Michel Nandan with Hyundai i20 WRC car Hyundai has made an important announcement today, including the formation of a new motorsport ...
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| Michel Nandan with Hyundai i20 WRC car |
It was way back in 2002, 03' that Hyundai were last active in the WRC, with the Accent World Rally Car, in collaboration with Motor Sport Developments, GB.
Hyundai confirmed in September, 2012 to re-enter the WRC with their newly [under development] i20 WRC car, to start competing in the 2014 World Rally Championship.
Hyundai confirmed today that, Michel Nandan [former engineer of Toyota, Peugeot and Suzuki in different technical positions in each] would head the development and competition programme as Team Principal.
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| Hyundai i20 WRC car - testing in Deutschland |
Nandan said: “I am honoured to have been chosen by Hyundai to spearhead its exciting new entry into the WRC. The project is still in its infancy, but things are moving rapidly, and I am looking forward to developing the team as this year progresses. There is much to be done, of that we are fully aware, but with a dedicated facility in Alzenau and an ambitious core of highly motivated personnel, we are already making good progress.”
Hyundai has also established a motorsport subsidiary, Hyundai Motorsport GmbH, in Alzenau, under which the company’s WRC-Program would run. It is proposed that the cars will be built in their new headquarters in Germany, close to Frankfurt, where Hyundai’s European HQ is situated.
Nandan added: “We are deliberately using an interim version of the i20 to carry out important component testing and to ensure that we have done our homework before we enter competition. This phase will continue throughout 2013 as we prepare for our first full season back in WRC in 2014. There are a lot of other decisions that we will have to make during the course of the year, particularly regarding the selection of drivers, but this also requires time and due diligence. We will, at the same time, keep a close eye on how the 2013 WRC season unfolds.”
"Hyundai is excited to re-enter WRC, and we're back not just to compete, but to win," said Tak Uk Im, Executive Vice President & COO of Hyundai Motor.
Source wrc.com
On the grounds of looks and urban concept Hyundai i20 scores high and its the real deal of present market.Hyundai i20 five-door hatchback, the all-new model progresses the development of Hyundai's passenger vehicle range.
ReplyDeleteRightly said Jake! The fluidic design concept of the i-series cars are really neat both in terms of the looks and aero. The new wheel arches and the added body works on the WRC model isn't different from the road car as well as the dimensions are more on the road car looks.
DeleteIf the car gets really competitive on the rally stages, then its a game changer for Hyundai, for sure :)