Hyundai Proves Electric Can Be Cool With 201-HP Track-Focused Ioniq CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News Hyundai Proves Electric Can Be Cool With 201-HP Track-Focused Ioniq

Hyundai Proves Electric Can Be Cool With 201-HP Track-Focused Ioniq

Sep. 15, 2018 4:00 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz / 4 Comments Don't call this electric car boring. Electric cars were once seen as slow, low-performance vehicles that only made sense if you didn't care much about fast driving. Tesla has proved that EVs can be so much more, and now consumers are finally taking the electric performance car seriously. Unfortunately, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric isn't one of the EVs leading the performance charge. With just 118 horsepower and a 124-mile range, the Ioniq Electric won't do much to scare off Tesla owners. Keen to be a major player in the performance EV segment, Hyundai's engineers have developed an upgraded 2017 Ioniq Electric that will compete in the Optima Ultimate Street Car series later this year. The result is a far more aggressive Ioniq with a flashy livery, bolt-on fender flares, and Volk TE37SL wheels wrapped in fat 275-mm width tires. Perhaps more important than the outward appearance is what's under the skin. Hyundai has also made significant changes underneath, where the Ioniq's 118-hp battery has been replaced with the new 201 hp and 291 lb-ft of torque motor out of the Kona Electric. Though this isn't as much power as the 275-hp Veloster N that will also be racing in the same series, the torque figure is actually higher. Hyundai Hyundai has also equipped the Ioniq with a limited-slip front differential, Wilwood performance brakes, lowering springs with a firmer spring rate, an upgraded radiator and electric water pumps, and a water-cooled AC condenser to help keep those batteries cool in racing conditions. The goal of this exercise is to see how an electric car will put up with the punishment of performance upgrades and track use. Gas-engine cars can easily be tuned to deliver more power and deal with the abuse of being driven hard on the track. With this modified Ioniq, Hyundai is out to prove that future car enthusiasts will still be able to upgrade their cars when electric propulsion takes over. Hyundai

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Hyundai Ioniq Electric Hyundai Kona Electric Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top