The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is a revelation: a playful twist on the performance EV that turns a good crossover into a great hot hatchback. Then a recent teaser for a Tokyo Auto Salon reveal suggests as much Road & Tracks The 2025 Performance EV of the Year under $100,000 might just get even more fun, thanks to a collaboration with drift icon Keiichi “DK” Tsuchiya.
The shortened video shows Tsuchiya mentioning the words “ascend to another level” before introducing the car, which is shown in full in a handful of shots. In those short clips, a huge rear wing can be seen on the back of what the brand calls the Ioniq 5 N DK Edition.
Based on what we know so far, it’s unclear whether this DK edition will be a one-off built for show, a small limited edition exclusive to Japan, or a full-fledged new variant of the performance-oriented Hyundai. Production variants of road cars named after specific drivers are rare, but they have been made in the past. A famous example is the Tommi Mäkinen Edition of the Mitsubishi Evo VI, which Mäkinen apparently does not own. Mercedes went a more extreme route with their Stirling Moss variant of the SLR, a speedster with a completely unique design.
Tsuchiya, 68, is a legend best known for popularizing both drifting and the AE86. He also won his class twice at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished second overall in 1999. A new generation, it seems, may soon know it as the name on the back of a beloved Hyundai. The brand will reveal more when the car is unveiled at the Japanese auto show on January 10.
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