Hyundai Motor Company’s IONIQ 5 N has set a new benchmark in electric vehicle (EV) performance, achieving the fastest lap time by an EV at Japan’s ‘Attack Tsukuba 2025′ motorsport event on February 15. Held at the renowned Tsukuba Circuit in Ibaraki Prefecture, the event provided the perfect opportunity for participants to demonstrate their vehicles’ capabilities on the track’s challenging layout.
Hyundai N entered the competition with the IONIQ 5 N TA (Time Attack) Spec, driven by professional Japanese driver Nobuteru Taniguchi. The IONIQ 5 N TA Spec is a motorsport variant of the award-winning IONIQ 5 N, which had previously secured a victory at the 2024 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) in the modified production electric SUV category, setting a new record.
Designed to showcase the IONIQ 5 N’s performance with minimal modifications, the IONIQ 5 N TA Spec retains the standard car’s high-performance power electronics system, with software tuning boosting the maximum output to 687 PS, an increase of 37 PS in the rear motor compared to the production version.
Key upgrades include N Active Sound+ (with over 120 dB from modified speakers), motorsport-grade shock absorbers, brakes, and 18-inch Yokohama ADVAN 005 slick tires. The car also features a high-downforce aerodynamic package, a Recaro Pro Racer SPA Hans seat, a Sabelt six-point Hans safety harness, a PPIHC-spec roll cage, and an EV fire suppression system.
With a lap time of 57.446 seconds, the IONIQ 5 N TA Spec is the fastest EV to ever lap the Tsukuba Circuit, nearly two seconds quicker than its nearest EV competitor. Despite its performance, the IONIQ 5 N TA Spec uses mostly production components in critical systems such as its motors, battery, and control electronics.
This achievement highlights Hyundai’s advanced EV technologies and solidifies Hyundai Mobility Japan’s position in the growing Japanese EV market. The company recently expanded its EV lineup with the launch of the INSTER sub-compact electric SUV in Japan.
