One of the coolest things about being at SEMA before the show officially opens are all the little behind the scenes looks you get before all the riff raff gets here. Today, one of the neatest things I saw was this artist hand painting a graphic on to one of the Genesis sedans in the Hyundai booth. She had a projector set up behind her, and was basically tracing the image on to the car. I’ll make sure to get some pics of the finished product when I write about the Hyundai booth later in the week, but I’ve posted a shot that shows her whole set up after the jump.

Continue reading "Putting on the Finishing Touches at the Hyundai Booth" »

I got a firsthand look at Rhys Millen’s Hyundai Genesis bodykit packages at SEMA last year, and I thought the car was  pretty sweet. From what I can tell, the ride he’s racing in Formula D is sporting the same carbon fiber panels, and in addition to being drift-ready, it’ll be able to handle the Pike’s Peak Hill Climb and run time attack. But while a lot of development has gone into the new machine, Millen hasn’t been having the best season. The former champ is currently running 15th in the standings, and in this clip, he doesn’t sound too happy about the judging. Hopefully, he’ll have some better luck in New Jersey next weekend.

Yeah, I know, I didn’t do a Showroom Showdown this week. But Car and Driver just did a comparo between the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro V-6 LT and the 2010 Hyundai Genesis coupe 3.8 V-6. The Camaro won by a hair. Read the article and then tell us what you think!

The Hyundai Genesis Coupe has been labeled as the Nissan Silvia of the 21st Century. A High tech, RWD, low cost, high performance sports coupe with enough power to be labeled a real great car. That’s why I was surprised to find this picture of a G4KC (Genesis Coupe) Engine with a striking similarity to a Redtop Nissan Silvia SR20DET. Seperated at birth? You tell me.

The only visual difference I can see is that the Genesis has the manifold on the other side, where as the Silvia SR motor has a removable top cover for easy access to the spark plugs, etc. It’s astonishing how much they’re alike, and I have to say, it’s quite impressive.

This weeks Showroom Showdown ended up being a bit closer than I thought it would be, but the Genesis still won, with 57% of the vote. Looks like RWD and horsepower carries the day on CarDomain. Anyway, stay tuned for another match up next week, and keep those Showdown suggestions coming!

This week’s Showroom Showdown pits a RWD V8 import vs. a FWD V6 domestic! Thanks to Michael for suggesting this match up! The Hyundai weighs 4,006 pounds and has a healthy 368 hp on tap. The Lincoln weighs 4,127 pounds and has just 270 hp. Both cars start just south of $40k. So, which would you choose?

Man, Hyundai can do no wrong these days. Just check out the new Genesis Coupe reviews from Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Automobile and Edmunds. Motor Trend managed to get the quickest times of the four publications, clocking 0-60 in 5.5 seconds and the quarter in 14.0 seconds at 101 mph.

Here are some pics. The wheels would be cool hanging on my wall, but they make the brakes look a little bit insufficient.

Continue reading "Hyundai Genesis DUB Edition" »

Ok, so Hyundai officially announced pricing on the Genesis Coupe today, and it looks like the V6 car is priced pretty close to the new Mustang GT. Both cars are 300+ hp, RWD and weigh a tad over 3,500 pounds. With the Genesis Coupe you get a 306 hp 3.8liter V6, a 6 speed and IRS. With the Mustang you get a 315 hp 4.6 liter V8, a 5 speed and a live rear axle. Which would you choose?

I have the full press release from Hyundai, along with official pricing for the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, after the jump.

Continue reading "Hyundai Launches Rhys Millen Racing Red Bull Drift Team" »

Hyundai has this screaming yellow Genesis Coupe in the middle of their booth. Looks pretty hot. I have a ton of pics after the jump.

Continue reading "Hyundai Genesis Coupe at NAIAS" »

I’m really looking forward to seeing the new Camaro, 370Z and Genesis Coupe on the roads this year. I’m also hoping to see a bunch of plain jane Challenger SEs doing mundane daily driver duty. And of course I can’t wait to see the Ford Fusion Hybrid invade neighborhoods dominated by the Prius. How about you?

The Genesis Coupe hasn’t reached the States yet, but one of Hyundai’s RWD sports cars has already died on its native soil. Apparently, it rounded a corner and then proceeded to slam into a concrete post. The results, as you can see, weren’t pretty, and the driver and passenger were critically injured. A Korean source has reported that the car was sporting "temporary tags" and given the fact that the airbags didn’t deploy, our buddies at Jalopnik have speculated that it was actually wearing manufacturer plates, and that this isn’t a consumer car, but rather a Hyundai tester. Makes sense to me. More pics of the carnage after the jump.

Continue reading "Hyundai Genesis Coupe Crashed in Korea" »

Personally, I think golf is kind of silly. I’ve never played, I don’t have any desire to play, and I think the world would be a better place if 75% of the world’s courses suddenly became go kart tracks. But it’s still awesome watching a pro beam someone—on purpose!—with a golf ball. That’s just funny as hell. Anyway, here’s the news:

• So I liked Hyundai’s new Genesis sedan, and I honestly expect to like the Coupe. Obviously, both are an attempt to change the company’s budget image and move up market. But I was still a little surprised to see Prada—like, the $500-pants Prada—will to be crafting a special edition for the Seoul Motor Show. CarScoop
• Along with the 510, the 240Z is regarded as one of the first truly collectible Japanese cars, and expectations are high for the release of the new 370Z. To get everyone up to speed on just how the model has changed across its many generations, check out this killer design dissection. Jalopnik
• There are actually lots of things happening in the automotive world, but if you’re Robert Farago, the only thing worth covering is the bailout of the Big Three. And while it must be lame for him to realize Uncle Sam might help the companies he so despises live to fight another day, for those of us who like the idea of domestic vehicles, it’s actually pretty cool. The Truth About Cars
• Nissan’s GT-R has won the ‘Most Advanced Technology Award’ in this year’s Japanese Car of the Year awards. Are you as shocked as we are? Of course you aren’t, but I still thought it was worth mentioning. Congrats, Godzilla. Motor Authority

By John Coyle

Editor

There were only six cars in the Hyundai booth, but there was a lot of excitement. The 300HP Genesis Coupe is almost ready to drop, and the sedan version has been getting good reviews, so the Hyundai folks were in great spirits. Rhys Millen was on hand to reveal his tuned version of the Coupe—think wide body, carbon fiber everything, cage, more ponies—and there were also versions from Street Concepts and HKS. Rides and DUB Magazine also delivered editions of the Genesis sedan, and both offerings looked super slick. Along with the custom cars, the Hyundai brass also showcased an supercharged version of its Tau V8 that uses variable displacement technology. It’s the first of its type in the world and I thought it was pretty sweet. But more than anything? I can’t wait to see what the kids start doing with the Coupe once it hits the street. Tons more pics after the jump.

Continue reading "All Up In Their Booth: Hyundai at SEMA" »