Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) jointly hosted the “Hyundai N x TOYOTA GAZOO Racing FESTIVAL” at the Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, Korea on October 27. The event attracted around 2,800 motorsport enthusiasts and featured thrilling driving demonstrations by both companies’ World Rally Championship (WRC) teams, along with interactive fan programs.
The event featured Morizo (Akio Toyoda, Chairman of Toyota) at the wheel of the WRC competition vehicle “GR YARIS Rally1 HYBRID” with Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group, as his passenger. Before the crowd of about 2,800 spectators, the rally machine performed a donut turn, showcasing the powerful engine sound and dynamic driving performance of the WRC machine, drawing enthusiastic cheers from the audience.
Following the performance, both chairmen took to the stage, exchanged warm handshakes, and shared their vision for the future of motorsport with the gathered fans.
Morizo began his speech with “Saranghaeyo!” (meaning “I love you” in Korean) and continued, “Earlier this year, I met with Executive Chair Chung in Japan, where this idea gained momentum, and remarkably, we were able to realize this event just ten months later. I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported making this event possible. Toyota and Hyundai will work hand in hand to create a better society and the future of mobility.”
“With our high-performance N brand, we’re committed to delivering excitement and satisfying all car enthusiasts. We’ll continue to push forward in motorsport alongside Toyota so that more people can enjoy the thrill of driving” said Euisun Chung, Executive Chair of Hyundai Motor Group. “When I met with Chairman Akio Toyoda earlier this year, we discovered our mutual passion for racing, and I was delighted that we could hold this event. Chairman Toyoda is someone in the automotive industry that I respect deeply, and it’s an honor to be here with him today,” he added.
The entire proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to the Korea Automobile Racing Association to promote and develop motorsport culture.
Reflecting on the event, Morizo said:”In organizing this event, my first priority was to express gratitude to the Korean people. Having both Toyota and Hyundai chairmen appear together at a motorsport event and speak before our customers is truly symbolic. We’ve created a ‘Car Enthusiasts Alliance’ where we, usual competitors, join forces for the future of automobiles. With WRC fans supporting both teams, and Hyundai currently leading the rankings, this was a historic event that hints at potential new drama at Rally Japan. To all fans worldwide looking forward to Rally Japan, I believe the drivers will prepare thoroughly and deliver excellent performances at the final race, so please continue your support.”
Both companies’ rally teams will compete in the “FIA World Rally Championship FORUM8 Rally Japan 2024” to be held in Aichi and Gifu Prefectures from Thursday, November 21 to Sunday, November 24. Fans can be sure to look forward to an competition.
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