Hyundai is hiring engineers to develop AI for heavy towing and off-roading

Hyundai is developing artificial intelligence aimed specifically at heavy-duty towing and rugged off-roading, according to a job listing at its American technical centre. The position, titled AI Control Systems Engineer, is based at the Hyundai America Technical Center in Superior Township, Michigan, and concerns next-generation Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles developed for North America.

What the role involves

The listing calls for an engineer able to use machine learning, reinforcement learning and model predictive control to improve vehicle performance, with the work focused on heavy-duty towing and rugged off-roading. Hyundai wants the resulting technology to estimate vehicle payload, trailer mass and tyre-road friction without needing dedicated sensors for each measurement.

That matters because a vehicle able to work out how much weight it is carrying or towing could adjust its powertrain, braking and stability control to suit the load without input from the driver. In the same way, a car that can accurately judge available tyre grip could adapt on the fly to loose gravel, mud or slippery surfaces.

Towing assist and terrain adaptation

Hyundai's listing mentions two technologies it calls "intelligent towing assist" and "terrain adaptation". The company does not directly link them to the AI software, but both suggest vehicles that respond more intelligently to changing conditions.

The listing also describes using machine learning algorithms to anticipate component failures, specifically while towing or driving off-road. In practice that could mean a future Hyundai warning a driver before an axle snaps, a transmission overheats or the brakes begin to fade, provided the team can make the system reliable and accurate enough for production.

When it reaches showrooms

Hyundai has not announced a production date for the technology. The listing ties the work to next-generation Hyundai, Kia and Genesis vehicles developed for North America, which places it in future model programmes rather than current showroom cars. The company has also not said whether the system will be offered outside North America; the listing scopes the role to North American vehicles, but no wider rollout has been announced.

British firm Audacious Automotive has revealed the finished Audacious IV, a restomod that wraps modernised Ur Quattro styling around running gear from the B7-generation Audi RS4. Production will be capped at no more than 50 units, with prices starting from £350,000.

The IV is the project Audacious first outlined six months ago, and the completed car is more extreme than that early preview suggested. Four V8 configurations are on offer, two of which rev to 10,000 rpm.

Two bodyshell routes, one RS4 base

Buyers can choose between two forms of the IV. The standard car keeps an original Audi Quattro's upper structure, roof and windows, then adds bespoke steel and aluminium bodywork. The alternative is an all-carbon-fibre version, which does not require an original Quattro source vehicle at all.

Underneath, the IV is not built from a Quattro. It shares its floor and lower body structure with the B7 Audi RS4, along with that car's braking, steering and electrical systems and its suspension geometry. That gives the project a more modern foundation than the donor-bodied route might imply, even though the visible shell is pure Ur Quattro in spirit.

Four V8 options, two of them 10,000 rpm units

The engine range starts with the RS4's 4.2-litre V8 fitted with a supercharger, rated at 600 hp. An upgraded supercharged V8 takes output to 750 hp, which Audacious says is comfortably more than an original Audi R8.

The other two versions both rev to 10,000 rpm: one naturally aspirated and one supercharged. Audacious has not published power figures for either of those two.

Every IV comes with a six-speed manual gearbox and all-wheel drive. Audacious quotes a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time as low as 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 200 mph (320 km/h).

Ur Quattro cues, entirely new cabin

The finished car's front end echoes the original Ur Quattro but modernised, with new LED headlights, a blacked-out grille, intakes and a prominent new splitter. The three vents on the bonnet have grown, and flared quarter panels give it the stance associated with Group B rally cars. Three-spoke star-shaped wheels and a large rear wing complete the look.

Inside, the IV departs from both the Ur Quattro and the RS4. It has a three-spoke leather and aluminium steering wheel, a custom instrument binnacle with traditional gauges and a spherical gear knob. The show car pairs tan and black leather on the dashboard, door panels and seats with tartan trim. Audacious says a near-limitless range of options and interior configurations will be available.

Price, availability and what is still open

Pricing starts at £350,000, and total output is limited to a maximum of 50 cars. Audacious has not announced a launch date, a build schedule or which markets will receive the IV, so buyers outside the UK will need to wait for those details.

The price puts the IV among the upper tier of restomods, but the specification explains part of it: a carbon-bodied option, a choice of four V8 tunes and a manual all-wheel-drive transmission are not typical of the breed. For a buyer weighing one against a rebuilt original Quattro, the IV's appeal rests on modern RS4 mechanicals under period-inspired bodywork rather than on originality.