'We wish to see it on the street': Could Hyundai's epic N Vision Concept actually make it to production?

Hyundai isn’t shy about its desire to turn its highly-regarded concepts into production cars - as it has with the 45 Concept and the Prophecy Concept for its Ioniq 5 and 6 respectively.

But hydrogen is something Hyundai has dabbled with in the recent past, and one of its wilder concepts could be the key to putting a hydrogen-powered sports car on the road.

N Brand and Motorsport Vice President Till Wartenberg has added more fuel to the coals of the possibility of the brand building a production version - however limited it may be - of the N Vision 74 concept car.

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The concept is a hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) with outputs claimed to exceed 500kW and 900Nm, with a 4.2kg hydrogen tank holding the fuel to power its 62.4kWh battery.

Speaking to media in a preview of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Wartenberg was asked about the possibility of hydrogen-powered performance cars in the vein of the N Vision 74 concept car, which he professed significant fondness for, and responded in a relatively optimistic - or at least hopeful - manner.

“My personal wish is that we will see that car on the street in the future, but there’s a lot of discussion to have,” Wartenberg said.

He later reiterated the brand’s continued interest in hydrogen-powered performance cars, mentioning it again in an official statement upon the reveal of the Ioniq 5 N this week.

“Starting with Ioniq 5 N, N brand aims to deliver N’s signature fun driving experience regardless of petrol, electric or hydrogen.”

Hyundai’s executives have all been spruiking the idea of an N Vision production model.

Hyundai President and Chief Creative Officer Luc Donckerwolke also recently told Top Gear that Hyundai is properly considering a production sports car based on the N Vision concept.

“I hate show business. I hate doing show cars and then… nothing,” he told the British outlet.

“We are serious about this. This could come into production. We have the platform - it’s a motorsport platform.”

On top of this, Hyundai’s former head of R&D Albert Biermann, who is best known for his leading role in BMW’s M department previously, told Australian media late last year the N Vision 74 was a prime target for a basis of a more focused sports car model.

“With N we’ve built a reputation that people will trust such a car if it comes from Hyundai N, they will think this is a nice car to have,” he said.

The concept is a hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) with outputs claimed to exceed 500kW and 900Nm.

“You saw the N Vision 74, everyone [went] crazy for the design, of course now there’s a lot of talk of such a car in a limited [volume].”

With at least three of Hyundai’s top brass speaking quite openly and publicly about the idea of a production N Vision 74, it’s looking likely that there’s more to come from this hydrogen coupe.

Recently, the concept was the subject of rumours around a reportedly confirmed production model, though it turned out South Korean media had confused leaked information of the N Vision with the rebuilding of the brand’s heritage concept known as the Pony Coupe, which was rebuilt by its legendary original designer Giorgetto Giugiaro.

Hyundai’s not the only one playing with hydrogen to work out if the future of performance can indeed be green without relying entirely on BEVs, with a Corolla race car even having been tuned to run on burning hydrogen in a combustion engine for a super-low emission output.

Of course, there’s also the Toyota Mirai FCEV, though its presence in the world is about as miniscule as that of Hyundai’s Nexo FCEV SUV.