Genesis Coupe 1st Test Drive
01-07-2009, 11:37 AM
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Genesis Coupe 1st Test Drive
Sorry I had to. Many question about test drive and review. here it is
Epic Roads, World-Class Ride
By Ben Barry, Contributor Email
Date posted: 01-04-2009
It's 5 a.m. in South Korea and we slip downstairs in the dark from our motel room in Uljin to the underground parking garage. We point the key fob into the blackness and a car's soft interior lighting illuminates a sumptuous leather cabin. Headlights cast a glow, highlighting aggressive character lines that cut across purposeful bodywork.
We're drooling over a Hyundai, for heaven's sake. It's the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. We load the gear into the surprisingly accommodating trunk, slip into the chilly cockpit and press the starter button. We're looking forward to this. Really looking forward to it.
In 10 minutes time, we'll be carving a piece of Korean blacktop that's every bit as epic as the very best roads in the world. It's the Bulryeong Valley, an amazing route that starts on Korea's picturesque east coast and reaches into the country's mountainous heart.
It'll be a real test, a mustard-cutting exercise for the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe that will prove whether the Koreans can make a genuine world-class sport coupe.
World-Class Rear-Wheel-Drive
This is the 2010 Genesis Coupe, the two-door version of the rear-wheel-drive car that has won Hyundai grudging respect at last from the world's luxury carmakers. At its core, this top-line Genesis SE coupe is powered by Hyundai's 32-valve, 3.8-liter Lambda V6, which produces 299 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and delivers 266 pound-feet of torque at 4,700 rpm. A ZF-built 6HP26 six-speed transmission sends the power to the rear wheels.
This car looks substantial in person, measuring 182.3 inches long, 73.4 inches wide and 54.3 inches tall. The wheelbase is commensurately long at 111 inches. The suspension setup includes MacPherson struts up front, while a five-link independent arrangement controls the rear wheels. If the V6 is in place, the Genesis coupe weighs in at 3,549 pounds; if the turbocharged, intercooled, 212-hp 2.0-liter inline-4 is doing business under the hood, the car weighs 3,439 pounds.
There are three trim levels: entry-level GS with turbo inline-4; the GT with the V6; and the high-performance SE with a sport-tuned suspension, Brembo brakes and 19-inch tires matched to either the four- or six-cylinder.
Leaving Uljin
We turn off Highway 5, burble through still-sleeping villages, then start to climb into the hills that tower above. The road to Yeongju is smooth, fairly wide and bordered by guardrails and catch fencing. Sweeping corners outnumber straights 10 to one. It's like we've found our own private racetrack.
Even in this demanding environment, the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe still delivers. It grips so hard at the front that you wonder if there is actually a Korean word for understeer, then encourages you to get on the gas early and put all 299 hp to use at the rear. Again there's grip from the 19-inch rear tires, yet there's a lightness and deft poise that makes for an immensely satisfying and extremely manageable flow from one apex to the next.
The SE package's big brakes never lose their bite, thanks to 13.4-inch rotors in front and 13-inch rotors in the rear, both with four-piston Brembo calipers. Meanwhile, the V6's large reserve of torque is always on hand to haul you fuss-free from tight turns. Then it hits me. The 2010 Genesis Coupe feels exactly like the Infiniti G37
Epic Roads, World-Class Ride
By Ben Barry, Contributor Email
Date posted: 01-04-2009
It's 5 a.m. in South Korea and we slip downstairs in the dark from our motel room in Uljin to the underground parking garage. We point the key fob into the blackness and a car's soft interior lighting illuminates a sumptuous leather cabin. Headlights cast a glow, highlighting aggressive character lines that cut across purposeful bodywork.
We're drooling over a Hyundai, for heaven's sake. It's the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. We load the gear into the surprisingly accommodating trunk, slip into the chilly cockpit and press the starter button. We're looking forward to this. Really looking forward to it.
In 10 minutes time, we'll be carving a piece of Korean blacktop that's every bit as epic as the very best roads in the world. It's the Bulryeong Valley, an amazing route that starts on Korea's picturesque east coast and reaches into the country's mountainous heart.
It'll be a real test, a mustard-cutting exercise for the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe that will prove whether the Koreans can make a genuine world-class sport coupe.
World-Class Rear-Wheel-Drive
This is the 2010 Genesis Coupe, the two-door version of the rear-wheel-drive car that has won Hyundai grudging respect at last from the world's luxury carmakers. At its core, this top-line Genesis SE coupe is powered by Hyundai's 32-valve, 3.8-liter Lambda V6, which produces 299 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and delivers 266 pound-feet of torque at 4,700 rpm. A ZF-built 6HP26 six-speed transmission sends the power to the rear wheels.
This car looks substantial in person, measuring 182.3 inches long, 73.4 inches wide and 54.3 inches tall. The wheelbase is commensurately long at 111 inches. The suspension setup includes MacPherson struts up front, while a five-link independent arrangement controls the rear wheels. If the V6 is in place, the Genesis coupe weighs in at 3,549 pounds; if the turbocharged, intercooled, 212-hp 2.0-liter inline-4 is doing business under the hood, the car weighs 3,439 pounds.
There are three trim levels: entry-level GS with turbo inline-4; the GT with the V6; and the high-performance SE with a sport-tuned suspension, Brembo brakes and 19-inch tires matched to either the four- or six-cylinder.
Leaving Uljin
We turn off Highway 5, burble through still-sleeping villages, then start to climb into the hills that tower above. The road to Yeongju is smooth, fairly wide and bordered by guardrails and catch fencing. Sweeping corners outnumber straights 10 to one. It's like we've found our own private racetrack.
Even in this demanding environment, the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe still delivers. It grips so hard at the front that you wonder if there is actually a Korean word for understeer, then encourages you to get on the gas early and put all 299 hp to use at the rear. Again there's grip from the 19-inch rear tires, yet there's a lightness and deft poise that makes for an immensely satisfying and extremely manageable flow from one apex to the next.
The SE package's big brakes never lose their bite, thanks to 13.4-inch rotors in front and 13-inch rotors in the rear, both with four-piston Brembo calipers. Meanwhile, the V6's large reserve of torque is always on hand to haul you fuss-free from tight turns. Then it hits me. The 2010 Genesis Coupe feels exactly like the Infiniti G37
01-07-2009, 11:43 AM
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Originally Posted by GuamBomb' date='Jan 7 2009, 12:37 PM
Our enforced amble does highlight a flaw, because the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe rides badly, as its damping lacks the supple polish of the best all-around sporting coupes. Probably the SE package's front 225/40R19 and rear 245/40R19 Hankook tires don't help. The trick for Hyundai would be in maintaining the excellence of the handling, while underpinning it with more comfort. Perhaps a trip to Lotus Engineering, a longtime collaborator with Hyundai for suspension calibration in the past, would be in order.
01-07-2009, 12:25 PM
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Originally Posted by patinum' date='Jan 7 2009, 12:54 PM
Honestly, I stopped reading after "3,549 pounds".
its purpose isnt a lightweight roadster. it competes with the G37.
01-07-2009, 01:00 PM
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sweet. maybe I was wrong about the Korean car man's. hopefully they get things going so we have more fun cars..woot!
3600lbs is nothing if you got enough power...
im sure its easy to cut down weight on the genesis, since its got so much options on it.
id like to see a <3K lb hyundai with the genesis engines though..hmm
3600lbs is nothing if you got enough power...
im sure its easy to cut down weight on the genesis, since its got so much options on it.
id like to see a <3K lb hyundai with the genesis engines though..hmm
01-07-2009, 01:42 PM
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Originally Posted by ikeyballz' date='Jan 7 2009, 02:00 PM
3600lbs is nothing if you got enough power...
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01-07-2009, 02:52 PM
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Originally Posted by patinum' date='Jan 7 2009, 02:54 PM
Honestly, I stopped reading after "3,549 pounds".
Its probably a decent ride, but 299hp in close to 3600 pounds does not equal earth shattering performance. It will be fairly quick, but what isn't these days?
01-07-2009, 03:03 PM
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Originally Posted by vader1' date='Jan 7 2009, 03:52 PM
but 299hp in close to 3600 pounds does not equal earth shattering performance.
01-07-2009, 05:10 PM
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Originally Posted by NoBottleJustThrottle' date='Jan 7 2009, 03:42 PM
Seriously. I would love to see the I4 Turbo motor with about 350rwhp. Even at that weight it will still boogy.