N Vision 74 is Hyundai’s latest retro-looking design

While exploring the possibilities of hydrogen as a fuel for heavy-load vehicles such as buses and trucks, Hyundai still believes it can have a place in a sports car. That’s the idea behind the N Vision 74 concept, a real-life prototype for a 671HP racecar fitted with a fuel cell that powers two electric real-wheel engines. Power source aside, the most striking feature of the N Vision 74 is its design. Inspired by the 1974 Hyundai Pony designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the new N Vision is a cross between a DeLorean and a supercar from a Forza Motorsport videogame.

The N Vision 74 is just the last in Hyundai’s long series of striking retro-futuristic designs. The company is giving its designers much room to explore, and it shows. For example, the upcoming Ioniq 6 e-limousine takes elements from the existing models but marks a striking departure from the boxy lines of the Ioniq 5. Yet, it fits perfectly within the lineup of the Hyundai EV design roadmap. At the same time, retromods like the Hyundai Grandeur are paying tribute to the company’s past through new retro-looking-yet-high-tech models that underline the origin of current design trends. 

At the same time, through retromods such as the Hyundai Grandeur, the designers of the Korean brand pay homage to the company’s past with retro-looking yet highly technological prototypes, mixed with some of the brand’s current design trends. The result is a set of projects and visions that reveal a remarkable creative inspiration, as well as an undeniable influence of a digital aesthetic that comes from science fiction films and video games. Choices that reveal an uncommon design courage. The result is that, although almost none of these prototypes will see the light, all rapidly rise to viral successes, with important repercussions on brand recognition and on the marketing of commercial models.