My First Full-Size Race Car - 2009 Hyundai Accent - #yesplease

Before reading: some of the photos were taken on my old camera, with a broken lens. We got it for free, please don’t mind. I can’t take up-to-date photos, because the car is gone (sold)

I know what you’re probably thinking… “Woah, that’s so lame! A race car made from a Hyundai Accent?”

You would be right without considering something very important about racing… Balance of Performance and Performance Adjustment Factor.

You see, I raced with Canadian Automobile Sports Club, a while ago. This club is nicknamed “CASC.” CASC has an autocross/solo division for time trials. One of the classes within autocross and solo division is called “Stock” class. Stock class only allows a very minute amount of changes (tire pressures, one sway bar, and tires.) So, to bring the car to the maximum performance in its class is very cost effective.

I had received the offer from my dad, mere days after I got my full license, to go up and dodge pylons. I would participate in autocross. The car on offer was a 2009 Hyundai Accent. It was pretty well stock, except for - you guessed it - tires and tire pressures. That’s all we could do to maximize it in its class. But the tires were still not the best tires available. Oh no, we had just the average “better-than-OEM but still hard-as-a-hockey-puck” crap tires. It was my dad’s daily driver and a complete budget build. I had to work with what I was given. We qualified for the slowest class, We were in H-Stock class, the slowest class, which has a very helpful performance adjustment factor. (PAX) PAX is a multiplier system which aims to create a race where “if every car is modified to the top of its class, the cars are capable of the same PAX-adjusted time.”

The PAX multiplier of the H-Stock class was 0.800. This means, whatever my time was, in seconds, it would be multiplied by 8/10ths. So, the PAX time was lower than the RAW time by 20%.

Here’s the weird part about PAX time… It doesn’t affect anything within the same class. So, if your buddy rocks up in his 300 whp 2 rotor RX-7 twin turbo, on drift tires which are severely worn and have nowhere near enough grip to control the power, and chooses to drift around the pylons instead of actually racing, your PAX time in the Accent will be much better than the PAX time of the RX-7. The RX-7 will be more fun, but still slower.

I can genuinely say, as well, that I beat an RX-7 in an Accent, because PAX time.

Following that, I purchased my Subaru rallycross car and daily driver for college… And my dad began to heavily modify the Accent. He replaced the full shifter and all shifter bushings - and I will personally admit, that I have never found a car with the lovely, perfect shifting of the Accent post-modification.

He got these black and silver RTX Scorpion wheels, and we tinted the rear taillights black. We got carbon fiber trim pieces for the entire interior. We got a catback exhaust and a few power adders which made a noticeable improvement to sound and performance.

We got a wonderful stereo system - which is something I know nothing about, please don’t ask me about car stereos!

Then… The lowering springs and steering stuff began. My dad got R-Comp tires mounted on the Accent. Suddenly, this sedate looking Accent was no longer sedate, neither in appearance (where, to my dad’s credit, it looked fantastic) and in handling performance (the grip far exceeded factory performance and far exceeded the handling potential of my first Subaru.) Only the WRX is faster, within the history of my family’s automotive history, and the WRX is the current crown-holder for “fastest car in the family.”

Never mock a Hyundai. They - like any other car - are capable of impressive things. I’ve seen turbo Accents which can keep pace with my WRX. I know that there are some serious Hyundai Accent sleepers out there. I’ve seen things. My friend talks about losing a race to one in his Civic. He didn’t know about the secret turbo until he heard it spool…

All in all, it was a pretty cool car. We sold it because my dad wanted something with more power. We’re still waiting for Hyundai to release a factory-turbo Accent. Maybe then my dad will have a rematch, WRX vs. custom Hyundai…?

Yes, Hyundai can be fast and cool.