My boss sent me some camera pics from the Cars and Coffee meet down in Irvine a couple weeks ago. I guess somebody from Hyundai rolled down the new Genesis coupe with the 4B11T engine in it. Ken called it a 7/8 scaled G35. I said just about the same thing in my November 07 post about the car when I first saw it at the LA Auto Show. In concept, the Genesis sounds good. HOWEVER, I hear the car will have a 3500 lb. curb weight so even though it is rear wheel drive and has a turbo engine in it, it is a far cry from what the car should be. The car should be a copy of the 1991 Nissan 180SX with a updated face lift. That’s what I told Toyota when they came and asked me what their next sports car should be like. It’s what I told Dave over at Mazda. It’s what I tell all the manufacturers: copy the S13 180/240SX with a turbo engine and call it a day. Anyhow, after a severe diet and a 200whp upgrade, the Hyundai Genesis just might be pretty interesting.
Look at the car’s side profile and tell me that’s not a G35/37’s silhouette.
You know Hyundai must own a couple of G35/G37 coupes and have them in their design studios. Dude, if you put an Infiniti badge on it I probably wouldn’t even take a second glance the first time I saw the car.
The 4B11T is actually going to be the base engine with 212hp. Believe it or not, the higher trim version will have Hyundai’s V6. Yes, the rod shooter engine: I’m told that if you go a tick over 240whp a rod shoots out the side of the block. The V6 is probably fine if you left it stock, but I would be happy to have the 4B11T and the lower trim model. EDIT: I read somewhere that the higher trim car will have a V8.
You can’t see much of the turbo here, but there looks to be plenty of room to fit a Garrett T04 and external wastegate there. Hopefully the transverse and longitudinal 4B11T’s will have the same engine mount bracket positioning so a future Cosworth 2.2L 4B11T will drop right in.
I don’t think it’s a bad thing that Hyundai was “influenced” by Nissan designers because the G35/G37 is a good looking car. I just wish Hyundai would have made it about 700lbs. lighter and a hair smaller in size. Anyhow, hopefully this car will bring turbo power to the masses in an affordable package. Like I said in my previous post: wait for a sale and it’ll be 0 down, 24 months no interest!