Hyundai Veloster Turbo gets teeth
Fire-breathing Veloster gets 450kW turbo engine and AWD for RallyCross attackHyundai's recent foray into the World Rally Championship appears to be only the beginning of the car maker's motorsport activities, having confirmed Pikes Peak champion Rhys Millen will return to the new Global RallyCross Championship (GRC) in a beastly Veloster.
The pumped up Hyundai Veloster is powered by a highly-tuned turbo-petrol 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine that pumps out more than 450kW and 800Nm. Fairly modest really... Ahem.
The hard-charging RallyCross car is also fitted with an XTRAC centre differential for four-wheel drive traction, a necessity on the tight, muddy race tracks of the race series.
Aggressive bodywork is design to improve downforce on the car, while beefed up suspension was necessary to ensure the car can withstand getting airborne, a common occurrence in RallyCross.
Rhys Millen Racing (RMR) has developed and prepared the cars and the drivers include two New Zealanders, Millen himself and Emma Gilmour.
Millen, son of Rod Millen, was the 2008 Formula Drift World Champion and has set seven Pikes Peak records, as well as finishing third in the 2012 GRC.
"The RMR Veloster is perfect for GRC by giving enthusiasts a glimpse of affordable, fun-to-drive production cars exploited to their full race potential in an action-packed rallycross series.
"Even more, I’m especially proud to have Emma as a teammate; with many top rally drivers hailing from New Zealand, her consistent top performance is sure to impress at every stage of the series," he said.
Emma came second overall in the New Zealand Rally Championship and says she's stoked to be the first female driver in the GRC
"It’s a true privilege to be the first female driver in the GRC series, and I’m confident my performance will open up more opportunities for a number of great female rally drivers in the future," she said.
Spread across 10 events mainly in the USA, the GRC kicks off in Barbados on May 17 and will be integrated into the BBC's Top Gear Festival.
Unlike the World Rally Championship, GRC sees drivers fanging around short tracks, usually with large jumps within an arena to provide optimal views for spectators.
2014 Global RallyCross Championship calendar
1. May 17-18: Barbados, Top Gear Festival
2. June 7: Austin, X-Games, ESPN
3. June 21-22: Washington, DC
4. July 19-20: New York, NY
5. July 25-26: Charlotte, NC
6. August 2-3: Detroit, MI (Riverfront)
7. August 22-23: Daytona, FL
8. September 19-20: San Pedro, CA
9. September 26-27: Seattle, WA (DirtFish)
10. November 5: Las Vegas, NV (SEMA)
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