Hyundai has created a concept car based on the brilliant little Inster electric car and called it the Insteroid. That's a portmanteau of Inster and Steroid, and the title is apt because this is a dinky little Inster that looks as if it's been hitting the Creatine powder and skipping leg day.
An Inster what if…
Basically, the Insteroid is a 'What If' project that takes an Inster and runs it through a wringer that includes influences from motorsport and video games. So, the Insteroid gets a pumped-up bodykit with a towering rear spoiler, enormous rally-car-style wheel arches, massive spotlights where the normal headlights would usually be, and magnesium-style alloy wheels that appear to be heavily influenced by the N74 concept car.
A little bit like the Inster Cross concept, which has already been shown, the Insteroid is not really a production-ready idea but more of a look at what you could do with an Inster in extremis.
Celebration of pure fun
“Insteroid is a celebration of pure fun - a journey where we explored new ways to ignite emotion and imagination in every detail. It's not just about how it looks, but also how it sounds and how makes you feel. From its bold visual language to the immersive sound experience, it's a concept that invites everyone to dream a little louder and smile a little longer,” said Simon Loasby, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Design Centre.
Inside, the Insteroid is stripped out to look almost like a homemade racing car, with little clip-on digital instruments that appear ready to be broken and then easily replaced when needed.
Drift mode
Drawing inspiration from the massively powerful Ioniq 5 N, the Insteroid has a drift mode, while what upholstery there is, it is made from 3D knit fabric crafted from recycled yarns using a single-piece, made-to-measure process.
There are also some playful touches, such as a 'Beat House' sound system and little Space Invader-style graphics dotted around the cabin.
Sadly, Hyundai hasn't issued any technical details yet, so we fear that the Insteroid is set to be only a one-off show car designed to appear at the upcoming Seoul Mobility Show.
“Insteroid represents a modern take on the idea of a dream car. It is designed to inspire and create enthusiasm. This project allowed us to fully embrace unrestrained creativity, drawing inspiration from video games to create an emotional and engaging vision of Hyundai's brand,” said Eduardo Ramírez, Chief Designer at Hyundai Design Europe.
