Autoblog

The Genesis Coupe is being launched in South Korea this week, and we've already heard from CAR regarding their testing of the 310-hp 3.8L V6 model. Hyundai released its own performance numbers for the hotly anticipated RWD coupe, and it also included information for the turbocharged 2.0L base model. While CAR achieved a fairly respectable 0-60 time of 5.9 seconds for the V6 model, Hyundai is claiming a sprint to 62 takes 6.3 seconds.

In the Korean home market, the force-fed 2.0L base model will achieve 223 hp and 220 lb-ft with premium fuel, and 210 hp with regular. U.S. customers will reportedly only receive the 210-hp version, and you'll hit that magic number at 6,000 RPM while the turbocharged nature of the 2.0L helps you hit peak torque at a low 2,000 RPM. Hyundai claims the base Coupe's 0-62 time is a rather leisurely 8.3 seconds, but we're guessing that plenty of enthusiasts will get their hands underhood in an effort to greatly boost those numbers.

Korean market pricing starts at 23,200,000 Korean won for the base model and 33,920,000 won for the top of the line V6 model. That's $18,728 and $27,382 in U.S. currency, but Hyundai won't announce official U.S. pricing until closer to the Genesis Coupe's spring 2009 debut.

UPDATE: A source inside Hyundai has told Autoblog to expect a 0-60 time of around 7.5 seconds for the 2.0-liter turbocharged Genesis Coupe. The combination of less weight (under 3,500 pounds) and a retuned engine (Hyundai is still months away from launching the Coupe in the U.S.) will bring performance up to par, compared to its Korean counterpart.


[Source: World Car Fans]

There is nothing better than finding a few stray horses that were previously unaccounted for. Honda engineers were running tests on the Accord's 3.5L V6 engine when they realized it was spinning the dyno with more horsepower and torque than originally thought. It caught the Honda team off guard, as the powerplant has received no design changes to warrant the extra power. Regardless, the marketing folks have been quick to update the power ratings of the 3.5-liter 24-Valve SOHC i-VTEC powerplant. Here are the new numbers for 2009: 271 hp replaces 268 hp on all V6 models, 254 lb-ft. replaces 248 lb-ft. on automatic transmission models and 251 lb-ft. replaces 248 lb-ft. on manual transmission models. One would have to assume that the 2008 model made the same power, it just wasn't noticed... Thanks for the tip, Steve!

[Source: Honda]

For car buffs it's baffling (and pretty cool, too) to see a $70,000 Nissan weighing nearly 4,000 lbs whoop up on lighter, more powerful cars. The GT-R lapped more than five seconds quicker than a Corvette Z06 and 911 Turbo at Buttonwillow Raceway during Road and Track's test, and Car and Driver pulled off some pretty incredible numbers during theirs, running 0-60 mph in 3.3 seconds and the quarter mile in just 11.5 seconds. However, some have questioned the numbers. How does the GT-R, which has a weight-to-horsepower ratio 25% higher than the Turbo and Z06, beat both around the racetrack?

Motor Trend questioned the numbers too, and decided to check for themselves when they received a GT-R to review. They took the GT-R over to K&N Engineering in San Bernardino, CA, who strapped it to their in-house chassis dyno to see just how much horsepower the car was making. Three separate runs in fourth gear netted an average of about 430 horsepower at the wheels. Assuming a conservative 15% drivetrain loss, the GT-R is actually producing more than 500 horsepower and 500 lb-ft torque at the flywheel. That helps explain the numbers, but it won't give 911 Turbo and Corvette Z06 owners any comfort. Thanks for the tip, Jake!

[Source: Motor Trend]

click above to view more high-res pics of the 2008 Callaway Corvette

Callaway, the Connecticut-based Corvette tuner par excellence, has just announced that its 2008 Callaway Corvette will come with a new supercharger package that bumps power in the C6 Corvette to 580 horsepower. Buyers need only hand over $18,500 for the additional 150 horsepower over a stock 430-hp 6.2L LS3 V8, but will also get a host of engine improvements, a 3-year/36,000 mile warranty and still be able to meet California's strict emissions standards.

Callaway has also announced a new, more powerful supercharger for its super-Vette, the C16. The new spool increases output of the hand-built LS3 engine from 616 to 650 hp. It's also fitted with new cylinder heads and valvetrain, a custom cold-air intake, special free-flowing exhaust system and remapped ECU, in addition to the carbon-ceramic brakes, suspension and wheels. Callaway offers the C16 with its custom bodywork and leather interior in coupe and convertible forms for about $150k, or double that for the stunning Speedster. The extra 34 harnessed horses should help the updated C16 break its already-impressive 3.3-second 0-60 time, 11-second ¼ mile and 210 mph top end.

[Source: Callaway]

While Ford keeps on cranking out newer, faster versions of the Mustang for American customers, Ford of Europe is preparing new packages for the Fiesta ST and Focus ST hot-hatches to do the same thing.

The £950 package for the diminutive Fiesta ST pushes power up to 185 hp from its 2-liter four, which is expected to come from upgraded engine management, cylinder heads, a new camshaft and exhaust. All that adds an extra 37 hp to the standard Fiesta ST's 148, dropping a sprint to 60 down half a second to eight flat.

Meanwhile, the larger, more powerful Focus ST gets treated to a similar upgrade, worth about £1,500. This package is tipped to include a new air filter, ECU and exhaust, amounting to a similar 38-horsepower increase in power for a total of 260 that drops the 0-60 blitz down to 5.5 seconds. Thank heavens Ford sells a version of the Focus here that's just as fast. Oh, wait...

Get this: current ST owners in Europe can also get this package retrofitted to currently-owned cars, along with a full-factory warranty on the parts. Europeans, then, will just have to make do with these hot hatch packages a while longer before the 300+ horsepower Focus RS arrives in 2009, at which point Blue Oval fanboys from the U.S. will invade your countries with the intent to drive.

[Source: Auto Express]

FiveAxis Lexus IS-F at the 2007 LA Auto Show

When Lexus set out to target the likes of the BMW M3, Audi RS4 and Mercedes C63 AMG with its spankin' new IS-F, they weren't kidding. The V8 super-sedan turned out to be an astonishing departure for the Japanese luxury brand that cut its teeth on rock-solid reliability and luxurious comfort. Not content resting on its laurels, rumors are surfacing that Toyota is hard at work preparing an even more extreme variant, being dubbed in the motoring press as the IS-F/R.

Reports have Lexus tweaking an extra 12 horsepower and 4 lb-ft of torque out of the Yamaha-sourced 417-hp/372 lb-ft, 5.0-liter V8 for an increased output of 429 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque. A modest increase, it would seem, until you look at the targeted 220-lb weight reduction. And as we all know, a little more power unburdened by significantly less weight is a winning formula. Just ask the likes of the Ferrari 430 Scuderia, Lamborghini Gallardo SUperleggera, Porsche 911 GT2 et al.

The rumored price of admission? A whopping 11 million yen in Japan, compared to the 7.7 million yen for what suddenly looks by comparison like a rather ordinary "standard" IS-F. Pursuit of Perfection, indeed.

[Source: Winding Road]

Lexus is billing the IS-F as "Everything you thought we weren't," and the potential is certainly there. The engine bay is filled with 5 liters of 4-valve V8 putting out 416 horsepower and 371 pound-feet of torque. The Minilite-esque wheels hide a Brembo braking system with six piston front calipers and cross-drilled rotors 14.2 inches in diameter. The sill extensions wrap up the front fenders to form a styling detail reminiscent of extractor vents, and the rest of the body has been tweaked in the wind tunnel to improve high speed aerodynamics. It all sounds good when you read the spec sheet, and the car does at least look aggressive . What everyone's dying to know, though, is "has Lexus done it this time?" Automobile magazine had the same burning curiosity, and they just also happened to have an IS-F sitting in their lot.

In no time, they headed over to their local Dynojet. The result? Well, they're a little disappointed, and they're calling the torque delivery peaky. Looking at the dyno graph, we're not sure we'd agree entirely with that assessment. There's at least 225 lb-feet at the wheels from 1,800 rpm, topping out at 318 lb-ft. First, let's point out that 15 percent torque loss through a drivetrain including an eight speed automatic is pretty phenomenal. Secondly, the torque curve is pretty fat below the peak. What is surprising to everyone, though, is the way the power drops off precipitously on the other side of the 5,200 rpm peak. You'd think an engine with 4-cams and Yamaha-designed cylinder heads would be a revver. Of course, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics and these dyno results are sure to kick up some debate. What still remains to be seen is how the entire package works when pitted against its bogeyed competition. For that, we must still wait.

[Source: Automobile, photo: Automobile]

At one time Japanese regulations prohibited engines in that country producing more than 274hp, and oddly enough a wide array of different engines were all rated at that same level. Given the actual performance of the cars, it was clear that many manufacturers were sandbagging. Audi appears set to do the same with its uber-powerful RS6. The twin-turbo V10 is expected to carry an official rating of 571 hp, but the actual output could be as high as 610hp. Does anyone actually need this much power in a sedan or wagon? Of course not, but sign us up anyway.

[Source: Motor Authority]

"Thanks God for traction control," was the first thought that ran through our minds when we came across the reported power figures of the new Audi RS6. Floating around the tubes of the Internets are the chassis codes for the new RS6, which look something like this: Audi AG 47 7967 21 AAJ N31 N30 579 426 5002. What does all that mean? Well, the 579 figure is the metric horsepower rating, which is equivalent to about 571 HP, while 426 refers to the kilowatts, and 5002 is a reference to the cubic centimeters of displacement.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, purveyors of only the finest rumors, over 730 lb.-ft. of torque will be sent to all four wheels via a six-speed ZF automatic gearbox, with the possibility of a DSG transmission later on. In order to tame all those units of energy, carbon ceramic disks will be an option over the standard rotors – a good call if you ask us.

Beyond the jaw-dropping potential of the 'standard' RS6, the German rag also reports that a 'Plus' version may become available with additional power – somewhere in the neighborhood of 620 to 625 HP – with the twin-turbo'd mill potentially finding a home within the RS R8.

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via Motor Authority]

Nobody defines the terms "wretched excess" and "gilding the lily" quite like Novitec. Whereas countless other aftermarket tuners make their mark by transforming ordinary road cars into fire-breathing monsters, Novitec starts with the already-hottest-performing cars to grace black asphalt and then endeavors to improve upon them. In this case, the German tuning house is improving upon its own improvements with the Novitec Rosso Ferrari F430 Bi-Compressor Evoluzione.

"Evoluzione" is the magic word in both the Ferrari and Novitec houses, denoting the ludicrous taken to the extreme. (Think of insane examples like the Ferrari 288 GTO Evoluzione and you're on the right track.) In this case, the latest release from Novitec Rosso starts with their previous twin-supercharged 636-horsepower F430 and raises the stakes by an additional 20 horses, bringing total output up to an Enzo-rivaling 656hp.

In addition to the power spike – resulting from the twin Rotrex superchargers, intercoolers and remapped ECU – Novitec arms its monstrous creation with a full aerodynamic package, wheel and tire upgrade, bigger brakes, beefed-up suspension and the works. If you're the kind of customer who'd be interested in improving upon a Ferrari in the first place, chances are you'd likely be up for re-doing the interior, and Novitec offers a full range of custom leather retrofits that will turn the rare into the positively unique.

Want more? We've got the technical specs after the jump, and a batch of images in the gallery below.

[Source: Novitec via Carscoop]