The Hyundai iMax N Is An 8-Seat Drift MPV With 402bhp

Hyundai seems to have gone completely cuckoo and dropped a modified ‘N’ version of its iMax eight-seat MPV. And glory be, it drifts rather well.

The bizarre and brilliantly mad creation is the work of a skunkworks team in Hyundai’s Australian arm. You can’t buy as many hot, practical cars over there as you used to be able to, after General Motors pulled the plug on Holden production, so why not create another?

There’s one slight hiccup in the practicality stakes – despite its 842-litre boot and eight seats this particular iMax N isn’t actually road legal any more. The 2.5-litre diesel has been not-so-subtly switched for a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6, good for a tail-wagging 402bhp and 409lb ft of torque.

Even better, if you put an average human being in each of the eight seats the iMax (known as the i800 in the UK) has a 50:50 weight distribution, so it should handle fairly well despite its shape and size. That’ll surely be comforting to hear when you’re sat in the third row, looking in your direction of travel out of the side window.

There’s an eight-speed automatic gearbox, a limited-slip differential and a mildly ridiculous aero kit to accent the trademark N paint colour. Further upgrades span electronically-controlled dampers behind N-spec brakes and wheels taken from the i30 N.

The cabin is also N-tastic with an N steering wheel and matching front seats. The middle and third rows of seats are the standard items but trimmed in suede and leather to complement the front chairs. What’s not to like? We extend our warmest congratulations to Hyundai Oz for essentially inventing the perfect family car.