Hyundai’s Game-Changing Performance Car Is So Damn Good, It Even Has Porsche Engineers Impressed

Hyundai did such a phenomenal job engineering its high-performance Ioniq 5 N electric vehicle that Porsche used it as a benchmark for developing the 718 EV. In a recent interview, Porsche’s chief engineering team openly admitted to Australia’s Drive that they were beyond impressed.

During a recent and crucial test period for the 718 EV, Frank Moser, the product vice president for the 911 and 718, and even the chief for the track- and motorsports-focused 911 GT3, Andreas Preuninger, all admitted that Hyundai got it right.

It amounts to some monumental feedback, as you won’t be likely to find higher praise.

A true eye-opener

Just last year, Hyundai shocked the world when it launched the Ioniq 5 N. It was the world’s first dedicated thoroughbred performance EV.

Moreover, it blows the doors off many purpose-built sports cars in both a straight line and the corners. And it doesn’t exactly cost an arm and a leg.

Chris Chin

With over 641 total system horsepower and a maximum torque output of 740 pound-feet, the Ioniq 5 N sprints to 60 miles per hour in just three seconds flat. And, it comes standard with sport-tuned steering, adaptive suspension, sticky tires, all-wheel drive, the lot.

“We learnt a lot from that [Ioniq 5 N]. I drove it several times. They made it really, really good,” Moser told Drive at a special Porsche event down yonder.

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“It was eye-opening, I remember I drove it with Andy Preuninger, he’s my ‘Mr. GT’,” Moser continued, referring to Preuninger’s reputation as the man in charge of the 911 GT3. “I said to him, ‘Come on, I’m going to pick you up in the Ioniq 5 N.’ He said, ‘Leave me alone, I don’t want any of that electric stuff.'”

“We entered the car and I pressed the [N Grin Boost] button, and he was ‘Wow.’ They did something which was impressive.”

A true game changer

Chris Chin

While companies like Porsche, Lucid and Tesla have all proved electric vehicles can be blisteringly fast, none of them have really delivered a complete performance package. That includes handling, especially at an affordable price point.

Chris Chin

Such a discussion discounts electric hypercars, like the Rimac Nevera and Lotus Evija, mainly because those are super-exclusive, high-dollar vehicles. They’re not exactly easily attainable and it’s obvious they’re going to be outrageous performance cars as their whole purpose is to push well beyond the outside of the envelope.

Chris Chin

Cars like the Taycan and the Model S Plaid may have proved affordable EVs can be insanely quick in a straight line. But none of them served up the full-fledged experience in the same way a purebred sports car does, like a BMW M3 or a Honda Civic Type R.

The Ioniq 5 N changed all of that. But it’s not just the performance that impressed Team Porsche.

The Ioniq 5 N’s most controversial features are also its most impressive

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What truly impressed Moser and Preuninger is the Ioniq 5 N’s ability to simulate an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and engine noise. All electric vehicles essentially come without a stepped transmission in a conventional sense.

They also don’t generate any noise like an ICE engine does. Rather, the electric motors are silent in operation and feature a single-speed drive unit, or multiple drive units, to propel the wheels.

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The system doesn’t need a transmission like a traditional internal combustion car does. The single-speed motor allows electric vehicles to deliver uninterrupted power. But it also resulted in a perceptible difference in the driving experience.

The lack of a stepped transmission also has many enthusiasts confounded and divided.

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To make the Ioniq 5 N more appealing and to “ease the transition” away from ICE-powered cars, the geniuses at Hyundai’s N division programmed simulated gear changes and a redline to mimic their experience.

But despite its controversy for being “faked,” the simulation hasn’t upset Porsche’s engineers. Rather, it thoroughly impressed them.

Chris Chin

Such praise from some of the best performance engineers in the industry might be truly validating. But in actuality, it really isn’t all that surprising.

That’s because Albert Biermann, was one of the masterminds behind the development of the Ioniq 5 N. Biermann is the former chief engineer responsible for making BMW M what it is today.

He left BMW to work for Hyundai in the early 2010s. Even after retiring halfway through the decade, he still remains on Hyundai’s executive advisory board as an engineering consultant.

A real eye-opener

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“This is the way,” Moser said, in reference to the simulated gears and engine noise. But he also expressed his belief that drivers should have the option to turn it all off. And drivers can in the Ioniq 5 N.

“The customer could decide if he wants to drive in complete silent mode, or he wants to be part of the game, feeling the virtual sounds of a flat six and the virtual gear shifts,” Moser elaborated. “That would be the direction for the future.”

Chris Chin

Moser admitted that he and his team often test and study other vehicles to see what other manufacturers are doing. Such assessments allows them to remain competitive and set new benchmarks.

With the Ioniq 5 generating all the buzz, he knew he had to get a closer look.

“That’s why we decided to have a deeper look at the car. That’s a nice car with that feature,” Moser said, discussing the simulated noises and gear changes. “It was an eye-opener for us.”

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Does this mean future Porsche EVs could incorporate similar technologies? It’s possible. But CEO Stephan Winkelmann remains at odds with the idea.

“Personally – this is not something which has to be true for the future – I tend to disagree on having fake combustion [petrol] engine sounds on electric cars,” he told Drive in another interview earlier this year.

Porsche’s first dedicated sports EV, the 718, is on track to launch sometime in early 2027.

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