Hyundai has partnered with renowned racing icon Keiichi Tsuchiya, also known as the Drift King, to develop a special limited-edition Ioniq 5 N.
The new Hyundai Ioniq 5 N DK Edition has been unveiled at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon. It manages to make the already rather menacing 641bhp hyper-hatch look even angrier, but also makes enhancements to its exceptional chassis.
The Ioniq 5 N DK Edition was designed in partnership with the renowned racing legend Keiichi Tsuchiya, famously known as the ‘Drift King’, which is reflected in the car's name.
The most serious upgrade Tsuchiya made to our reigning Performance Car of the Year is a new monoblock brake system, which includes six-piston calipers precision-machined from Duralumin – an aluminum alloy often used in aircraft manufacturing because of its strength and lightness.
The upgraded calipers made it possible to use new high-performance brake pads that are 54 percent larger than the original ones. As the Drift King himself states, this enhancement leads to “consistent braking performance, even under the toughest conditions.”
The Ioniq 5 N DK Edition also gets a set of lowering springs from German outfit H&R, which bring the car 15mm closer to the Tarmac, lower the centre of gravity further, and are stiffer than the standard coils to improve handling on track. Meanwhile, 21-inch forged alloy wheels reduce unsprung weight by 10.6kg and are wider than the standard rims.
Next, we have the aesthetic modifications, featuring a massive carbon fibre rear wing that spans the width of the vehicle and is mounted above the Ioniq 5 N’s pre-existing twin-fin roof spoiler. The DK Edition also introduces a redesigned front splitter, rear diffuser, and elongated side skirts, all crafted from carbon fibre with the primary aim of boosting downforce, regardless of the impact on driving range.
In other areas, the matte white finish is complemented by an abundance of glossy black exterior details, along with deep green highlights throughout the vehicle and a prominent 'DK Edition' emblem on the rear quarter panel.
Hyundai hasn’t made any changes to the powertrain, though it probably didn’t need to as the Ioniq 5 N already delivers 641bhp and 740Nm of torque from its dual motors, plus all-wheel drive and a 3.4-second 0-62mph time.
The standard package features an ‘N Drift Optimiser’ designed to enhance stability during powerslides by controlling power distribution. It offers 10 levels of driver assistance along with a special ‘Pro’ mode, which we think would have been aptly dubbed ‘Drift King’ mode for the DK edition.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N DK Edition is due to go on sale in the first half of 2025 in Korea and Japan, however there’s no word yet on whether it’ll come to our shores.
