Hyundai is no stranger to the Nurburgring—more so in its annual grueling 24-hour endurance race. The Korean performance brand took home five consecutive TCR class wins, thanks to the 2.0-liter turbocharged Theta engine inside the i30 N, the Veloster N, and the Elantra N.

For this year’s Nurburgring 24 Hours, team Hyundai Motorsport N is back not only to claim its sixth class title but also to test a new prototype engine that will shape the future of its ICE performance models.

Two Elantra N1 Cup Evo cars serve as test beds for this prototype powertrain, slotting into the SP4T category as the Elantra N1 RP. It’s worth noting that this class is reserved for vehicles with engines between 2,001cc and 2,600cc, promoting from the 2.0-liter turbo class and directly competing against the Subaru WRX NBR Challenge.

Interestingly, the worldwide TCR regulations were recently revised to accommodate engines up to 2.5 liters, leading us to believe that this slightly larger-displacement four-banger being tested will propel the next generation of N models.

Piloting the sole #830 Elantra N TCR are the regulars, Marc Basseng and Manuel Lauck, along with 2022 WTCR champion Mikel Azcona and GT3 driver Nico Bastian.

Both Azcona and Lauck will also drive the #302 N1 RP with Mark Wallenwein and Kim Young-chan, while the #303 will be in the hands of Gyumin Kim, Shin Woo-hyun, Carlos Jose Sepulveda Irizarry, and Wallenwein.

The 2026 Nurburgring 24 Hours will be streamed live on May 16-17 on its official YouTube channel, starting at 9pm Philippine time.