Hyundai IONIQ 5 N takes on Ultimate Street Car Challenge

At most parties there’s that one person who stands out from the crowd. They’re probably very nice, but no-one’s sure which host they’re connected to and, as such, conversation is all a bit awkward.

At this party the fish out of water is us. The Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge is a celebration of speed, an event imported from the US aimed at finding, well, the ultimate street car.

It was created to call out those in the car scene who talked a big game but ended up being all show and no go. It’s open to all street-registered cars and 73 wildly varied contestants have rocked up to Calder Park on the outskirts of Melbourne to test both mettle and metal.

And variety is the word. Among those 73 are a 13B rotary-powered Suzuki Mighty Boy, a Summernats Grand Champion-winning Porsche 911, a twin-turbo Lamborghini Huracan Performante, bulk Mustangs packing from 400 to 1000hp, plenty of wicked-up Aussie classics and even a McLaren P1.

Only one person has brought an EV, though – yours truly crashing the combustion party with the brand-new Hyundai IONIQ 5 N.

It was chosen to not only throw a battery among the petrol-powered pigeons, but because it was likely to suit the nature of the event.

The Ultimate Street Car Challenge consists of four timed sections: an auto test taking in part of the Calder Park Thunderdome and circuit, a go-to-whoa with a 180-degree turn in the middle, a quarter-mile drag race and hot laps.

Points would be awarded for each test from fastest to slowest, most points wins outright.

There are many cars here with more firepower than the IONIQ 5 N’s 478kW/770Nm, but one thing that electric cars do really well – especially all-wheel drive ones – is accelerate really quickly from a standstill.

Word quickly spreads that someone has brought an EV, but many seem to figure it out instinctively, too – the IONIQ 5 just has that look.

What’s perhaps surprising is that quite a few of those present have already made the switch to battery power, at least for their everyday transport.

One gentleman piloting a 1000hp Shelby Mustang has an IONIQ 5 dual-motor, while another driving a C8 Corvette has a Kia EV6 GT at home. There are a few ‘appliance’ jibes, but overall the Hyundai is well received.

First up is the auto test, firing out of Calder’s pit lane to briefly visit the Thunderdome, then returning to complete the south end of the circuit with a coned slalom and hairpin thrown in for good measure.

Driving the IONIQ 5 N isn’t necessarily as straightforward as getting in and going. As well as multiple drive modes and the ability to mix and match the various settings for powertrain, suspension, steering, stability control and the like, there’s also variable torque distribution, battery management, not to mention the ability to imitate a petrol-powered car with noise and a ‘gearbox’.

Given we’re against the clock, however, it’s pure EV mode with everything set to Sport+ bar the steering and the torque distribution set to 40:60.

Seeing that beautiful Summernats-winning 911 pirouetting onto the pit straight and narrowly avoiding one of history’s most heartbreaking wrecks is a timely reminder that keeping the stability control in Sport is prudent for now.

Both the assembled punters and myself get their first taste of the IONIQ 5 N’s slingshot acceleration, which pins your body back into the seat.

The first run is scrappy, as I figure out – with marginal success – where the course goes, the ‘gates’ forcing you into unconventional parts of the track.

The auto test is paired with the ‘speed-stop’, which is a short run down the drag strip, a 180-degree turn and another short run to a coned garage. Put simply, does your car have traction and brakes?

It’s a test which should suit the IONIQ 5 N to a tee, if not for the idiot holding the steering wheel. I deactivate ESC and nudge the torque split to 30:70 to help with that sharp hairpin and the initial launch goes fine, but the instant I touch the throttle doing the turn the car rotates into an embarrassing half-spin. Turns out rear-biased really means rear-biased.

Lesson learned, it’s back to a 40:60-split for the second auto test run and it’s much more successful, though this Hyundai sure is an animal.

It rotates incredibly well under brakes and happily power-oversteers, which combined with the weight, the power and the slippery track leads to more wheel twirling than a forklift drivers’ convention.

It’s a time good enough for third outright behind a super-speedy modified Toyota GR Yaris and an innocuous-looking Audi TT… that later runs a 10.2sec quarter-mile.

The second speed-stop run is even more successful, a neat and tidy effort resulting in second outright behind that TT rocketship once more. Even the twin-turbo Lamborghini can’t hold a candle to the IONIQ.

The final autotest run offers a chance to play with the car’s fake noise/gearbox and it works a treat in terms of enjoyment and even nets a 0.1sec improvement, but the decision to switch to full RWD for the last speed-stop for a crowd-pleasing skid goes badly awry.

As soon as I even look at the throttle the car rotates in its own length in a way I’ve never experienced in a car before.

Even onlookers couldn’t believe how quickly the IONIQ spun – all harmless, but clearly these EVs still have some quirks to figure out.

Next up, hot laps. Each contestant is given an out-lap and three ‘flyers’ to set a time, with groups limited to four or five cars at a time to prevent traffic.

With 73 cars to get through it takes quite a long time, but this does allow plenty of opportunity for spectating. Watching some of the more straight-line orientated vehicles tackling the circuit is worth the price of admission on its own.

Driving an EV on track is a slightly eerie experience, since the only sound is the increasing wind and tyre roar as speed hits 230km/h on the long main straight.

The IONIQ 5 N is a rocket. It needs plenty of slowing for Calder’s tight turns – though the brakes are hugely powerful and without a hint of fade – but it catapults out of them, even leaving the ground briefly over the hump on the back straight.

A best lap of 1:05.8 is, once again, enough for third outright behind that pesky GR Yaris and TT.

With the cornering challenges completed, the focus switches to drag racing. The sun has now set, which adds to the atmosphere tremendously – as does the opportunity to line up against other competitors.

Calder is a little unique in that the surface is unprepped; that is, the traction additive VHT isn’t used so getting mega horsepower to the ground can be a real challenge, especially on the street tyres mandated by the Ultimate Street Car Challenge rules.

I’ve never done a proper drag race in my life, but thankfully the time, rather than the result of the race, is the deciding factor, so there’s no pressure to nail that green light reaction time. Which is just as well, as I miss it completely.

I also don’t activate launch control properly, but even just stamping on the throttle from rest lights up all four tyres and the IONIQ 5 N slithers and squirms all the way to 100km/h.

As you might expect from this description, the time isn’t too flash, an 11.9sec at 192km/h being a good half-second slower than the car’s ultimate potential.

But it’s enough and with the day growing long and battery charge short, I park it up.

In the final reckoning the event’s sole EV ends up fourth outright from 73 entrants. The mighty twin-turbo Lambo rocketed up the leaderboard after the drags with its truly mind-blowing run of 9.0sec at 276km/h. Lunacy.

Nevertheless, while the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N doesn’t qualify as the Ultimate Street Car – that ballistic Audi TT takes the overall trophy – it’s a pretty impressive showing for a bone-stock Korean electric car.

It’s also been a great event and we’ll be back next year, albeit with something that perhaps fits in with the crowd a bit better.