Wild mid-engined Hyundai sports car spotted

Hyundai is pressing ahead with its plans to launch a flagship mid-engined sports car that will see it challenge rivals like the Toyota GR Supra and even the Porsche Cayman.

Captured for the first time on the back of a flatbed truck by Korean car blog

Believed to be an official Hyundai test vehicle, rather than a DIY backyard creation, the mule pictured here features the same wide front wheel-arches and boxy rear fenders as the original RM19 concept, plus three large air-vents carved into the rear bumper to aid cooling.

According to reports, the prototype is said to be running around with an all-new 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid powertrain – hence the MR23T name – that adds an additional electric motor to boost total power to around 300kW.

It's not known if the RM19 remains rear-drive, or if the electric motor drives the front axle, but it's expected to be the former.

Hyundai has already hinted at a 0-100km/h dash of “less than four seconds”, while also touting “supercar-level handling balance and low-polar-moment-of-inertia agility for outstanding connection to the tarmac at all speeds and driving conditions” for the production version of its RM19.

Aiding the hybrid powertrain's development, last year Hyundai bought a $90 million ($A150m) stake in Rimac.

It's thought the Croatian pure-electric hypercar-maker will develop the RM19's battery pack, inverters and control modules.

For production, it's thought the RM19 will drop its butchered Veloster look in favour of a bespoke sports car body more in keeping with a Cayman fighter.