Inside Hyundai's Goyang Motorstudio
The Goyang Motorstudio gives its visitors an insight into how cars are designed, built and tested. Jack Evans has been given a tour around the remarkable facility
Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang is Korea’s largest car-based theme park, giving its visitors an insight into how the brand’s cars are made, as well as the vast amount of technology that is finding its way into cars now. It follows on from other Motorstudio locations in Seoul, Moscow and Hanam.
Not only do the Motostudio facilities allow visitors to see how Hyundai cars are made, but it gives them the chance to get up close and personal with the process. We arrived the Goyang facility to do just that.
The main exhibit in Goyang follows the journey of a car’s creation. This starts with a look at the steel used for the car’s panels – and visitors are given the chance to feel the metal in all of its various creation processes, with blocks of iron ore and steel there to pick up and feel. You then see the steel sheets pressed into the three-dimensional shapes used in the car itself.
Next, it’s time to see the robots used to spot weld a car’s steel frame. Silently scything through the air, they accurately weld a series of points along the car. Similar robots are used in the next area, painting the car with several layers of paint to ensure a lasting finish. Visitors can even control where the robots paint and which colour they apply. A final robot-led exhibit sees the final car assembled, with the various parts and sections being brought in to form a complete vehicle.
Safety is a crucial factor when creating any new car. A wall of illuminated airbags gives visitors the ability to see how the systems work, inflating and deflating at the touch of a hand. It’s an unnerving sensation at first, but it gives an up-close look at how airbags operate. This technology is showcased during an immersive high-definition video, which sees the picture projected on to the floor as well as on the screen in front of the audience and gives them a close look at a real crash test.
Good aerodynamic properties are crucial to ensuring a car’s economy. The next stage of the tour features an illuminated car model, with lights depicting airflow over the vehicle.
Moving along, an illuminated tunnel gives a visual representation of sound, while sliders positioned either side of a car located in the centre of the room allow visitors to change the way sound is sent through the cabin.
The next area is made up of a series of glass panels, all depicting a different layer of an engine’s make up, giving visitors a cross-section look at a powertrain. The various sheets of glass light up at different times, allowing you to see what an engine is made up of and how it works.
In the penultimate workshop, the movements of thousands of aluminium poles depict certain areas of inspiration for car design. They then form together to show a moving vehicle, making for quite the spectacle.
The final section of the tour is ideal for speed demons. It’s a ride in a 4D simulator, with visitors shaken and misted with water as they experience what it’s like being a real rally racing driver.
Of course, there’s more to the Motorstudio than just the tour. There’s also the chance to look through a range of Hyundai rally cars, and there’s the opportunity to drive a range of cars around pre-set routes surrounding the facility.
The Motorstudio in Goyand is far more than just a museum. It’s an active look at how modern cars are made and designed – and well worth the visit.
