Bonneville by hybrid

Nothing alive exists on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Except, that is, for a few weeks in September when this sun-cooked lakebed draws a strange crowd of speed seekers and spectators.

Under the late-summer sun, the Salt Flats bake in hell’s own oven and creates a unique medical condition for spectators known as Bonneville balls.

Let’s just say, if you wear short pants be prepared. Slop some sunblock on the family jewels because the sun bounces off the snow white salt and reflects upward reaching areas rarely exposed to the light of day.

There is no other place like Bonneville, which sits at an elevation of 1286 metres.

The high summer ambient temperature, thin elevated air and compacted layer of salt combine to make Bonneville the perfect place for an assault on a world speed record.

As odd and unique as its surroundings, it seems even odder as to why a Korean car company with no motorsport program has arrived with a hybrid sedan. Is Hyundai lost; or simple has it lost its mind?

Hyundai arrived this year seeking to set an FIA-recognised world speed record for a standard-bodied hybrid car with the new Ioniq. The record attempt is timed with the Ioniq’s arrival in US and European dealerships, and the grand marketing plan if all goes well is to set a record and thumb its nose at Toyota Prius.

Hyundai attempted the record run in September but has waited until today to reveal the Ioniq land-speed prototype still covered in salt spray before an audience that truly understands speed -- at the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Hyundai travelled to Bonneville to make history as well as be part of history.

Bonneville has a habit of turning no-names into legends. Craig Breedlove, Art Arfons, Mickey Thompson as well as Brits Malcolm Campbell and Sterling Moss have inked the record books. So too has an eccentric Kiwi astride an old Indian. Hyundai obviously wants some of that Bonneville greatness to rub off on the Ioniq.

But, hybrid and speed are rarely two words that logically exist in the same sentence. Hyundai wants to change how you perceive its new hybrid.

The weather often plays spoiler as it did in 2014 and 2015. Instead of Bonneville being a dry lakebed, the course was submerged.

The salt this year was dry and extremely good -- allowing the FIA to groom a long 12-mile course marked by two parallel black lines.

No pun intended, but Hyundai’s record attempt will be very straight forward. A flying start, the Ioniq will accelerate for the first half of the course before entering the timing trap between Mile 6 and Mile 7.

The remaining miles allow for a controlled and safe slow down and stop. For the extremely fast streamliners running Bonneville, the extra miles are a big relief.

Top speed is basically a factor of aerodynamics and power versus rolling friction and air resistance.

Ioniq is aerodynamically very sleek as it stands with a claimed Cd of 0.24 in road-going trim.

Hyundai engineers in the US then tweaked the aerodynamics and lowered the Cd even more by removing the side-vision mirrors, lowering the ride height, adding a chin spoiler, streamlining the wheels with flush-fitting ‘Moon’ discs.

They’ve even taped over the panel and door gaps. Every little bit helps. A point not lost on the perfect atmospheric conditions with the thin elevated air made even thinner by dry temperatures holding steady above 30 degrees C.

This is a good day for speed.

Hyundai’s attempt is at a new hybrid record, but company competitors with a long list of motorsport achievements like Subaru and Honda have come to Bonneville and conquered with standard-bodied cars setting class records above 250km/h.

Hyundai remains quiet about the Ioniq’s actual engine and drivetrain. Regardless of how it makes power, the Ioniq needa around 260kW on tap, maybe less considering the Ioniq’s drag is impressively low, to reach its record target beyond 250km/h.

The FIA was also unsure of how the Ioniq hybrid was making power and placed a tech inspector inside the car at start up to confirm all was within regs.

The petrol engine’s max output was assisted with a big dose of nitrous oxide, which in effect acts like a chemical supercharger by forcing oxygen into the combustion chambers where the O2-rich intake is mixed with more fuel for a high-horsepower bang on ignition.

The record now shows Hyundai’s Ioniq ran strong and set an FIA-approved production-based hybrid vehicle land speed record of 157.825mph (253.995km/h). It did so pulling away with a backdoor [exit] speed of 160.7mph (258.6km/h).

Hyundai Motor America’s engineering and quality group led the concept development for this grassroots motorsports effort.

“A key role of Hyundai’s engineering team in the U.S. is to thoroughly test all future vehicle prototypes to ensure they exceed the demanding expectations of our customers,” said Mircea Gradu, director, Engineering and Quality, Hyundai Motor America.

“As we performed these tests on Ioniq, the engineering and quality staff became so impressed with the results that we began to wonder if we should raise our sights even higher, and the Ioniq land speed record effort was born.”

“We couldn’t be more proud in setting the FIA hybrid-category record with our new Ioniq hybrid,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president, Corporate and Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America.

“Our engineering team really pushed the limits to set this new segment benchmark while demonstrating the impressive durability of the entire Ioniq vehicle platform. We expect this will be the first of many accolades for Ioniq.”

Hyundai deserves to brag.

Clearly, Hyundai wants the appeal of its new Ioniq hybrid to be as much about driving and miles per hour as it is about miles per gallon.

2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid pricing and specifications:
Price: $35,000 approx
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder GDI petrol with permanent magnet synchronous motor and lithium-ion battery
Output: 104kW/265Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 3.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 79g/km
Safety rating: Not tested

Hyundai Ioniq FIA world record holder
Powertrain changes
>>> Low-restriction intake and exhaust systems with retained catalyst
>>> Engine, transmission, and hybrid ECU recalibrated and governors removed
>>> Air conditioning and ancillary accessories removed
>>> Nitrous Express single-stage direct-port nitrous injection with stand-alone fuel system, cockpit-controlled

Aerodynamics/Lightweighting
>>> Ioniq Electric model front grille and valance integration
>>> Underbody and air dam aerodynamic modifications
>>> Interior components removed or lightened

Suspension
>>>Progress Competition coil-over suspension with optimized spring, damping and sway bar rates
>>> Ride height lowered 100mm
>>> Lightweight aero wheels and wheel covers with Goodyear Eagle tires

Safety
>>> Fully-integrated high-strength safety cage structure (Bisimoto-designed)
>>> Sparco 6-point safety harness system, racing seat, and driver safety gear
>>> On-board fire-suppression system, battery disconnects and parachute