Hyundai recently announced it will participate in the Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race next month, an event it has entered every year since 2016.
Beyond the usual desire to notch more class victories – Hyundai won the TCR class for the sixth consecutive year in 2025 – the Korean auto giant is also using the race to validate a new engine currently in development.
Two of the entries, Elantra N1 RP racers competing in the SP4T class, will be equipped with a prototype engine that Hyundai is validating for use in future N cars. The company says the main objectives will be to test the engine’s “performance and durability in extreme conditions,” according to a statement.
Hyundai didn’t disclose performance numbers but said the engine is more powerful and responsive than the current 2.0-liter turbo four used in the Elantra N. It’s also designed to meet current emissions standards, but the statement didn’t specify which ones. For reference, the current engine produces 276 horsepower and 289 pounds-feet of torque in the Elantra N.
Using racing to validate future production engines is something Hyundai has done before. Back in 2016, Hyundai used a prototype version of its 2.0T Theta engine in the Nürburgring 24-hour race in an i30 race car before dropping a production version into the i30N road car the following year.
While the i30N was never sold in North America, other recipients of the 2.0T Theta turbo were, including the Elantra N, Kona N, and Veloster N. Of those, only the Elantra N remains in production.
The 2026 24-hour Nürburgring race is scheduled for May 14-17. In addition to the two engine prototype entries, Hyundai is running an Elantra N TCR in the TCR class.
More info on Hyundai’s Nürburgring 24-hour plans can be found here.
Photos courtesy of Hyundai Motor America
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