SEMA Preview: HKS Hyundai Genesis Coupe
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Hyundai made a huge splash at the New York Auto Show this year with its Genesis Coupe, and it's looking for a repeat performance next month at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The Koreans are working with several aftermarket tuners to create special coupes for the tuner show and they just passed along a photo of one of them. This example was created by HKS USA and includes the usual array of body work mods along with plenty of mechanical upgrades. Hyundai hasn't provided details on the engine re-work yet other than noting it's got an HKS GT Turbo package, so presumably this car will use the 2.0L turbo four-cylinder as its starting point. Since the guts of the engine are being beefed up, we can safely assume this thing will be running considerably higher boost than a stock Genesis. Hopefully the HKS Hipermax III fully-adjustable suspension will help make all this power usable on the street as well as the track. The Genesis Coupe may just yet prove to be a very formidable competitor to all those new Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers appearing over the next few months, and we can't wait for our chance to drive one.
[Source: Hyundai]
PRESS RELEASE
HYUNDAI COLLABORATES WITH HKS USA TO UNVEIL GENESIS COUPE AT SEMA SHOW
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Sept. 3, 2008 – Hyundai Motor America today announced that HKS USA, Inc. will create a high-performance Genesis Coupe for the 2008 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show. The all-new, rear-wheel drive Hyundai model will make its SEMA debut at the Las Vegas Convention Center Nov. 4 – Nov. 7, 2008. HKS, the leading manufacturer of premium performance parts, is the second company to join Hyundai for this year's SEMA show.
"Genesis Coupe has the basic DNA that HKS looks for – an excellent chassis, rear-wheel drive, aggressive styling and a new generation turbo-charged engine. These attributes provide the opportunity for HKS to maximize the Genesis Coupe driving performance capabilities for the serious driving enthusiast," said Rick Lafferty, president, HKS USA, Inc. "HKS is allocating R&D, engineering and prototyping resources to lay the groundwork for HKS-brand Genesis Coupe performance parts. We are looking forward to working with Hyundai to realize the full performance potential of the Genesis Coupe."
The HKS plan for the Genesis Coupe includes a HKS GT Turbo upgrade to maximize horsepower and torque, HKS engine internals, HKS limited-edition turbo exhaust system, HKS Super Mega Flow Intake System, HKS Engine Management and HKS Hipermax III fully-adjustable suspension.
"We've designed Genesis Coupe from the start to be tuner-friendly," said John Krafcik, vice president, Product Development and Strategic Planning, Hyundai Motor America. "Partnering with an industry leader like HKS is a terrific way for us to stretch the performance envelope of Genesis Coupe."
The HKS Genesis Coupe will also showcase functional ground effects designed by Ken Style, HKS Time-Attack cars' aerodynamic partner. The interior will emphasize driver comfort and control with HKS electronics including CAMP2 that monitors up to 24 data signals from the Genesis OBD2 and programmable calculations for fuel costs, average fuel consumption and fuel efficiency in real time.
HYUNDAI GENESIS COUPE HIGHLIGHTS
• Hyundai's first rear-wheel drive sports car
• 306 horsepower (est.) from enhanced 3.8-liter V6 from Genesis sedan
• Standard 212 horsepower (est.) turbocharged, intercooled inline four cylinder
• Genesis Coupe arrives in the spring of 2009 as a 2010 model
HKS USA, INC.
HKS USA, Inc. is a leading manufacturer and supplier of premium automotive aftermarket performance systems, parts and accessories. Delivering its products to both the import and domestic car markets, HKS has been recognized for its engineering and performance excellence in the automotive industry since 1973. Established in 1982, HKS USA, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HKS Company, Ltd. Japan and distributes its products through its worldwide dealer network. For more information about HKS USA., visit their website at www.hksusa.com.
HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of South Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through 800 dealerships nationwide.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Torrent 1:36PM (9/03/2008)
that grille looks even weirder without the H logo. maybe the carbon fiber hood that was on the concept would work?
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jsjs 3:07PM (9/03/2008)
The grille is definitely the weakest point of the GenCoupe.
The carbon fiber hood on the concept worked b/c it was black and made the grille look bigger/more aggressive than it actually is.
jh00d08 1:37PM (9/03/2008)
Wow... this one actually looks pretty sweet.
Love the wheels
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civictd04 4:36PM (9/13/2008)
Take a look at the technical spec on the car at http://genesisforums.org. Look in the navigation bar for the link. The turbo 4 has "oil squirters" that spray oil onto the underside of the pistons to keep them cool (also in the Dodge SRT-4 engine, which is pretty bullet proof). Should make for a reliable car to tune.
Jason 1:40PM (9/03/2008)
I want.
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BigMcLargeHuge 1:40PM (9/03/2008)
I like it.
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Stumpy 1:40PM (9/03/2008)
Decent looking photoshop.
I agree that there needs to be something done about that grill.
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BoneHeadOtto 1:46PM (9/03/2008)
I like it. Too bad they didnt fix the rear side window though
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Stumpy 2:30PM (9/03/2008)
Exactly!
Chris 11:58AM (9/04/2008)
That's odd, because I think the rear window is one of the strongest design factors on this car. Funtional and I think it looks sexy.
s13hybrid 1:50PM (9/03/2008)
Wow, this car keeps getting more and more desirable. I really want the Suby, and Nissan RWD cheaper cars to come out, so there is more choice. But this is looking nice.
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MONTE 1:53PM (9/03/2008)
I like it a lot. No need to change anything about it just to make it look like some other car. Let it have it's own identity and keep it just like it is in the picture, just no HKS logo of course.
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John R 2:00PM (9/03/2008)
Wow. Nissan better come out with that new Silvia PDQ. This looks completely drift worthy.
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Franz 2:22PM (9/03/2008)
For the life of me, I dunno why Nissan never sold the S15 in the US. They could've just plonked the SR20VET under the hood and let it loose.
Oh, nice looking Hyundai except for the grille.
xpolarx 3:06PM (9/03/2008)
I have very high hopes for the new Silvia, but I remain skeptical. Just based on the numbers, the Hyundai will probably beat it. Nissan couldn't possibly drop a 300hp rwd coupe on the US without somewhat encroaching on the Z-car's sales. Unless the next generation Z is a full second faster 0-60 than the outgoing model, I see the next Silvia being a bit of a let down...and this is coming from a guy who used to own a S14, and still views the S15 as one of the best looking cars ever made. I just can't see Nissan taking the risk.
Eddie 2:01PM (9/03/2008)
That is damn good looking. I'd imagine that the base turbo 4 is easily tunable. An extra 40-50hp and still get good milage.
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Way of the Future 2:03PM (9/03/2008)
this is a pretty hot car!
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SPF 2:08PM (9/03/2008)
Everthing in black, that is all.
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Tommy 2:13PM (9/03/2008)
....at the end of they day when someone asks you: "What is this car?" - You will still have to answer: "It's a Hyundai..."
I know it's a nice RWD coupe but still. This car will open the door to a new wave of ricers - sort of what happened with Scion
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s13hybrid 3:39PM (9/03/2008)
That is what sucks about new cheap sporty coupes, the people that buy them are spoiled bratty kids, that put wire mesh grills, stupid loud exhausts (because they are loud, not for performance) and other pointless things on them.
I am not a big fan of Hyundai, but if they build a good car, they build a good car, and I am starting to really want a genesis. I just know I will be lumped in with all those "pimped out cars" when all I wanted was a tastefully cheap RWD newer car that looks decent, and has room for tasteful performance modifications.