SEMA Preview: Rhys Millen and Hyundai team up on Genesis coupe

Click above for a high-res image of the RMR Hyundai Genesis coupe.

Hyundai is planning a big showing at this year's SEMA show, dispatching with orange Elantras and be-winged Accents in favor of highlighting the automaker's first foray into rear-wheel-drive performance. Six concepts are planned – three Genesis sedans and three Genesis coupes – with both vehicles getting the attention of the country's top aftermarket specialists.

Hyundai will be releasing teasers of the three Genesis coupe projects in the coming weeks, but the first is proof that the aftermarket is taking Hyundai's new turbocharged 2.0-liter coupe seriously. Rhys Millen Racing has rendered up its own interpretation of what the Genesis coupe is capable of, with an eye on the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, Formula D drift series and Redline time attack.

The RMR coupe will benefit from a prototype wide body kit and turbo setup, built in house by Rhys and his team, sending power to the rear wheels through an HKS heavy-duty sequential gearbox. Suspension duties are handled by a set of K&W coilovers, along with Enkei racing wheels and Bridgestone RE-01 tires. Brembo brakes are mounted fore and aft, and inside a Sparco steering wheel and seats join an carbon fiber dash and an eight-point roll cage.

According to Hyundai's PR man, Miles Johnson, Millen is making regular calls to Hyundai engineers to extract every last bit of performance from the coupe, and expect more details on final output and the other two coupes throughout the summer.

PRESS RELEASE

Hyundai teams up with Rhys millen racing to introduce genesis coupe at SEMA show

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., July 30, 2008 – Hyundai Motor America announced today that it has teamed up with Rhys Millen Racing (RMR) to create the "Art of Speed" Genesis Coupe show car. The Hyundai RMR "Art of Speed" Genesis Coupe 2.0t will be on display at the Hyundai booth at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in the Las Vegas Convention Center from Nov. 4 – Nov. 7, 2008. The RMR Genesis Coupe will be the first of many Genesis Coupes to be modified by some of the best tuner shops in the world. This RMR – developed Genesis Coupe will be a fully functional race car capable of putting the driver in the winner's circle.

"The unique part of this project is that it will be moving art, which is why we named it the 'Art of Speed,'" says Rhys Millen, professional race driver and founder of RMR. "The focus will be on the engine and a radical body design to complement the factory body lines. We are going to transform the Genesis Coupe into an apex-carving machine with jaw-dropping looks. We think it has the possibility of being one of the coolest cars at the show."

The RMR Genesis Coupe will be powered by a 2.0-liter DOHC inline four-cylinder engine with RMR turbo kit for maximum horsepower and torque. It will be equipped with a heavy-duty HKS sequential transmission and a K&W coil over suspension to put that additional power to the ground. These are just some of the planned mechanical modifications to turn the Genesis Coupe into a race car capable of running in the Pikes Pike Hill Climb, Formula D or Redline Time Attack series.

"We've been excited about working with Rhys Millen since the minute he walked through our doors at Hyundai Motor America," says John Krafcik, vice president, product development and strategic planning, Hyundai Motor America. "Genesis Coupe is a rear-wheel drive performance machine we designed to capture the hearts of hardcore automotive enthusiasts, so we can't wait to see Rhys' RMR Genesis Coupe on the race track."

The RMR Genesis Coupe will be outfitted in a silver and black paint scheme and dominated by a RMR wide body kit, functional hood scoop and a carbon fiber wing. Enkei racing wheels and Bridgestone Protenza RE-01 tires surrounding Brembo brake calipers complete the package.

Inside will be a racing cockpit with Sparco steering wheel and seats, eight-point roll cage and a RMR carbon fiber dash.

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