When somebody mentions halo cars, my mind goes to big-ticket models: The Porsche 918 Spyder, Ford GT, and so on. I could even be convinced that the Nissan GT-R is a halo car, given its significance to the culture. But Hyundai Performance Development Tech Unit boss Manfred Harrer just went on record calling the Ioniq 6 N a halo car, and it almost stopped me in my tracks. Is he right? Can we really call an electric sedan a halo car in 2025?
I’m torn, not because the car itself is lame—I actually quite like the idea of it—but because it forces me to reckon with the fact that cars aren’t what they were when I was growing up. That was always going to be the case, of course; not much can stay the same in a world like ours. I’m just left wondering if such a vehicle, even with its 641 horsepower and crazy go-fast doo-dads, should be considered a halo.
Just so you know what quote I’m talking about, it’s here, on Australia’s Drive site (no relation to us):
“We are aware about it,” Harrer said of the limited demand for a car like the Ioniq 6 N. “These are small volumes, and we also hit the limit regarding affordability for our customer base and fans face reality. We know this.
“But to justify the development cost and the engineering effort behind it, it’s more for… It’s a halo, it helps the brand. It shows our capabilities. That’s the purpose behind it.”
When he puts it like that, I guess I can see it. The Ioniq 6 N is undoubtedly a big deal for the brand. You have to remember the turnaround Hyundai has made. It didn’t even have an N performance model a decade ago, and now, the sub-brand has evolved into a legit rival to more established players like BMW M and Mercedes-AMG. Sure, you can’t get a two-door Hyundai supercar yet, but the Ioniq 6 N is beyond anything the Germans have done with electric sedans (except for Porsche).
This sucker has dual-motor all-wheel drive that’ll sling it to 60 miles per hour in 3.2 seconds. It knows how to precondition its battery for drag, track, and endurance running. Unless you’re far, far above average, I doubt you could get everything out of this car around a road course. It’s impressive.
It’s not like Webster’s has a clear definition for the term “halo car,” either. If you asked me what it means independently of all this, I’d argue that it’s a car company’s greatest technological feat that translates to higher performance. The Ioniq 6 N fits that bill, most certainly, as it takes everything from the 5 N and pumps it up. Love or hate the gimmicky N e-Shift faux gearbox, Hyundai made sure it results in minimal power loss while also enabling it to work alongside launch control, drift mode, and push-to-pass. It even went so far as to tune the acoustics so the spacecraft sounds are better than before.
I don’t think there’s any sense in comparing the Ioniq 6 N to a 918 Spyder. It’s a Hyundai, not a Porsche, and that’s fine. I think it might really be a halo car, but it still feels mighty weird saying it out loud.
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