Hyundai->ke201 is gearing up to make a big impact at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show->ke235, with the introduction of its new N high-performance sub-brand. Now that Hyundai has delivered on quality, it wants to be seen as a purveyor of performance cars as well, and like BMW M->ke546 and Mercedes-AMG->ke8, it plans to so through its N sub-brand. To launch N, Hyundai is introducing its new 2016 i20 World Rally Championship car and the N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo concept, which will appear exclusively in Gran Turismo 6->ke3689. Hyundai is also bringing the mid-engine 2015 Hyundai Veloster RM15 concept from earlier this year.

The new i20 rally car will be one of the first WRC->ke523 cars we'll see that conforms to new rules for 2016. That means a much wider body, more aero, less weight and a 1.6-liter engine producing around 380 horsepower. Hyundai is eager to tie N to its motorsport activities, so expect an i20 N hot-hatch for the road in the near future.

The N Vision Gran Turismo has only been teased up to this point, but it appears to be track-day car, similar in concept to the 2016 BAC Mono, with a Le Mans prototype-style fin over the rear body work. Hyundai says it “highlights sustainable technology and race car design,” which means it will probably have a gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain of some kind. Styling looks pretty promising from what we can see, and it will likely point the way forward for future N products. We’ll have a full review soon.

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Why it matters

The one thing conspicuously missing from all this a road car. We know Hyundai has been working on consumer N cars, but unless it still has a surprise awaiting us in Frankfurt, we won’t be seeing any right away. In addition to the i20 N, we’re also expecting to see an i30 N, possibly called the Elantra->ke1391 N in North America. Racy-looking i30 prototypes spotted ripping around the Nürburgring->ke999 would seem to substantiate this.

Another obvious candidate to the get the N treatment is the 2016 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. If that happens, expect the (possibly turbocharged) V-6 to send around 400 horsepower to the rear wheels, and aggressive visual updates to match the performance. A more powerful Veloster N with around 230 horsepower seems like a good bet, too.

So, why the letter N? N stands for Namyang, a district south of Seoul, Korea that’s also home to Hyundai’s research and development center. The letter also has strong associations with the Nürburgring, where Hyundai has a test center.

2015 Hyundai RM15

Read our full review here.