Hyundai Veloster N TCR gives the hot hatch legit racing credentials

In addition to debuting the Elantra GT N Line, Hyundai used the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit to debut a new race car, the Veloster N TCR. With a 350-horsepower turbo-four, it is eligible to race in the 2019 International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Michelin Pilot Challenge series and the 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge.

According to Hyundai, the Veloster N TCR was designed by the same Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing team that created the i30 N TCR and shares about 85 percent of the "core components," including the engine. The Veloster N TCR is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter direct-injection four-cylinder that makes 350 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 332 lb-ft of torque at 3500 rpm. Power is sent to the front wheels using a six-speed sequential gearbox with paddle shifting and an AP Racing cerametallic two-disc clutch. Life Racing handled the ECU, the power management system and the instrumentation.

The Veloster N TCR rides on MacPherson struts with adjustable dampers up front and a multi-link rear suspension, also with adjustable dampers. Behind the Hyundai Motorsport 10x18 wheels, two-piston calipers up front and six-piston Brembo calipers in the rear handle braking.

The exterior, which features a ferocious widebody aero kit and enormous rear trellis wing, uses steel and composite fiber paneling for the bodywork. With an added steel roll cage and the driver in the car, the Veloster N TCR weighs a claimed 2,833 pounds.

Hyundai admits that the move works well for marketing its cars. Previously, the i30 N TCR has been racing in markets where the i30 N road car is not available. In the U.S., the i30's equivalent is the Elantra GT, but Hyundai does not offer an Elantra GT N in America. It does, however, now offer the new Veloster N here. So now fans of the touring car racing series will be able to watch a car that they can walk into the dealership and buy.

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season starts on Jan. 25 at Daytona International Speedway and spans 10 races across North America. Bryan Herta Autosport, the designated Veloster N TCR retailer in the U.S., will race two cars in the upcoming season. Michael Lewis and Mark Wilkins will race one, while 20-year-old Mason Filippi and 18-year-old Harry Gottsacker will drive the other. They will go against the likes of the Honda Civic Type R TCR, the Volkswagen GTI TCR, and the Audi RS3 LMS TCR.

In the Pilot Challenge and the Blancpain GT World Challenge, both the Veloster N TCR and the i30 N TCR are eligible. In the Blancpain GT World Challenge, the regular Hyundai Veloster N is eligible in the TC class as well.

By today's exchange rates, customers can buy the Veloster N TCR for $155,000 plus shipping. The first deliveries will begin March 2019.