Pirelli Was Tasked To Make Bespoke Tires For The Hyundai i30 N

Khodrocar - Hyundai’s first true performance car is finally here to take on the likes of Golf GTI and Focus ST by being more than just an i30 on steroids. The "everyday sports car” sits on a specification of the Pirelli P Zero UHP (Ultra High Performance) summer tires that no other car in the world has. The reason for that is because Hyundai and Pirelli have teamed up to create a tailor-made set of rubbers for the hot hatchback’s 19-inch alloy wheels.

Marked with the "HN” logo on the sidewall to reflect it’s a bespoke product for the Hyundai i30 N, the 235/35 R19 tire belongs to Pirelli’s "Perfect Fit” portfolio of individual tires created for specific applications. According to Hyundai, this P Zero rubber made by Pirelli at its factory in Italy "has been specially geared to the vehicle’s dynamic characteristics.”

In its highest state of tune, the i30 N offers a healthy 271 horsepower and 260 pound-feet (353 Newton-meters)), with an overboost function that temporarily boosts torque to 279 lb-ft (378 Nm). Its turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine grants the compact performance hatch with a 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) sprint in 6.1 seconds and a respectable top speed of 155 mph (250 kph).

More than 6,213 miles (10,000 kilometers) worth of Nürburgring tests were necessary to fine-tune the i30 N to make sure it would be up to the challenge of rivaling the more established names in the segment, including the 308 GTi. The top-spec Performance version not only has the beefier setup of the engine, but it also brings along an electronically controlled limited slip differential making it more agile around the corners by reducing wheel slip and understeer. It should also sound better as Hyundai will throw in a variable exhaust valve system alternating the raspy noise depending on the chosen driving mode.

The i30 N is a taste of what’s to come in terms of N-branded models are more are en route, including what spy shots have shown to be a Veloster N based on the next-generation model.