My Elantra N is my third car that I have owned and the second one I bought specifically for track usage.  My Mk 7.5 GTI was everything I needed for a beginner’s track car - easy to drive fast, very approachable to self-service, it was practical, and it was a manual.  In its peak build, the car was capable of 1:54s at the Ridge Motorsports Park.  With a stage 1 tune and very light suspension work, the car had the perfect chassis-power balance.  Needless to say, it was a great car, but the final setup was limited, unless I was willing to step up to aftermarket coilovers and bigger brakes.  After a fitting send off at Global Time attack, exactly one year from the date I bought my GTI, I made the step up to the Hyundai Elantra N.  

Some background that led to this decision is that I am a big fan of FWD cars.  They are just too much fun and are like a big go-kart, plus it's always satisfying seeing the point-by from the Corvettes or Porsches in a little hatchback.  Driving this drivetrain fast is challenging because it requires deliberate inputs to reach quick lap times, so it is very rewarding for me.  I do have some feelings of unfinished business with FWD at the Ridge and someone needs to stick it to the Civics.

Realistically my options for an upgraded FWD car were extremely limited.  The new FL5 Type R is priced too expensive with markups, nearing M2 range.  After doing research and speaking to some FK8 owners, that platform has overheating issues on track which requires a decent level of modification to fix.  While I considered alternatives like a Golf R, I wasn’t convinced it would be that much faster than the GTI.  Taking all of the above into thought, that’s when I settled on the Elantra N.  It was practical as an only car and it was oriented towards track usage.  N cars are a rare sight in my area and I was always enamored by the N brand as the marketing appealed to me.  I had seen a couple at my local track, but no one was pushing them at a good pace, and it always made me curious how quick it could go.  Still given that, there are some unknowns diving headfirst into the Elantra, but I decided it was worth the commitment.  

A downside is that the aftermarket is not fully established for these cars, but the plan isn’t to modify the car significantly - in fact it's to modify it as little as possible.  To get started for now: camber bolts, wheels & tires, brake pads & fluid, and that’s all. I’ve yet to drive it on track, but with a simple setup like that, it should be a great track car.  With a set of 18x9s, a 255/35/18 setup would be ideal, and Kumho V730s would be my first choice of tire to try out.  For brake pads, I’d like to run Cobalt XR2s.  I ran both of those consumables on the GTI and they were amazing.  The V730s are a value tire that lasted many track days and provided steady lap times throughout a full session.  The Cobalt pads provide strong braking stability with a more mild initial bite - perfect for many sections at the Ridge.

Although it has a significantly longer wheelbase than the GTI, it has a near identical one with the Type R (which is obviously a very capable car).  I’m looking forward to seeing how the handling will be different coming from the GTI and how I will need to adjust my driving.  I am a decent way through my break in period for the car and I cannot wait for it to get out on track in the Elantra.