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I’m calling it: we are entering the golden era of cheap performance. The dollars you pay per horsepower, even in a new car, are plummeting. We also may see cutting-edge track tuning software available to all. How? Electric sports cars. Wait, hear me out!

Hyundai just revealed the price for its Ioniq 5 N. The “N” performance version of this four-door crossover will start at $67,475. It is a completely reworked car: wider, lower, with huge Brembo brakes, wider rims and Pirelli P Zeros. It has a ton of driving modes including the best paddle-shifted manual transmission simulator yet. Go RWD and its a drift monster. Or swap to AWD for the full 641 horsepower and rocket to 60 mph in a (claimed) 3.25 seconds. Yowza.

I know, EVs have a reputation of being boring. But know that Chris Harris took the Ioniq 5 N out on the track and reported all his electrification objections evaporated.

Blue Hyundai Ioniq 5 N sports car on a race track
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N | Hyundai

Now compare that with the outgoing king of the 1/4-mile. The final Dodge Charger Hellcat only came as a wide-body. Even so, it took 3.8 seconds to get to 60 mph. And two years ago it cost nearly $20k more than the Ioniq 5 N: $86,365. You could get a Challenger Hellcat closer to the Hyundai’s price, but even that took 3.5 seconds to get to 60 mph. And you only got two doors. Speed is getting cheap, and its going electric.

Let’s look at the other end of the spectrum: Porsche just rolled out a new fastest trim of its Taycan EV: The Turbo GT. (I am not sure where the “turbo” is on an EV, but I digress…). With 1,093 horsepower, it is the most powerful series production vehicle in Porsche history. This sports sedan lapped the Laguna Seca raceway in 1:27.87. That breaks the record for road legal EV.

The Porsche development team gathers around the 2024 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT after driver Lars Kern sets the Laguna Seca EV lap speed record
Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package sets the Laguna Seca EV lap speed record | Porsche

I know what you’re thinking: that pretty Porsche costs $230,000. And it’s true. But the only road car that’s lapped Laguna Seca faster is the McLaren Senna. That limited-production track car with a mid-mounted turbocharged V8 starts at $2 million. So yes, the Taycan costs as much as a Bentley, but it flies like a million-dollar hypercar.

There will always be holdouts who prefer the sound and feel of an engine. And that’s fine. But it looks like they’ll be sacrificing performance for the experience. We’re entering a new era of affordable performance. And this future is electric.

Next, see Chris Harris take Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N out on the track in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.