The Hyundai Insteroid is based on the small Inster and is a unique concept with one of the best rear wings we've ever seen.
Hyundai has some of the best electric cars on the market - most notably the Ioniq 5 N, which has redefined what a powerful electric car can be with its hot hatchback. Now the Korean brand has presented its most radical model to date. The insteroid is based on the Hyundai Inster city car, which, however, was secretly fed creatine and weights.
Unfortunately, the Insteroid is just a concept car for now, but the head of Hyundai's design center describes it as "a celebration of pure fun." It has already been unveiled in South Korea and will be on display at the Seoul Mobility Show from April 3 to 11.
It's not hard to guess where the name Insteroid comes from – it's an amalgamation of the Inster on which this concept is based, with the word "steroid" reflecting its muscular rejuvenation. Little remains of the original Inster – the body has been drastically widened and features huge, boxy wheel arches that support 21-inch wheels with unique alloy designs front and rear.
There's a new splitter at the front, a beefy diffuser at the rear, and one of the best rear spoilers we've ever seen on a car. Inster's own mix of pixelated and round LEDs looks downright tame on this body.
Inside, it's even crazier. The sensible dashboard and clever folding seats of the normal Inster have disappeared. Instead, there's a stripped-back dashboard with a range of cool-looking digital instruments. There are also bucket seats and a steering wheel, and where the rear seats used to be, there's now a huge subwoofer.
Hyundai hasn't revealed what powers the Inster yet, but it's safe to assume it's a little more powerful than the regular car's 115hp electric motor. A special drift mode is supposed to allow the driver to have as much fun as he wants with the drive.
The Insteroid is undoubtedly a remarkable thing, but you shouldn't expect it to be a taste of a future production model. The next project from Hyundai's N division will be the Ioniq 6 N, which is expected to use the same 641hp system as the brilliant Ioniq 5 N. The Inster range could be expanded to include a sporty N-Line trim, but the Insteroid will most likely remain "only" a design exercise.