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Interview with Hyundai performance boss Albert Biermann

Stefan Baldauf
Interview with Albert Biermann
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You have a lot of experience in the automotive industry. How was it when you took over the N project for Hyundai, compared to what you have experienced so far?

B iermann: To be honest: not much different. There is also a great passion for fast cars and motorsport in Korea. There is a lively club scene there, with a few one-make cups, in which there is hard fighting. My colleagues on the team have already looked very closely at the competition and knew what to do. I then suggested that we also define suitability for the racetrack as a core property for our N models.

Now you even want the i30 N to compete in the 24-hour race start the Nürburgring. What is the status of the project?

Biermann: We already had one vehicle in use at VLN1, the second car was in use at VLN2. The two cars differ in details, in the second car we are testing, among other things, a special racing suspension. But both vehicles are very close to series production.

Why this differentiation?

Biermann: With one vehicle we want both prove the speed as well as the stability of the series product. With the other, we want to sound out what potential the i30 N might still have.

For what reason? Are you aiming for a lap record?

Biermann: No, we will not take part in this game. My dream would rather be to host a one-make cup with the i30 N.

How close to reality is this dream?

Biermann: As I said, we are currently exploring the potential with the VLN races and the 24-hour race. It should be possible to build the car at a reasonable cost. In my opinion, that would work particularly well if it could be produced on a production line together with the series vehicles.

Precisely for this reason it would be better to avoid using a special racing chassis, right? not?

Biermann: That's right. And actually the Cup car should essentially correspond to the production model. But we still have to try out how well the series components work in comparison with motorsport components. So far I can say: With the series partswe drive amazingly well.

Why is that?

Biermann: Because we are already making the production model as consistently as possible trimmed for sportiness. And that means that for that reason alone we drive 10,000 kilometers of endurance run on the Nordschleife. Hardly any manufacturer can afford that today. We do this, however, with every new series and especially with the high-performance models.

However, the vehicle looks very simple. Why is that?

Biermann: The i30 N will not celebrate its world premiere until September at the IAA. At this point in time we could have used a few pre-production parts, but that does not meet our expectations of quality. So it is now about the technology, not the optics.

Bernhard Schoke
Will be unveiled at the IAA: Hyundai i30 N.
How does the technology of the VLN vehicles differ from the series vehicle?

Biermann: In addition to the safety equipment, only in a few points. We use a racing clutch with a single-mass flywheel, other brake pads, harder springs and of course racing tires. With the second car we are running an alternative program, so to speak. So if we find that a series part is not enough, we have a back-up.

So everything else is series.

Biermann: Yes, the dampers for example. As in the series, we also use regulated shock absorbers in the racing car. Changes to the set-up can then be implemented using the software alone.

What is your experience with the series components?

Biermann: As I said, they have already done hundreds of laps on the Nordschleife, so it all fits very well.

The performance is also at series level ?

Biermann: Yes, on the upper tolerance. The basis is the variant with the performance package. Thanks to the racing catalytic converter with lower exhaust back pressure, the output is around 285 hp.

What in the SP3T class, in which the carstarts, is not excessive. Why not more steam?

Biermann: Here we are back to the topic of series technology. We want to demonstrate that the near-series vehicle can even survive the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. A possible class win is not in the focus.

Apropos Nürburgring: What does the N in the model name actually stand for?

Biermann: When I started my new job at Hyundai, I actually first asked what the meaning of the N was. My boss immediately said it was 'natural for Namyang.' This is our development center and also the home of our High Performance Center in Korea. Then I said: “Why not for the Nürburgring too?” After all, we have a test center there. And when I looked at the production of the i30, my colleagues there said: “Of course, the N also stands for Nošovice” - our plant in the Czech Republic. The most important message, however, is that every N-model should inspire great enthusiasm for the next curves. Thus our N stands as a symbol for a winding road or chicane - we at N love curves.

And what else should the i30 N embody?

Biermann: In addition to driving fun, it also stands for technical substance. The i30 N doesn't just survive a lap or two on the racetrack, you can really take it there. Then: the price-performance ratio. We're certainly not cheap Jakob, but Hyundai always stands for cars that offer a lot of value for the money. This of course also applies to the i30 N.

Vita Albert Biermann

Born May 28, 1957

1983 Career start at BMW

2000 Technical Director Sports and Touring Cars at BMW M

2003 Project Manager X5, X5 /6 M

2008 Head of Development BMW M

2015 Executive Vice President, Head of Vehicle Test & High Performance Development Hyundai

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