Autodiva – Hyundai Motor Company together with Toyota Motor Corporation successfully held the 'Hyundai N x TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Festival' event’ first in South Korea, precisely at Yongin Speedway. Even though the competition is tight in the World Rally Championship (WRC), Hyundai and Toyota come with the same mission, namely promoting motorsport culture in the country and getting closer to automotive fans.
This event was full of enthusiasm from the audience, with tickets sold out. Hyundai and Toyota's commitment to this event emphasizes their efforts to build love for motorsport. Hyundai and Toyota provide production cars as well as high-performance racing cars, featuring a variety of entertaining and challenging actions.
Not only the presence of classy vehicles, This event is even more special with the participation of Euisun Chung, Executive Chair Hyundai Motor Group, dan Akio Toyoda, Chairman Toyota Motor Corporation. A memorable moment was created when the two of them showed off their driving skills. Euisun Chung dan Akio Toyoda, together driving the Toyota Yaris WRC, performing a donut stunt in front of a cheering audience. This action is proof of the friendship and dedication of the two executives to the world of motorsport.
Euisun Chung said that Hyundai, through its high performance N line, is committed to providing an adrenaline-pumping driving experience. “We will continue to move forward in the world of motorsport with Toyota so that more people can experience the sensation of driving,” Chung said. He also added that he really respected Akio Toyoda and their presence together at this event was a great honor for him.
Akio Toyoda, with a warm greeting "Saranghaeyo" (which means “I love you” in Korean), expressed his excitement over this collaboration. According to Toyoda, The idea to hold this festival emerged during a meeting with Chung in Japan at the beginning of the year. Thanks to the collaboration of the two companies, This event was realized in a short time and succeeded in attracting motorsport fans in South Korea.
This festival is not just a static exhibition, but also full of dynamic action. Hyundai N brings the performance of the i20 N Rally 1 Hybrid, two i20 N Rally competition cars 2, as well as high-performance models such as the IONIQ 5 N and Elantra N. Toyota doesn't want to lose either, with the GR YARIS Rally 1 HYBRID, GR Yaris Rally 2, GR Supra, and the GR86 looks stunning.
The actions of professional racers also added to the excitement of this event. Hyundai fielded their flagship racer such as Thierry Neuville, Dani Sordo, Andreas Mikkelsen, and Mikel Azcona. From Toyota, Takamoto Katsuta and Jari-Matti Latvala showed their skills on the track. Participatory programs such as track days are also held, where Hyundai N and Toyota GR car owners can try their cars directly on the circuit.
One of the most interesting things about this event is the 'WRC Taxi' program, which allows customers to experience being in a WRC racing car with professional racers. Not only that, A 'Gymkhana Competition' was also held, bringing together professional Hyundai N and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing racers in a race with customers.
Don't just focus on racing, This festival also embraces wider automotive culture by presenting the 'Show & Shine’ – a custom vehicle exhibition that reflects tuning culture. The event then closed with a lap parade led directly by Euisun Chung and Akio Toyoda, together 66 vehicles from Hyundai N and Toyota Gazoo Racing.
Hyundai N and Toyota don't just show their cars on the circuit, but also showcased high-performance vehicle prototypes in their respective booths. Hyundai displays the RN24 and N Vision 74, two ‘Rolling Labs’ models featuring hydrogen-based high-performance innovations. Meanwhile, Toyota brought the ORC ROOKIE GR Corolla H2 and AE86 H2 concepts, innovative hydrogen-based vehicle.
In closing, Hyundai Motor and Toyota Motor Corporation announced that all proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Korea Automobile Racing Association (KARA). This initiative aims to support the development of motorsport in South Korea, while strengthening domestic automotive culture.
This festival is also clear evidence of Hyundai's commitment to developing motorsport culture. Hyundai has had a long history of holding automotive festivals, starting from the 'Hyundai Click Speed Festival’ to the 'Hyundai N Festival’ which has been going on since 2019. Hyundai has also been active in the world of racing since 2012 on his return to the WRC. With the high performance brand Hyundai N, the company continues to launch vehicles that satisfy automotive enthusiasts, like IONIQ 5 N is environmentally friendly and offers a typical motorsport driving sensation.
Hyundai and Toyota collaboration at the 'Hyundai N x TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Festival’ proves that despite the competition, the two companies can unite to develop a more inclusive and environmentally friendly automotive future.
