And yes, the DK in its name does refer to none other than the Drift King himself: Keiichi Tsuchiya.
While the IONIQ 5 N has been widely accepted in the automotive enthusiast circle as being one of the most fun-to-drive EVs around to date, Hyundai has somehow managed to make its even more so. Such is as the South Korean automaker has recently revealed at the Tokyo Auto Salon a DK Edition of its performance EV, with the DK here being an acronym for ‘Drift King’.
Yes, Hyundai had revealed an IONIQ 5 N which it has developed specifically for excelling in going sideways. And yes, as the Drift King moniker suggest, this EV not just pays homage to, but was actually developed in collaboration with the drifting legend himself: Keiichi Tsuchiya.
Now taking a slight tangent here to provide a bit of background to those who are unfamiliar with Keiichi Tsuchiya, he is essentially the man who is widely seen as being responsible for making drifting into a real sport. He also served as a consultant for the Initial D series, of which the main character Takumi Fujiwara is incidentally a character which describes him.
Getting back to the DK Edition meanwhile, this sideways special IONIQ 5 N nets a slew of new parts to make it better at doing just that. At each corner are a wider 21-inch forged rims, with a knurled barrel as to better grip its tires while they’re being shredded across the tarmac.
Behind said alloys in turn hide six-piston monoblock duralumin calipers, squeezing on performance brake pads that are have a 54% larger surface over the stock items. There are also to be a new set of lowering springs fitted to the DK Edition, which drop the car by a further 15 mm for a lower overall centre of gravity.
The DK Edition comes with its own unique aero kit too, that includes a custom carbon-fibre splitter, diffuser, rear wing and side skirts, which altogether supposedly generate an additional 93 kg of downforce. And it might not have escaped one’s notice that this sideways special comes not painted in the traditional N blue, but instead the customary Initial D hachiroku panda black and white, with a flash of green that is Keiichi Tsuchiya’s signature colour.
Hyundai has thus far not detailed any powertrain mods for this DK Edition, but the regular IONIQ 5 N’s 650 PS dual-motor setup should nevertheless provide more than sufficient oomph to get this EV to kick its tail out with ease. The real sad news however is that this sideways special is unfortunately only officially available in Japan and Korea when it launches later this year…
“The IONIQ 5 N DK Edition was directly evaluated and developed by Keiichi Tsuchiya, a living legend in motorsports,” says Park Jun-woo, head of Hyundai’s N division. “Through the parts package that combines his driving know-how and Hyundai Motor Company’s technological prowess, we will be able to provide a special experience to customers who enjoy driving and love high-performance cars.”
“I have experienced the Ioniq 5 N many times and have been surprised and delighted every time, and I met Hyundai N to tune the best high-performance electric vehicle to my style,” Tsuchiya said in a statement. “I hope you will experience another level of enjoyment with the Ioniq 5 N through the DK Edition, which was completed with Keiichi Tsuchiya’s sensibility and Hyundai N’s technological prowess.”
