Skip advert
Advertisement

Hyundai announces £69.5m partnership with Rimac to develop new mid-engined electric sports car

Two new flagship models are to arrive by 2020 thanks to the new partnership with Rimac

Korean automotive giants Hyundai and Kia have announced a joint £69.5m investment in Croatian electric supercar company Rimac. The collaboration will focus on a strategic partnership in the development of two high-performance electric vehicles that will top their contemporary ranges.

The first of these two models will be an electric version of Hyundai’s incoming mid-engined sports car, which Hyundai says will be revealed before the end of 2020. This electric sports car will be based on Hyundai’s mid-engined petrol model that will form a performance flagship for the Hyundai N brand, one previewed by the RM.16 concept that was revealed in 2017 and has since been spotted testing on the Nürburgring. Whether this model will also share that concept’s first generation Veloster-derived bodywork is less certain.  

Advertisement - Article continues below

> Click here for our review of the Hyundai i30 N 

The second incoming model is more futuristic, and will be in the form of a new high-performance hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, following on from Hyundai’s previous ix35 Fuel Cell, and more recent Nexo hydrogen-powered SUVs. This is all ambitious stuff for a manufacturer that has only recently become a serious player in the performance car market.

Both Korean manufacturers have pledged investments (Hyundai £55m and Kia £14m) to collaborate on these new models, using Rimac’s unique knowledge of high-performance electric components and development to accelerate both their product development towards a more sustainable product plan.

From Rimac’s perspective, the scale and manufacturing power of the Korean giants will bolster its own growth, and by creating yet another established partner within the wider industry, should only strengthen the EV specialist.

Further details about these new performance models remain tantalisingly thin, but without the  baggage associated with traditional performance brands such as BMW M or AMG, Hyundai and Kia don’t appear to be holding back their ambitions to become leaders in electric performance car development, and it looks like it might happen sooner than we expected. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Ferrari Elettrica confirmed for October reveal
Ferrari EV spies
News

Ferrari Elettrica confirmed for October reveal

Ferrari will reveal its first all-electric car in October 2025 and it will be called: Elettrica
22 Apr 2025
The £135,000 Renault 5 Turbo 3E is the most expensive hot hatch ever
Renault 5 Turbo 3E – front
News

The £135,000 Renault 5 Turbo 3E is the most expensive hot hatch ever

At £135k R5 Turbo 3E had better be a supercar slayer, given it costs the same as a used McLaren 720S or Ferrari 488 GTB
22 Apr 2025
Hyundai Ioniq 6 N teased – wider, winged EV saloon will be N division’s M3
Hyundai Ioniq 6 N teased
Spy shots

Hyundai Ioniq 6 N teased – wider, winged EV saloon will be N division’s M3

The hot Ioniq 6 N saloon will soon join the excellent Ioniq 5 N in Hyundai’s all-electric performance car rebirth, setting a target for the forthcomin…
3 Apr 2025
Skoda’s fastest accelerating car ever is here: the 335 bhp Elroq vRS
Skoda Elroq vR front
News

Skoda’s fastest accelerating car ever is here: the 335 bhp Elroq vRS

The Elroq is the first in its category to get a performance version – there's no Ford Explorer ST or Kia EV3 GT for it to face down
3 Apr 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Porsche 911 Carrera S 2025 review – a 473bhp BMW M4 CS fighter
Porsche 911 Carrera S – pictures
Reviews

Porsche 911 Carrera S 2025 review – a 473bhp BMW M4 CS fighter

A new Carrera S has arrived with supercar-baiting pace and a £120k starting price – is it the sweet spot of the 992.2 range?
25 Apr 2025
Aston Martin Vantage (1993 - 2000) review – Britain's 550bhp hand-built muscle car
Aston Martin Vantage V550 – front
Reviews

Aston Martin Vantage (1993 - 2000) review – Britain's 550bhp hand-built muscle car

One of Aston Martin's last true hand-built models, the ludicrous twin-supercharged Vantage was a muscle car crossed with a stately home
24 Apr 2025
Used Ford Mustang (S550, 2015 - 2023) review – Ford’s V8 muscle car for £20k
Ford Mustang (S550) front
In-depth reviews

Used Ford Mustang (S550, 2015 - 2023) review – Ford’s V8 muscle car for £20k

The S550 appeared ten years ago as a more sophisticated kind of Mustang, in right-hand drive and with the job of tempting European sports car buyers. …
23 Apr 2025