Hyundai is building a 700bhp Tucson and frankly we’re scared

The world of the performance SUV shall never be the same again. Today, we learn that Hyundai is preparing a 700bhp Tucson for a modified car show set to take place in Las Vegas.

Yes, that’s the cuddly, friendly, five-year warranty Tucson SUV built for families and dogs and shopping and such. This monster, though, is fittingly called the ‘Brute Ute’, and is being assembled by a company called Bisimoto Engineering. It is very much not for families and dogs and shopping and such.

This is chiefly because Bisimoto took the US Tucson’s 2.4-litre, four-cylinder ‘Theta-II’ petrol engine, and swapped out the pistons, cams, exhaust, studs and bolts, springs, gaskets, fuel pump, spark plugs, fuel rail, rods, and the ECU, with high performance items. Like, really high performance items. It's practically a new engine.

Then there’s the new Turbonetics turbo, a new intercooler, a special clutch, fuel pressure regulator and boost controller. All in, you’re looking at the frankly scary end of 700bhp, being delivered through a six-speed gearbox. Though because it’s a little four-pot, a very boosty 700bhp. Still, that's more than a Lamborghini Huracan.

Run out of breath? There’s more. The evil Tucson rides on air suspension, gets Toyo tyres, a four-pot ‘big brake kit’, a custom grille, powder coating, aluminium piping and – get this – ‘Hyundai genuine equipment mud flaps’. Thank the lord.

Because it’s being built for SEMA, it also boasts an Infinity sound system and ‘Euro-inspired’ leather interior, with racing seats and a short-shift gear lever.

“After hundreds of hours of testing and developing new engine components,” said Bisi Ezerioha, owner and chief engineer of Bisimoto Engineering, “we’re confident that this powerplant can handle what we’re asking from it.”

What with Hyundai now gearing up for a raft of performance cars from its N sub brand, and with the former head of BMW’s M Division at its helm, who’s to say am official Hyundai version of this performance Tucson won’t appear in the future? OK, maybe it’ll be watered down just a little, but how much would you want to see one of those go up against a Porsche Cayenne Turbo?