Back in 2014 the world was stunned to learn that Albert Biermann, the man who worked for the BMW M division for over 30 years, decided to leave. It wasn’t the fact that he left that was shocking as much as the company he left for. Biermann joined Hyundai and was appointed the head of Vehicle Test & High Performance Development that would eventually become the Hyundai N sub-brand. Today, the result of the hard work of the 59-year old engineer was unveiled.
The fact that Hyundai chose the letter N for its performance brand and that its logo uses colors close to those of BMW’s Motorsport division are not just coincidences. The Korean company clearly stating, repeatedly, that it wants a piece of the high-performance pie shared by BMW. With the new Hyundai RN30 Concept, the company is definitely making a statement and the work of Biermann is definitely up to par with the standards we’ve become used to.
The man overlooked the development of the BMW F80 M3, F82 M4 and the current M5 and M6 models while also launching the hugely successful M Performance cars, as well. His latest creation suggests he’s still out for blood with performance one of his top priorities, as the Hyundai RN30 Concept comes with a 2-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine good for some 380 HP and 330 lb-ft of torque. The dual-clutch gearbox sends power to all four wheels while an advanced electronic limited-slip differential will prevent skidding while being driven fast.
According to the Korean company, the car was developed entirely on the Nurburgring, a place Biermann knows a thing or two about. For now, the RN30 is just a concept but judging by the looks of things it won’t be long until we’ll get to see the road-going version up for sale.
The article Former BMW M Chief Engineer, Man Behind the Hyundai RN30 Concept appeared first on BMW BLOG
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