09/11/2018, Seoul, Korea
SEOUL, Sept. 11, 2018 — Hyundai Motor today announced its partnership of MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) for the coming three seasons. The signing event was held in the Dorna office in the Misano World Circuit in Italy on September 7th, during which time Hyundai outlined plans to work closely with WorldSBK to carry out diverse, innovative initiatives that will provide Hyundai N Brand experiences to the fans throughout the season.
Hyundai N Brand’s three DNA pillars – Corner Rascal, Everyday Sports Car, and Race Track Capability – make the brand a perfect match for the WorldSBK, the fastest production motorcycle world championship series. The company sees this partnership as a great opportunity to showcase its high performance N Brand to fans of motorcycle racing and high performance cars.
“We are very excited to announce our partnership with WorldSBK because we share the same DNA. All N cars are corner rascals, and the essence of motorcycle racing is cornering. WorldSBK is the fastest production bike race, and all N cars are race track capable whilst providing sports car performance in everyday driving,” said Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President and Head of High Performance Vehicle Motorsport Division at Hyundai. “From our brand experience to driving experience, we will make this partnership a global platform for fans to ‘Feel the Feeling’ of N.”
Marc Saurina, WorldSBK Commerical and Marketing Director added, “I’m so happy to announce this news. We are thrilled to welcome Hyundai and its N performance division into WorldSBK. Hyundai is a global brand with great quality and performance, of which a similar definition could be applied to us. Our WorldSBK Official Safety Car drivers are already dreaming of driving the Hyundai N performance vehicles.”
Throughout this partnership, Hyundai will provide its i30 Fastback N as the Official Safety Car for WorldSBK races. The i30 Fastback N is the third Hyundai N high performance vehicle following i30 N and Veloster N, and will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show this October.
The partnership allows visitors to experience the N Brand models through on-site test drives, using race tracks and external circuits. The company will activate local markets through its regional offices and offer hospitality and various experiences to customers at each race. Through the WorldSBK’s infrastructure, it can efficiently build a global test drive platform that appeals to potential customers.
Hyundai Motorsport was first established to demonstrate the high performance capabilities of Hyundai vehicles, but has since successfully participated in a number of rally and racing events, including the FIA World Rally Championship, Nürburgring 24 Hours and TCR. Its high performance technology was redirected to passenger vehicles, giving birth to the N Brand. As a result, the Hyundai N Brand was first announced in 2015, followed by the launch of its first mass-produced vehicle, i30 N in 2017.
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About Hyundai Motor Company
Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Company is committed to becoming a lifetime partner in automobiles and beyond with its range of world-class vehicles and mobility services offered available in more than 200 countries. Employing more than 110,000 employees worldwide, Hyundai sold more than 4.5 million vehicles globally. Hyundai Motor continues to enhance its product line-up with vehicles that are helping to build solutions for a more sustainable future, such as NEXO – the world’s first dedicated hydrogen-powered SUV.
More information about Hyundai Motor Company and its products can be found at: http://worldwide.hyundai.com or http://globalpr.hyundai.com
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