Hyundai teams up with the ‘Drift King’ for WTA

Drift King Keiichi Tsuchiya will be at the 2024 World Time Attack with Hyundai

Hyundai has enlisted the help of legendary ‘Drift King’ Keiichi Tsuchiya to help launch its first all-electric performance car in Australia.

Tsuchiya will drive – and drift – the new Ioniq 5 N at the upcoming World Time Attack event at Sydney Motorsport Park (September 1-2). The Ioniq 5 N is the brand’s new 478kW hero model, powered by two electric motors and equipped with an ‘N Drift optimiser’ function that Tsuchiya will no doubt test to its limits.

READ MORE: Hyundai Ioniq 5 N detailed

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N features a special drift mode to inject some excitment into the electric performance future

Tsuchiya is widely credited with popularising drifting in Japan in the late 1970s and is the founder of the D1 Grand Prix drift series.

His appearance is part of a wider activation from Hyundai at the World Time Attack event, with the brand ‘taking over’ the Amaroo South pit complex for the two days. There will be a display of not only the Ioniq 5 N but also the first Australian appearance of the refreshed 2024 i30 Sedan N, as well as the company’s TCR racing cars.

Hyundai has been a long-time supporter of the World Time Attack, including building its first in-house racing car in Australia, the i30 Fastback N in 2019.