Hyundai Motorsport, WRC Livery

Hyundai Motorsport Livery
Hyundai Motorsport

Hyundai Motorsport, the formidable works team of Hyundai in the World Rally Championship (WRC), commissioned a fresh livery design to enhance brand visibility on the race track.

In response to Hyundai's quest for heightened brand visibility in the 1998 World Rally Championship (WRC), a dynamic project unfolded. Tasked with creating a new livery design for the Hyundai Coupe Evo2 rally car, I assumed the role of designer, charged with ensuring that the team's colors were boldly represented. Additionally, meticulous attention was paid to the placement of paid sponsorship logos. Leveraging design tools like Illustrator, I meticulously crafted the final layout design, ensuring seamless integration with the rally car's structure. Moreover, I played a pivotal role in integrating a compass into the actual rally car, facilitating the creation of templates for paint sprayers, thus streamlining the execution process.

Hyundai's entry into the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 1998 marked a significant milestone in the company's motorsport history. That year, Hyundai debuted its Hyundai Coupe, also known as the Hyundai Coupe Kit Car, in the F2 category of the WRC. The car was based on the Hyundai Tiburon, also known as the Hyundai Coupe in some markets.

The Hyundai Coupe Kit Car was developed by the British motorsport engineering firm Motor Sport Developments (MSD), led by David Whitehead. It featured a 2.0-liter engine producing around 270 horsepower, front-wheel drive, and a sequential gearbox. The car competed in select rounds of the WRC, showcasing Hyundai's ambition to establish itself as a competitive force in rallying.

While the Hyundai Coupe Kit Car showed promise in some events, it faced challenges typical of a new entrant in the highly competitive world of rallying. Despite its limited success in the WRC, Hyundai's participation laid the groundwork for its future endeavors in motorsport. Over the years, Hyundai has continued to invest in rallying and other forms of motorsport, eventually achieving significant success, including multiple WRC manufacturer titles.

Joanne Belcher
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