Super Street – October 2019

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Time truly flies when you stop to consider that Hyundai vehicles have been sold stateside

since 1986. Although it started off as a cost-conscious brand, the Korean manufacturer has strived

to change consumers’ perceptions throughout the years. Things like offering a 10-year/100,000-mile

powertrain warranty showed confidence in its engineering. The Genesis Coupe was the company’s

first foray into the rear-wheel-drive sport compact segment against the likes of the 350Z, Mustang,

and Camaro. Hyundai then launched its luxury marque, Genesis, in a demonstration of its capacity for

refinement. Hyundai now sets its sights on the performance segment, launching the first of its “N”

Performance vehicles in the U.S., the 2019 Veloster N.

Forged in Namyang,

Honed on the Nürburgring

Hyundai brought in the former head of

BMW’s M division, Albert Biermann, to lead

the Performance Division of the Hyundai

Motor Group. Biermann’s vision for Hyundai’s

performance line is designated simply by the

letter “N,” representing a duality of meaning:

one for the Namyang R&D Center in South

Korea where the Veloster N was engineered and

developed, and the second for the Nürburgring,

where Hyundai has a development center at the

track, on which it was refined. For the Veloster

N, Hyundai chose the 306hp Honda FK8 Civic

Type R as its performance benchmark. Hyundai

knew it had to step up to compete with Honda’s

latest sport compact car. Enter the 275hp,

turbocharged Theta II-i engine...

Theta Generations

The Theta engine family was introduced in the

’06 Sonata. This naturally aspirated, multi-port,

fuel-injected engine employed constant variable

valve timing (CVVT) on the intake camshaft. In

2009, the Theta II engine was released across

multiple platforms. This engine included several

block design revisions in order to add CVVT to

THETA DATA

PROBING INTO

HYUNDAI’S

VELOSTER N

PERFORMANCE

POWERTRAIN

The turbocharged Theta II-i engine mounts transversely and drives the front wheels by

way of a six-speed transmission with an electronically controlled limited-slip differential.

The polymer intake manifold features valve plates linked

to a valve control module. The plates are partially closed

to generate a tumble flow effect at low engine speed

and opened completely when the throttle is opened for

maximum performance.

the exhaust camshaft. The Theta II engine,

available both naturally aspirated and

turbocharged, was offered across several

vehicle platforms. One of the turbocharged

versions powered the Genesis Coupe.

Theta II, Turbocharged

The Theta II engine that powered

variants of the Genesis Coupe was

longitudinally mounted for a rear-wheel-

drive configuration. This 210hp engine (’09

to ’12) featured a single-scroll Mitsubishi

TD04 turbocharger and a hydraulically

controlled CVVT on both camshafts. For the

’13-to-’14 models, the Theta II was upgraded

with a larger turbocharger and electronic