Only Europeans can see the Hyundai i30 N Project C

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Again, not literally. What that title means is that the Hyundai i30 N Project C is available only to European customers, and they’re the ones most likely to see the car on the roads. The i30 N Project C is a lighter, more aggressive, and hotter version of the i30 N hot hatch.

According to Hyundai, the ‘C’ stands for 3 things. The first is the Area C high-performance test track at Hyundai Namyang R&D Center, which is the birthplace of N sub-brand, the second reason is that the Project C is the first Hyundai road car to use carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) body parts, and lastly, the centre of gravity has been lowered by 8.8 mm compared to the aforementioned 275 PS i30 N.

The bonnet (-7.2 kg), both side sills (-499 grams each), front splitter (+240 grams), newly designed rear diffuser (-386 grams), and 19-inch OZ racing wheels (-22 kg) have all resulted in shaving off the weight. The Project C’s kerb weight is 1,395 kg (vs 1,429 – 1,509 kg of 275 PS i30 N).

Further weight savings come from the lighter, manually operated Sabelt competition front bucket seats with CFRP backings (-7.5 kgs each). The interiors feature a generous amount of Alcantara. To go with the calipers outside, all seat belts are drenched in Deep Orange color.

Red contrast stitching, brushed aluminium billet shift knob, Deep Orange drive mode and N-mode thumb paddles on the steering wheel, and a limited edition xx/600 badge on the passenger side add more oomph factor to the interior experience.

The i30 N Project C is 6 mm closer to the road – with the centre of gravity effectively 8.8 mm lower – thanks to new internal calibrations for the existing i30 N dampers and new shorter, stiffer suspension springs. The rear wheel hangers – or ‘knuckles’ – at the hubs together remove 4.66 kg as here they are made from aluminium, Hyundai said.

The steering and suspension on i30 N Project C are considered a benchmark for the most enthusiastic i30 N drivers. ‘Project C’ refers specifically to the Namyang R&D Center’s high-performance circuit called ‘Area C’. But the car has been equally dialed in at the Nürburgring Hyundai Technical Center in Meuspath. – Alexander Eichler, Head of High Performance Vehicle Test and Development at Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center

As for the business end, the i30 N Project C is powered by the same 2.0 T-GDI (1,998 cc) engine, producing the same 275 metric hp at 6,000 rpm and 353 Nm of torque between 1,450 – 4,700 rpm. However, with Overboost function, the engine offers 378 Nm of torque between 1,750 – 4,200 rpm.

A 6-speed manual transmission sends power to the front wheels. A 0 – 100 km/h acceleration is claimed to happen in 6.0 seconds, which is 0.1 seconds quicker than the other one, and the top speed is the same 250 km/h.

Now, going back to the title, even the Europeans might not be able to see the i30 N Project C often, as it is “strictly limited” to 600 units.

With this limited edition, we have strategically reduced the weight of the car where it can help most, made its overall handling more immediate and optimised its design for even greater performance. – Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group’s Product Division