Watch a mid-engined Hyundai hatch tear up the track with Rimac e-power

Hyundai has unleashed an 810-horsepower, mid-engined hyperhatch with the aid of the EV aces at Rimac.

The RM20e—RM signifies Racing Midships—is a “rolling lab” for testing extreme performance and its prodigious power is matched to 708 lb-ft of twist. Other numbers you may be interested in include 0-62 mph in less than three seconds, and 0-124 mph in 9.88 seconds. Rapid is an understatement.

The mid-engine setup gives the car incredible traction off the line and better weight distribution for improved handling. Despite the all-out racer appearance Hyundai says that it retains “daily driver quietness, responsiveness and road-going capability.”

It’s a step up from the Veloster N eTCR Hyundai developed for the eTCR Touring Car series, and has only been possible thanks to the Korean company’s recent investment in Rimac Automobili, which has provided its electrical expertise. Hyundai says it will launch no less than 44 eco-friendly vehicles by 2025 and Rimac’s tech will, no doubt, play a significant part in that.

Hyundai’s RM project was launched in 2012, and has seen a series of powerful prototypes, but no production car has come out of the program so far. Could the RM20e be the one? Unlikely, but you can enjoy watching it in action in the video below.