Hyundai and Toyota are rivals - don’t be in any doubt about that. The biggest car makers in their respective nations (and Japan and Korea are rivals across the board, too) they are absolutely looking for any chance to get an advantage over the other.
Harmony breaking out
However, some harmony appears to have broken out in the two companies’ respective high-performance departments - Hyundai’s N and Toyota’s Gazoo Racing. While even both of these are rivals (both compete against each other in the World Rally Championship, and there are rumours that Hyundai’s high-end Genesis brand wants to take on Toyota in endurance and Le Mans racing), the two are coming together to hold a joint festival of high performance - the Hyundai N x Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival’ in Korea.
The event will be held on 27 October at the Everland Speedway in Yong-in, South Korea. The plan is to “showcase high-performance models and racing cars from both companies, while also providing Korean fans with unparalleled opportunities to experience the thrilling world of motorsport.”
The event will include a track-day and will generally allow fans of both high-performance and motorsport brands to: “immerse themselves in high-performance culture and witness Hyundai N and Toyota GR vehicles in action.”
Demo runs and passenger rides
There will be some proper competition too, as N and GR vehicles will square-off in a demo event that’s meant to mimic a rally stage, while members of the public can climb aboard for rides with professional drivers at the wheel.
Euisun Chung, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair, will be in attendance, and his opposite number - Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Group and an arch-car enthusiast - will also be there and will quite possibly be one of the professional drivers under his motor racing nomme de guerre, Morizo.
Hyundai N will showcase rally cars from its successful World Rally Championship (WRC) program, including the i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid and i20 N Rally 2, driven by Hyundai Motorsport WRC drivers Thierry Neuville, Dani Sordo, and Andreas Mikkelsen. Hyundai’s TCR drivers Norbert Mischelisz and Mikel Azcona will drive Hyundai N’s production car lineup, including the Ioniq 5 N and Elantra N models.
Toyota Gazoo Racing will present its GR Yaris Rally 1 Hybrid, GR Yaris Rally 2, GR Supra, and GR86, as well as other rally cars and high-performance models. Current Toyota WRC driver Takamoto Katsuta, Jari-Matti Latvala of the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team principal, and Takamoto Katsuta’s father, nine-time Japan Rally Champion Norihiko Katsuta, are set to participate as Toyota drivers.
Futuristic concepts
There will be some future-looking cars on hand, too, including Hyundai’s all-electric Ioniq 5 N, both in road-going and Pikes Peak Hillclimb forms, as well as the stunning, high-performance hydrogen-powered N74 coupe concept.
Toyota will show off its hydrogen-fuelled AE86 coupe restomod, and a liquid-hydrogen powered GR Corolla.
“We are excited to welcome the Toyota Gazoo Racing team, our competitors in the WRC, to Korea”, said Yeong Ho Lee, Executive Vice President, Global Operations Division. “This event will emphasise the fierce competition and friendship that coexist in motorsport and is an opportunity to demonstrate the pure passion for cars shared by both Hyundai and Toyota, as well as our commitment to further expand motorsport culture in the future.”
“We’re glad that Hyundai N and Toyota Gazoo Racing, which are competitors in world motorsport, are working together to create an opportunity to enjoy car culture beyond motorsport”, said Manabu Konyama, CEO and President of Toyota Motor Korea. “Toyota remains committed to furthering and strengthening motorsports culture.”