Hyundai shows off incredible retro NVision74 hydrogen prototype

The N Vision 74 is a super retro rolling laboratory for Hyundai investigating the potential of hydrogen fuel cells in a high-performance context. We can talk about powerplant in a minute though… because look at it! It’s a tribute to the ill-fated Giugiaro-penned Hyundai Pony Coupe with more than a few dollops of motorsport madness, akin to the Group 5 special production rules of the mid-‘70s. This thing has enormous vented arches, a gurning floor-scraping, chin splitter and a rear end that’s all wing, diffuser and retro-fabulous pixels.

Underneath the lusty exterior beats the heart of an experimental prototype, with a hybrid hydrogen-electric powertrain good for over 670PS (493kW). It’s hybrid because in addition to the hydrogen fuel cell, the N Vision 74 has the kind of 62.4kWh battery you might find in a battery-electric road car, as well as the marque’s 800-volt electric architecture. The fuel cell itself is described as the most advanced Hyundai has ever built, weighing just 4.2kg. It’s claimed it can run on both the battery and the hydrogen system independently, though it’s a combination of both that delivers maximum performance and indeed, the best cooling efficiency. When not being absolutely spanked, it should also deliver a monster driving range of well over 372 miles.

There aren’t any performance figures yet given this is a freshly-finished one-off prototype but we can expect it’ll be rapid. We can also expect, judging by the imagery, for it to be a lively character on and over the limit, with those torque vectoring twin rear motors working overtime. Two things, Hyundai: Can we have a go and can you put it into production?