I rode in Hyundai's WRC car and it was surprisingly not terrifying

​It’s one thing to look at pictures of the second-placing World Rally Championship (WRC) car, its another entirely to actually be in the navigator’s seat.

We were lucky enough to get invited along for a passenger ride with Hyundai’s star driver, Haydon Paddon, in his i20 WRC Coupe at the Raleigh Raceway, near where events surrounding of Rally Australia were held.

So, what’s it like?

The Raleigh International Raceway normally hosts karts, but that's fine I guess...

The first thing you’ll notice is the car is damn loud at idle, with the 1.6-litre turbo rattling away with little regard for those around it. Despite that, the inside was nice and quiet once you strapped a chunky crash helmet on.

I’d go so far as to say it was almost comfortable. I’m not sure if this is the case for other rally cars, but once you were suited up and belted in (no doubt all the padding helps), I felt reasonably secure in the navigator’s seat.

Somehow, this continues all the way through to the drive. I was expecting something much more terrifying, but the the way the car tipped into the corners and tilted back with acceleration left you feeling like it had plenty more to give. 

“These tyres are meant for dirt, so lets just go sideways and have some fun” Hayden says when I ask him how hard he’ll go. You can literally feel the amount of purchase each wheel has as the car slides sideways around every corner.

Going into his second lap he launches us into a ‘Scandinavian flick’ in order to drift the entire sweeping uphill right-hander at the end of the straight. I can only begin to imagine how much fun a car like this is when you’re not (literally) going for gold.

While the sliding and G-forces in the corners are fine, what will shake you the most is the car’s sheer braking power. Just as you get used to the idea that a quick flick of the handbrake will sort pretty much any bend, Hayden stomps on the brakes for one of the last corners, causing the car to tip forward suddenly and violently. 

Then, its right back on the accelerator with a flick of the handbrake, and you’re in the back of your seat and sideways again. It’s the kind of shock that the better theme park rides rely on, and there’s little that can prepare you for it.

There’s also the lack of visibility to consider. What looks more or less like a regular windscreen from the outside is relegated to just a letterbox view of the road in front. It really hammers home how often on crests and jumps, all drivers will see is sky and trees.

There are some interesting features on the floor of the passenger’s like the ‘water splash’ button located near your foot. This is for shutting the intake momentarily when the water hits. Neat. 

It's always interesting getting this close to a car like this and spotting the small details.

Other details I liked included the stock, functional doorhandles and the more-or-less-normal boot hatch and headlamp fittings. They almost look out of place on what is otherwise a roll cage, a bunch of high-tech differentials and a very angry little engine.

If you could ride in any rally car from the past, which one would it be? Tell us in the comments below.