The new Hyundai Veloster rally car makes its 2011 Chicago Auto Show debut

Last week, Hyundai teased their new rally car in a single high-flying picture and yesterday, the new Veloster Rally Car made its debut at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show.

While this Red Bull-clad Hyundai Veloster bears a striking resemblance to the innovative 3-door hatchback the made its debut at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, the Veloster racer unveiled in Chicago is a beast of a compact. Hyundai worked with long-time racing partner Rhys Millen Racing to turn the new compact into a wicked rally racer and while the drivetrain and chassis are nothing like the production street version, the Veloster’s form makes for a great looking rally car.

Rhys Millen Racing began by stripping the Hyundai Veloster down to the bare chassis and replaced all of the stock body panels with lightweight carbon fiber and Kevlar components – cutting the body weight by almost 75%. Next, with the interior removed, RMR fitted up a competition grade roll cage, a Sparco race seat, and the necessary gauges to monitor the goings-on of the high performance drivetrain. Finally, the modified lightweight body received the Red Bull livery that has become so familiar with the Hyundai racing program.

The standard engine in the new Hyundai Veloster is a 138hp, 1.6L 4-cylinder but Rhys Millen Racing pulled that in favor of Hyundai’s 2.0L 4-cylinder. With the help of a HKS turbocharger setup, this beefy 4-cylinder makes 500 horsepower and 600lb-ft of torque and all of that power is sent to the wheels by means of a Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox an Xtrac four-wheel drive system. Helping the Veloster handle the rough roads, Rhys Millen Racing has fitted the car up with a heavy duty racing suspension and to make the tightest turns, 14” Alcon rotors up front and 12” units out back allow the Veloster to stop on a dime. Finally, HRE white alloy wheels finish the look of the Rhys Millen/Red Bull Hyundai Veloster rally car with Hankook tires providing traction on-road and off.

The new Red Bull Hyundai Veloster Rally Car with compete in the 2011 U.S. Rallycross Championship driven by Millen, Robby Maddison and Marcus Dodd – with Millen and Maddison will also competing at the Summer X Games. Check out the video below for a closer look (and listen) at the new Hyundai rally car in action and the gallery below has some stills of the new Veloster racer in action.

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