Hyundai's first N Festival is a hit

Cars bring people together in a way not many other things can.

These days, it’s all too easy to cultivate an online relationship with fellow enthusiasts through video games, forums and Facebook groups – meaning you could go years, maybe even a lifetime without meeting them IRL (in real life).

But, Hyundai might’ve found the killer app.

Invite anyone with an i30 N or Fastback N to a free (yep, free – no strings attached) track day, bring along a jumping castle, food truck, pop-up performance shops and put on a Drift bus demonstration, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

Until Hyundai introduced its first hot hatch in 2018, it was kind of boring. Selling decent cars at affordable prices, but not really offering anything for enthusiasts to drool over. Then the i30 N arrived, took the world by storm and quickly gained its own cult following.

Not only did it prove it could compete with the best in class Volkswagen Golf GTI, the i30 N came out arguably better (and cheaper).

And the first pair of N cars are only the beginning. Insiders promise they are the gateway to a string of performance models including performance derivatives of the Veloster, Kona and Tucson.

Hyundai Australia came up with the N Festival as a way to celebrate the cars and reward the people buying them.

And what a celebration it was when 105 i30 Ns came crackling into the gates of Goulburn’s Wakefield Park just before Xmas for the inaugural event.

It’s not that Hyundai had low expectations for its first gathering. No, the success the Korean manufacturer’s first N models have garnered is evident from its 13K Instagram page following, not to mention the number of forums and owners clubs that’ve popped up since its arrival.

To manage the day efficiently, 130 drivers (owners and the mates or family members they let have a steer) were split into categories. Some were experienced and some had never even been to a racetrack, let alone driven around one.

After everyone was given a wristband and a briefing on track day etiquette and safety, the track came alive. All around was the sound of crackling and backfiring of i30 Ns and almost everywhere you looked people were smiling and laughing… Everyday troubles a distant memory.

Performance and aftermarket accessory stalls were nearby, as was a jumping castle, ice cream truck and face painter to keep kids occupied.

Spectators wanting more of a thrill could sign an indemnity form and jump in for a passenger ride or simply just watch from the open pit lane. Hyundai also brought along a bunch of expert driver trainers to jump in with anyone that wanted tips or advice.

All in all, free track time is the winner. There’s nowhere else you can (legally and safely) push your car to its limits than a race track. And to be able to do so for free, surrounded by people in almost identical machinery is pretty special.

Importantly, everyone drove their cars home, with the only likely damage a few paint chips after out-braking themselves and parking in the gravel trap.

How does an i30 N compare to a proper race car?

I’m glad you asked.

As someone who’s taken their own “hot hatch” around Wakefield a few times, I feel obliged to tell you. Mine’s a stripped-out 1992 Nissan Pulsar SSS with coil-over suspension, semi-slick tyres, a roll cage and a race seat. It gets raced door-to-door (and unfortunately sometimes through said door) with a bunch of other Pulsars in the APRA (Australian Pulsar Racing Association) series.

Under the bonnet is a stock naturally-aspirated SR20 engine. I’m 99% sure it’s got more kilometres on it than the odometer reads and it’s probably really tired of me red-lining it in every gear. It’s old and pretty slow in a straight line, but it’s set up for fast and hard cornering – and boy does it do that well.

Okay, maybe I’ve made the old girl sound worse than she is and it’s probably not right of me to compare the two given the years, technology and kilowatts between them, but I’m gonna do it anyway.

The i30 N? Hustles around corners and handles just as enthusiastically (except faster in a straight line).

At the end of the day, my fastest lap in the Hyundai is (only just) quicker than my Pulsar’s ever rattled around there. Unsurprising for some, I’m sure. But the i30 is a road car. It’s not supposed to handle that well and the fact that it does is mind boggling for all the right reasons.

If you had to work or couldn’t make it to the Wakefield Park event because you live interstate (which isn’t an excuse by the way – just ask the guy that drove down from Queensland), I feel bad for you. But don’t worry, Hyundai’s PR team says it’s already begun planning an even bigger and better show in 2020.

Climate warriors might argue against such an extravagant display of emissions. To counter, I say we need a thriving car culture – just like we need air in our lungs and Powerade when we’re hungover.

Car culture is in fact, very alive. And it’s bringing us back together IRL.