Rhys Millen's drift car finally ready to run with Hyundai Power
Hyundai engine in Rhys Millen's drift car – Click above for high-res gallery
A minor controversy broke out a few weeks back when it became known that Rhys Millen's new Hyundai Genesis Coupe Formula Drift car debuted at the Long Beach season opener with Nissan power under the hood. Normally this wouldn't be much of an issue in drifting where almost anything goes mechanically. The problem here is that Millen's team is not independent and supported directly by Hyundai. As we learned, late approval of the drift program meant that Millen's crew simply didn't have the time to finish preparing a new engine from Hyundai.
Rhys dropped us a line yesterday evening to let us know that some of the parts he was waiting on for the Lambda V6 engine have arrived including a new clutch and flywheel. To start with, the engine is running with mostly stock internals and its original 3.8-liter displacement. Over the weekend, the team ran the engine on the dyno and squeezed out 480 hp at 4,500 rpm and 570 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm. They achieved those numbers with just 9 psi of boost from the turbo. The engine is now in the car and Millen will be competing with Hyundai power at Round 2 of the formula D championship at Road Atlanta this weekend.
[Source: Rhys Millen]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
LMBVette 11:41AM (5/05/2009)
"480 hp at 4,500 rpm and 570 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm"
That's nice power....but why did they stop revving at 4,500 rpm??? That engine has got to be good to at least 6.5k. Hmmm....."mostly stock internals".
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Franz 11:58AM (5/05/2009)
I doubt they stopped revving it, the power just peaked at 4500rpm. There should be plenty of power left on the way to redline. It probably needs some better cams to make good top end numbers though.
audi_arena 12:49PM (5/05/2009)
There is no point to high-end power in drifting. A high rpm/ high power output motor does no good. The only thing that counts is having enough tourque to break the wheels free.
ryan 11:49AM (5/05/2009)
that could have just been peak HP, not the redline. with the turbo setup, i wouldn't be surprised if it peaked early, then boost was bled off to keep it from imploding.
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the_MVP_X 12:01PM (5/05/2009)
Still a Hyundai....
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Farris 12:07PM (5/05/2009)
At first, Enzo Ferrari said that it was "Still a Lamborghini." Look at Lambo now. Brilliant cars.
In the 60s and 70s, American car manufacturers said they were "Still Japanese cars." Look at those Japanese cars now (especially in relation to their American competitors)
My point?
Don't be so close minded. Car manufacturers improve over time.
Carlos 12:08PM (5/05/2009)
You're retarded
zedster 12:37PM (5/05/2009)
This bring me to my favorite example of why Americans are obsessed with brand and stupid for it.
In Europe they have the Mercedes Sprinter, in the US it was sold as a Chrysler
why? because Americans somehow feel having a $80,000 car from a company that also makes a $25K utilitarian van will lower the value of their car
This is also why Hyundai is looking to create a Genesis brand for their higher end vehicles ala Toyota and Lexis
To make this all worse we are rubbing off on the world with our branding crap as seen by the introduction of Acura in Japan
So in conclusion stop being a moron and judge things on merit not name
ryuryuryturtuy 12:59PM (5/05/2009)
Carlos said:
"You're retarded"
+10!
Sal Collaziano 3:13PM (5/05/2009)
That really doesn't hold any weight these days. Most people are intelligent enough to realize that a brand name doesn't make an automobile good or bad. It takes all kinds, though.
I guess people will feel better after being beaten on the street or track by a Genesis Coupe if they can say, "It's still just a Hyundai". Really......
Sal Collaziano
http://www.genesisowners.com
larry a 7:26PM (5/05/2009)
Its naysayers like you that only make Hyundai and others try harder. Reminds me of Toyota and Honda when they first came to the States. Now look at them.
willyolio 4:31PM (5/06/2009)
"Still a Hyundai...."
Translation: "At least it's not American."
Jeff 12:03PM (5/05/2009)
I still don't get what the hold-up was. It doesn't take 3 months to put an engine in a race chassis. Even if you have to custom fab a subframe, a drive shaft and all the wiring / plumbing, etc. I guess they got a little too ambitious.
I also don't understand why Hyundai would want them to turbo the 3.8.
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Tourian 12:21PM (5/05/2009)
I'm a bit skeptical too, especially since it sounds like just a custom turbo kit on an engine with stock internals. I would think several of the country's top tuner shops and even most of the 2nd tier once could do that in a matter of a few weeks. Not a hack job mind you, but something that could be expected to work well.
Justin 1:41PM (5/05/2009)
It's explained right in the article:
"some of the parts he was waiting on for the Lambda V6 engine have arrived including a new clutch and flywheel"
I guess a clutch and flywheel combination for a brand new production car usually comes out in a couple weeks, huh? Everything had to be created, there is no "off the shelf" aftermarket yet. hell, there wasn't even a shelf when RMR started.
Mike 1:34PM (5/05/2009)
Maybe budget, no parts being made for it yet, they have other things to do. Maybe Hyundai just provides money and they have to do all the testing. Testing takes time alot of time. Factors we just don't know about. I don't think the budget for drift racing is the same as nascar. Cut the guys some slack
Tourian 3:08PM (5/05/2009)
@Justin who said: "I guess a clutch and flywheel combination for a brand new production car usually comes out in a couple weeks, huh?"
Sometimes yeah, Mr. Smart Alec. Especially when preproduction models of those production cars have been in the hands of tuners prior to launch. Sometimes performance parts come out immediately upon launch. I would think Hyundai or Millen would have been more prepared if they planned on running the car in competition to not have to suffer the ignominious fate of using a rival engine, even if for a short time.
That said, yeah it could have been the wait time for a drift clutch to use built to their specifications.
Jeff 3:13PM (5/05/2009)
@Justin - That's what I meant by "a little too ambitious". It sounds like his decision to turbo the engine straight away was a bad one, and everything snowballed from there. No existing clutch and flywheel that could handle the power, needed a different transmission (guessing from the bellhousing pic), etc etc.
I personally would have been ALOT more impressed if they had dropped in the Hyundai engine and transmission "as-is" (naturally aspirated). If he'd have used the 2.0T he probably could have pulled some parts from the EVOX shelf. At least then it'd have more in common with the street car.
Still, the current setup is very impressive (570 ft-lb!!!) and Hyundai did handle this PR bungle pretty well.
XJ 12:04PM (5/05/2009)
570lb-ft. Nice torque. Better than I expected.
I guess they scrapped the 4.1L idea.
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Hamhock 12:30PM (5/05/2009)
@ Farris
Ditto. Everyone who has an interest in luxury cars should take a look at the Genesis sedan. I predict that Hyundai will take a stap at premium CUVs and we'll see an X5 & MDX competitor from them before too long.
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