The Hyundai Elantra GT N Line did not come alone to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit; it has the 2019 Velostar N TCR for company. This race car from the South Korean is eligible to race in the 2019 International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Michelin Pilot Challenge series and the 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge. Doesn’t it feel tempting to own a car that has raced the tracks?

It Seems Like A Winner Already

The Velostar N has been built by the Germany-based Hyundai Motorsports team that built the championship-winning i30 N TCR as well. Since it is a race car, let’s put out the specs right away - the 2019 Velostar N TCR is powered by a 2.0-liter, direct-injection four-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 350 horses and 332 pound-feet of torque. The suspension is a MacPherson strut setup up front and four-arm multilink at the back. Two-piston Brembo calipers up front and six-piston Brembo calipers in the rear take care of the braking duties. The 2019 Hyundai Velostar N TCR rides on 10x18 inch aerodynamic Braid-rim wheels that are specially designed for Hyundai Motorsport. The ECU, power management system and the instrumentation has been done by Life Racing.

These Add-ons Differentiate It From The Street-Legal Velostar N

The 2019 Velostar N TCR is largely based on the i30 N TCR that secured both, the Team championship and the Manufacturer championship in the 2018 Pirelli World Challenge TCR class.When seen from the outside, it looks like the car is gliding over the roads. It comes with some enormous fender flares, a massive aero body kit and a gigantic rear tail wing bolted onto the center of the tailgate. It uses steel and composite fiber paneling for the bodywork and has a steel roll cage. On the inside, the Velostar N TCR comes with racing seats, six-point harnesses with HANS compatibility and a configurable driver's display. This fast car weighs just 2,833 pounds.

This Is A Clever Marketing Strategy

Hyundai is very sly when it comes to marketing cars. Previously, the i30 N TCR has been racing in markets where the i30 N road car is not available. In the U.S., the i30's equivalent is the Elantra GT, but the South Korean doesn’t offer the ‘N’ version of it. However, it offers the Velostar N here, so now people can buy the car that the legal version of the car that they will be seeing ripping the roads at the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.

Bryan Herta Autosport, the designated Veloster N TCR retailer in the U.S., will race two cars in the upcoming season. The team has assigned one car to the veterans, Michael Lewis and Mark Wilkins, while the other will be driven by 18-year-old Harry Gottsacker and 20-year-old Mason Filippi. Can they win the coveted titles this year as well?

Final Thoughts

Both, the Velostar N TCR and the i30 N TCR, can take part in the Pilot Challenge and the Blancpain GT World Challenge. But in the Blancpain GT World Challenge, only the regular Hyundai Veloster N is eligible in the TC class. Now that we have shown you this car’s strong resume, you don’t expect to get it for a cheap price, do you? Customers can get this car for $155,000 plus shipping from the March of this year. Love it or leave it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Hyundai Veloster N TCR.

Read our full review on the 2019 Hyundai Veloster N.

Read our full review on the 2019 Hyundai Veloster.

Read our full review on the 2019 Hyundai Veloster.