- A custom Palisade support rig assists Hyundai’s IMSA racing team.
- The modified SUV sports custom N graphics and off-road bits.
- It holds spare tires, tools, and fluids to support the Elantra N TCR.
Wagons and commercial vans once filled the paddock, but SUVs have taken over as the support and safety vehicles of choice in modern racing. Hyundai went a different way. Rather than reach for something wearing a performance badge, the company drafted the off-road-minded Palisade XRT Pro as the official paddock partner for the Elantra N TCR.
The build exists to move gear, spare tires, and tools around the paddock during a race weekend, and nothing else. An XRT trim seems like an odd fit for a racing program until you learn the rugged SUV was developed with input from Hyundai’s N division. Having said that, the latest generation of the Palisade is heavier and slower compared to its predecessor.
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The one-off build wears a stealthy dark grey finish, broken up by signature N Performance red-orange racing stripes and light blue checkered flag graphics. Sponsor decals sit on the front doors and rear quarter panels, with N Track Support Vehicle lettering along the profile.
Beyond the XRT Pro bodykit and its recovery points, there’s a Thule roof rack, an auxiliary LED bar, and rock sliders. Those last two will get about as much use on a paved circuit as the chunky BF Goodrich T/A rubber wrapped around the black five-spoke alloys.
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At the rear, Hyundai added a hitch-mounted carrier holding a set of wheels, so the crew can change tires anywhere on the property. Another wheel on sticky Michelin Pilot Sport rubber rides in the cargo area, joined by a WeatherTech mat, professional-grade Motul racing fluids, high-strength recovery straps, a heavy-duty storage case, and a custom Bell helmet belonging to IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge veteran Mark Wilkins.
The N Track Support Vehicle exists to back the factory-supported Bryan Herta Autosport team through the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, which means no dealership lots and no spot in the accessories catalog. A shame, since it would suit anyone hauling gear for the roadgoing Hyundai Elantra N TCR.
