The concept for the AP4 category stemmed from a collaboration between MotorSport New Zealand (MSNZ) and the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) to develop technical regulations for a new generation of 4WD turbocharged rally car eligible for competition in both national and international events within the Asia Pacific region.
The Hyundai i20 AP4 was the first-ever New Zealand-developed Hyundai rally car and signalled the commencement of the strong partnership between Hayden and Hyundai New Zealand. The car was built and developed by Paddon Rallysport in conjunction with well-known rally driver and fabricator Andrew Hawkeswood of Force Motorsport during 2015-16. Hayden and co-driver John Kennard debuted the Hyundai i20 AP4 at Rally Otago in April 2016, winning the event outright before returning to their WRC duties that year.
