{"id":32586,"date":"2024-04-18T16:23:42","date_gmt":"2024-04-18T20:23:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=32586"},"modified":"2024-04-18T16:23:42","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T20:23:42","slug":"payne-flat-out-in-the-hyundai-ioniq-5-n-electric-track-rat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2024\/04\/payne-flat-out-in-the-hyundai-ioniq-5-n-electric-track-rat","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Flat out in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N electric track rat"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Laguna Seca, California<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Out of slow, 90-degree Turn 11 onto the Laguna Seca Raceway\u2019s pit straight, my 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N performance SUV instantly put down 545 pounds of torque and 601 horsepower to all four fat Pirelli P Zero performance tires. No downshift to second gear. No turbo lag. Just pure thrust.\u00a0Zot!<\/em>\u00a0Seconds later, the EV crested the hill into Turn One at 120 mph.<\/p>\n

Welcome to the electric track car.<\/p>\n

The Ioniq 5 N hot hatch is the first track-focused EV from a major manufacturer, and it is a marvel. Despite its 4,900-pound girth \u2014 60% more than a Volkswagen Golf R hot hatch \u2014 Hyundai pro test drivers here were recording 1 minute, 35 second laps. That is on par with a 640-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Porsche 911 Turbo S. That\u2019s crazy.<\/p>\n

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The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is focused on track days at tracks like Laguna Seca. Just watch your state of charge. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n

That\u2019s what instant torque, extensive body bracing and suspension stiffening will do for you. It\u2019s what BMW does to make its M-badged cyborgs quicker than the average Bimmer sedan. Indeed, at the world\u2019s greatest racetrack, the formidable 13.9-mile Nu\u0308rburgring (Ioniq N\u2019s namesake) in Germany, the Ioniq 5 N nearly matched the time of BMW\u2019s premier driver\u2019s car, the M2 CS, at 7 minutes, 45 seconds. Craaaazy.<\/p>\n

Crazier still, we\u2019re comparing a ute with a coupe thoroughbred. Like the M2, the 5 N has been screwed to the ground with chassis performance enhancements and sticky Pirelli P Zero tires. But it still exhibits the inherent high center of gravity of an SUV and its tall seating position. Over Laguna\u2019s signature Corkscrew turn, I managed the throttle as the top-heavy ute navigated the turn\u2019s extreme, downhill switchback. So how is it possible this shoebox\u2019s lap times are on par with Porsche\u2019s finest?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt maximizes the tire,\u201d deadpanned engineer Robin Shute, the accomplished Pike\u2019s Peak and off-road rally ace who I chased around Laguna at obscene speeds. \u201cThe electric motors are feeding maximum torque all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The<\/figure>\n
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The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N shows off its Hyundai Racing blue and red-trimmed colors. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

So whatever the shoebox loses to the Porsche in the corners, it makes up with Thor\u2019s Hammer acceleration off every turn. I\u2019ve experienced this shocking performance before \u2014 albeit from the\u00a0passenger seat of Ford CEO Jim Farley\u2019s Transit SuperVan 4.0<\/a>\u00a0at Charlotte Motor Speedway, another e-Kong in a box. Imagine what these drivetrains could do in a proper, low-center-of-gravity sportscar.<\/p>\n

I have tracked my Tesla Model 3 Performance and crave its instant, AWD torque. But the 3 Performance is not optimized for track use, and its Brembo brakes will cook after six laps around Pontiac\u2019s 1.5-mile M1 Concourse. I hammered the 5 N for 26 miles around Laguna\u2019s 2.2-mile rollercoaster (12 laps) with no brake fade. Indeed, Model 3s outfitted with properly tuned aftermarket brakes from Unplugged Performance have recorded similar track times to the 5 N despite giving up 100 pound-feet of torque and 150 horsepower. The future of electric performance is bright.<\/p>\n

But … tracking an EV at hyper speeds comes with the same compromises of any EV: namely, range.<\/p>\n