DRIVEN Hyundai's radical new concepts

FIRST VERDICTS The future has arrived, and we've driven it. Here's our verdict on these exciting newcomers

- Adam Towler

EVEN if it weren't driveable, the Hyundai N Vision 74 could just be one of the most interesting and important new concept cars in years. When unveiled, it virtually melted the Internet, such was the interest shown in this bold, retro-inspired - but also futuristic street racer-style coupé.

Yet it does drive, on a mix of both hydrogen and electricity, and we've just had a passenger run in it as Hyundai's test driver held a huge, tyre-smoking powerslide for what felt like minutes. Now it's our turn to get behind the wheel.

But first, consider just what makes this car so special. Its design takes inspiration from Hyundai's first-ever homegrown model, the Pony of 1974. The production car was a saloon, but alongside it was the idea for a coupé, also styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro, which never got past the prototype stage. Fast forward to 2022, and Hyundai's designers have fused the style of that model with cyberpunk, and a look influenced by tuned Japanese cars, into a stunning shape with a strong focus on aerodynamics.