It’s always great to see a new performance car hit the market, but it’s a rarity to see a new performance brand. Hyundai’s N division has been taking the world by storm since it’s debut a few years ago, but there has been a startling lack of N representation in the world of diecast. I’ve spoken before about the need for more models of the cars that car enthusiasts actually drive and I’m very glad to see MiniGT making some of the models that Hot Wheels won’t.
What a model this is, too. Even by MiniGT’s high standards, this car is an excellent representation of its 1:1 counterpart. Though I personally like the look of the Performance Blue car better, I think the Cyber Gray paint was a good color choice for this model (a blue one is also coming and I can’t wait).
As much as I like the Elantra N, I’m not the biggest fan of its styling. Of course, that’s Hyundai’s fault, not MiniGT’s – they have done an excellent job recreating the awkward black grill/bumper section and too-small headlights that make the N’s front end rather overstyled. I love how well they’ve replicated the distinctive red pinstriping on the splitter.
I’m also impressed by the raised chrome Hyundai logo that looks remarkably like a real badge. It’s not just a decal, it has texture.
The Elantra’s distinctive ‘door Z’ is here as well, though it doesn’t look quite as jarring as it does on the real car. While this design element has grown on me, I always think it makes the doors look like they’ve been hit or dented. The profile of the car looks bang-on though, and they even added the small vortex generators on the rear quarter window.
The wheels are fantastic, as intricate and detailed as the ones on the real car. MiniGT even included the small N logo that’s embossed into the red trim just behind the wheel. While I’ve just started to collect their models, I find this level of attention to detail seriously impressive for the price point.
Impressive though the rest of the model is, the back end is what really stands out to me. There’s so much going on here, from the slim and delicate-looking rear wing to the chrome exhaust tips. My favorite part is the lightbar: it’s appropriately slim, but they’ve managed to include the line of the LED strip going through the light housing while also including white reverse lights and the black plastic section on the trunk that contains the button to pop the trunk. The Elantra and N badges are accounted for, as well as another raised Hyundai logo like the one on the hood. On the back bumper, we have parking sensors and the cover for the tow hook, plus more red pinstriping and the rear reflectors.
I normally wouldn’t pay much attention to the roof on a model like this, but MiniGT actually put detailing on the shark fin antenna and the plastic molding that runs along the edges of the roof.
Speaking of things I wouldn’t normally pay attention to, look how well they’ve replicated the Elantra N’s steering wheel. The majority of people who buy this model will probably never shine a light in the windows, and that’s a shame because MiniGT did an excellent job on the interior.
This model really surprised me. MiniGT is not a brand I typically collect, but this may be my favorite diecast model of the year, and luckily it won’t be the last Hyundai N model we see from MiniGT. They’ve already showcased the Kona N in Performance Blue, and I cannot wait to get my hands on one!
diecastleno.com 
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