimized for the WRC.

“If the Hyundai team comes on top, it will set a record as the fastest-growing champion in WRC history,” the spokesperson said.

Hyundai made a comeback to the WRC with its i20 compact crossover for European markets in 2014, following the establishment of Hyundai Motorsport in 2013. The Korean carmaker is building its brand reputation in motor sports, which will help it step into an upscale league.

Ultimately, Hyundai wants to leverage the experience and technologies accumulated from the WRC for its upcoming high-performance “N’’ cars.

N stands for Namyang, the name of the R&D center of Hyundai and its sister automaker Kia, and also Nurburgring, Hyundai’s three-year-old European test center.

Hyundai unveiled its vision of the N sub-brand for high performance cars, and the product development roadmap at the Frankfurt Motor show last year.

Albert Biermann, a former chief engineer of BMW’s M performance cars, has led Hyundai’s N project as the head of the firm’s high performance vehicle division since April last year.

During the motor show, Biermann said Hyundai’s N division will target “affordable” performance cars, which will allow customers to enjoy driving both on the road and in the circuit. This is why industry watchers forecast that the first N car will be based on the Hyundai i30, which is in the same segment as the Volkswagen Golf R.

“We cannot confirm any details on the first N car model except the fact that the company is working hard to debut it next year as promised,” a company official said, adding that the firm will continue to carry out a variety of activities to raise awareness of its N brand and to achieve technological advancements before the launch.

By Seo Jee-yeon (jyseo@heraldcorp.com)