Automakers won’t readily admit to drawing inspiration from rival brands when developing their products. However, Hyundai Motor Company’s boss takes a different tack, openly admitting his admiration for the iconic 911 from German marque Porsche as his chosen guide.
Hyundai Motor Company CEO Jaehoon 'Jay' Chang
“To build a car like the Porsche 911 not only takes decades but also requires an unshakable commitment to improving something most people already believe to be the perfect sports car,” Hyundai Chief Executive Officer Jaehoon Chang told Australian car website Carexpert.com.au in an interview during the launch of the Ioniq 6 electric sedan.
One of the most successful competition cars ever made, the Porsche 911 has been in production since September 1964. It has been raced extensively by different teams in a variety of classes, with derivatives conquering competitions such as the 24 Hours of Daytona and 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as four consecutive wins at the World Sportscar Championship.
It has earned a place on Sports Car International’s list of the world’s top sports cars for three consecutive decades, apart from being named “best premium sports car on the market” by Car and Driver in 2015.
The Porsche 911 has been one of the most successful models ever made
“Sticking to one design and not changing stuff all the time is what makes that car so special. The 911 doesn’t change,” Chang explained. “I’m not sure anyone can ever emulate something like the 911. It’s almost a perfect form, until the next one comes along.”
It's that same commitment that he hopes to channel towards Hyundai’s team of over 14,500 engineers. “Hyundai Motor is a much younger company (than Porsche) but with no less ambition to build great cars which are also affordable to a much wider market,” he shares. “That’s what the N sub-brand is doing but again, it’s only seven years old this year, which is remarkable to me.”
Hyundai hopes to emulate Porsche's commitment to excellence in developing its own cars
Hyundai has recently revealed the RN22e and N Vision 74 concepts. The former is anchored on the same all-electric Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) that underpins the successful Ioniq 5 electric vehicle, while the latter is a hydrogen fuel-cell hybrid based on Hyundai’s 1974 Pony coupe.
Both cars are part of the company’s testbeds for advanced technologies that will be applied to future production models.
“I’m not saying we will ever build a car to rival the Porsche 911, but if you look at the two Rolling lab concepts we have released this week, the RN22e and N Vision 74, you’ll get an idea of where we are going in terms of sustainable high-performance cars,” Chang said.
Find out what drives automakers in their pursuit of excellence at Philkotse.com.