Hyundai i20 rally car ready for WRC

New Hyundai i20 WRC rally car undergoing testing at a secret location somewhere in Europe.

New Hyundai i20 WRC rally car undergoing testing at a secret location somewhere in Europe.

Published Sep 27, 2012

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Paris Motor Show - not all the brand-new models on show are family-friendly eco-hatches or sexy performance cars, although this one combines elements of both.

Star of the Hyundai stand at Porte de Versailles is the Hyundai i20 WRC rally car - and Korea's leading carmaker is absolutely serious about returning to the World Rally Championship.

The company's involvement in the sport began in 1998, when it competed in the F2 class of the World Rally Championship for two seasons. In 1999 the team announced it would step up to the top class in 2000, rallying a fully-developed WRC car based on the three-door Accent, which competed until 2003.

Hyundai withdrew from motorsport in 2003, with the long-term goal of setting up an in-house WRC team in Europe and developing a competitive S2000 rally car - and here it is.

Hyundai Europe marking manager Mark Hall commented: “The World Rally Championship provides the most technically diverse challenge for an automotive manufacturer. By taking part we want to demonstrate Hyundai's engineering excellence and durability, and improve our future models.”

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