As promised Hyundai revealed the Veloster Rally car at the Chicago Auto Show developed in cooperation with Rhys Millen Racing. It is a 500 hp monster designed for 2011 X Games and 2011 Rallycross competition.
The Veloster Rally Car is powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine turbocharged and heavily tuned to 500-hp and 600 lb-ft of torque and equipped with rally stuff like the roll-cage, racing suspension and tires. It will be driven by Rhys Millen himself during the 2011 season.
Another Veloster Rally machine will be driven by rally champion Marcus Dodd and freestyle motorbike racer Robbie Maddison in 2011 Rallycross series, while the third car a 2WD version will be driven by a celebrity driver in 2WD class.
2011 U.S. RALLYCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE (schedule is subject to change)
- Rd. 1
March 26-27 Irwindale Speedway, Irwindale, Calif.
- Rd. 2
April 16-17 TBA, West Coast Venue
- Rd. 3
June 18-19 Pikes Peak International Raceway, Pueblo, Colo.
- X Games 17
July 26-31 Los Angeles, Calif.
- Rd. 4
Oct. TBD Road Atlanta, Atlanta, Ga.
- Rd. 5
Oct. 29-30 N.J. Motorsport Park, Millville, N.J. “We feel the Veloster is a perfect fit for X Games and the U.S. Rallycross Championship series as we expand our motorsports efforts,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, Product and Corporate Planning, Hyundai Motor America. “The all-new 2012 Veloster is a playful, fun to drive car and thanks to Rhys and his team we’re excited to introduce it to racing fans ahead of its launch this summer. I teamed up with Rhys’ father, Rod, nearly twenty years ago for Hyundai’s original Pikes Peak rally program, so it is great to be back in the sport again with his son inspiring a new generation.”
“The Veloster Concept inspired me to expand Hyundai’s motorsports program back into their routes of rally,” said Millen, professional race driver and founder of RMR. “We’ve transformed the Veloster’s lightweight, rigid architecture into a rally car with an engine producing 500-horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque. We hope some of the performance learning’s from the Veloster rallycross program have a role in the development of future Veloster models.”
THE CHASSIS BUILD
Twelve RMR employees applied everything they know about fabricating racecars into the Veloster rally Car. The production Veloster was stripped to bare metal and the chassis spent five days in an Alkali bath removing all rubber and adhesives. The chassis was also stitch welded for added structural rigidity.
CARBON/KEVLAR BODY PANELS
Millen quickly decided to take the already light weight Veloster and make it even lighter. His crew took molds of the Veloster body panels to replicate them out of carbon/Kevlar. The hood, doors, quarter panels, front fascia and rear fascia are all built out of carbon/Kevlar. The carbon/Kevlar panels are 75 percent lighter than the sheet metal they replaced. This weight-saving approach is carried throughout the car without compromising its powerful curves and surface detail or hidden third door.
Downforce has been further increased by a custom RMR rear wing. The hood is vented to dissipate heat. The curb weight for the car is 2,656 pounds.
INTERIOR
The interior of the RMR Red Bull Hyundai Veloster rally car is unrecognizable from its origins as a well-appointed sporty coupe designed with everyday driving in mind. All comfort and convenience features are removed to make way for a custom-fabricated eight-point safety cage and firewall which reinforce the Veloster’s already stiff chassis. Braces on the A and B pillars also tie into the strength of the body. The safety cage is required for rallying and a Sparco racing seat further protects the driver in the overhauled cockpit.
SUSPENSION
The RMR Red Bull Hyundai Veloster rally car utilizes a custom suspension with a lot of travel for the jumps rallycross cars have to make.
ENGINE AND TURBO KIT
The Hyundai 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine is further enhanced by a HKS ball bearing turbocharger. The engine is mated to an X-Trac six-speed sequential transmission. The end result is a Veloster that produces 500-horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque.
WHEELS, TIRES AND BRAKES
To ensure that the enhanced power plant translates all the way to track performance, RMR added custom built 18-inch HRE wheels and 245/40-18 Hankook Racing tires. Stopping power comes from 14-inch Alcon brake rotors and six piston Alcon calipers. The entire carbon/Kevlar body is wrapped in a paint scheme combination of blue, white and orange.
ADDITIONAL RHYS MILLEN RACING SPONSORS
- Hankook Tires
- Genius Tools
- Sparco
- BC (Brian Crower)
- HRE Wheels
- NGK spark plugs
- WO-VEN Carbon products
