Hyundai Australia’s iMax N ‘Drift Bus’

Hyundai Australia has revealed a special one-off custom creation, the iMax N ‘Drift Bus’.

Created by an underground skunkworks team at Hyundai Australia, the vehicle made its global competition debut at the 2019 World Time Attack Challenge at Sydney Motor Sport Park.

Unlike previous one-off fast vans – such as the Ford Transit Supervan and Renault Espace F1 – the iMax N ‘Drift Bus’ maintains its eight-seater layout.

The inspiration for ‘Drift Bus’ came from Hyundai Germany, which posted an iMax N image as an April Fool’s prank earlier in the year.

In a social media poll asking Australian N fans which Hyundai model should get the N treatment next, the iMax people mover finished in second place, after the Tucson SUV.

The regular 2.5-litre CRDi engine was discarded and replaced by a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine, pumping out more than 300kW of power and 555Nm of torque. Breathing through a bi-modal exhaust ensures the ‘iMax N’ sounds as good as it looks.

The potent engine is paired to a Hyundai-developed eight-speed automatic gearbox that connects to a corner carving differential, helping to transfer the grunt to the rear wheels.

The suspension features electronically-controlled dampers, while the brakes have also been given an N performance upgrade. The 19” alloy wheels, borrowed from the i30 N, are wrapped in performance rubber.

Optimising cornering performance and handling, the iMax N achieves perfect 50-50 weight distribution with eight people on-board.

Inside, the iMax is fitted with an N steering wheel and N sports front seats, with the rear two bench seat rows also trimmed in matching suede and leather.

iMax N is not a production model, nor is it road legal.