WRC Rally car visits Pebley Beach in Swindon
The growl of a 300bhp, 1600cc engine heralded the arrival of one of Hyundai's prize-winning World Rally Championship cars at Swindon dealership Pebley Beach on Monday (December 8).
The specially-produced i20 - which is based on the production model but sports four wheel drive, a new rear wing and front spoiler to aid cooling, and an adapted kinematic suspension system - performed beyond all expectations at this year's FIA World Rally Championships.
The highlight of the competition was a memorable 1-2 win for Hyundai at Rallye Deutschland - an achievement made all the more remarkable by the fact that it was Hyundai's maiden season in the WRC.
Hyundai also won podium positions at Mexico and Poland, and recorded a three-car finish in the final six stages of the competition, in slippery and muddy Wales.
The car was welcomed to the showroom by sales executive Sean Quirk, who won a VIP trip to the Welsh stage of the rally after being crowned Brilliant Champion at the Hyundai Global Sales Executive Competition in Korea.
Pebley Beach managing director Dominic Threlfall said: "This is a not-to-be-missed chance for World Rally Championships fans to get up close and personal with this race-winning car."
But, like the car itself, enthusiasts will have to be quick: the in-demand motor will only be at the dealership - at Paddington Drive in Swindon - until Friday.