Review: Hyundai N's high-performance car, 'RM15'

Hyundai Motor will reveal its new high-performance brand "N" next year. This reporter visited Hyundai-Kia Motors Namyang Institute located in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province on May 24 to firsthand experience "RM15," concept car of N, and to learn about the development progress of the brand.

"RM" stands for Racing Midship and is an experiment to make N's first model, a C-segment hatchback car, which is the same size as the Avante. The RM series has been upgraded every year since the RM14 in 2014. The RM15, which is currently on display at the Busan International Motor Show, is the previous model to the RM16, the latest of the series. Carbon fiber is applied to the body, which makes the RM16 lighter than the RM14 by 190 kilograms and adds more agility in driving.

I sat in the front passenger seat while a Hyundai researcher was driving. The height of the seat seemed much lower than typical hatchback cars. As there were minimal devices and functions inside for optimal driving, the car looked almost empty and I briefly doubted the car's performance. However, as soon as the car entered a highway, the driver pushed the accelerator and I felt as if I was being buried into the seat. From that moment, I could barely remain conscious due to the high speed. When the velocity reached to 210 km/h, I thought I was riding a rollercoaster.

Even though moving like a racing car, the RM16 did not produce loud engine sound unlike other brands' high-performance cars. Although the test driving only took several rounds of the proving ground, I felt nauseous already. As we were going back to the starting point, other researchers in the complex were looking at the RM16 as if they were looking at a mysterious vehicle.

화성=김성규기자 sunggyu@donga.com