2007 L.A. Auto Show: Hyundai Genesis Coupe Concept
- Looks like: Hyundai still hasn't found its styling call
- Defining characteristics: Not a lot; the lines are aggressive but don't go anywhere new
- Ridiculous features: Staggered carbon-fiber hood, enormous air intakes
- Chance of being mass-produced: Confirmed; expect a production version at next year's New York auto show
Though the Genesis coupe shares styling elements with the upcoming Genesis sedan, the shared name puzzles us. Hyundai bills the sedan as a full-blown luxury car, but when the production coupe arrives at next spring's New York auto show, it will compete with cars like the Mitsubishi Eclipse and Nissan 350Z.
One Hyundai product planner told us the company benchmarked the Infiniti G37's performance, but he added that the rear-wheel-drive coupe won't replace the front-wheel-drive Tiburon, which will likely get its own replacement down the road.
As concept cars go, the Genesis coupe's over-the-top quotient is low. There are no gull-wing doors or computerized dashboards. In fact, there's no dashboard at all; the car on display had windows tinted so dark we couldn't make out anything within, and Hyundai wasn't letting anyone open the doors.
Full mechanical details aren't available yet, but Hyundai says the production coupe will have a standard turbo four-cylinder and an optional 300-plus-hp V-6.
Hyundai says the production coupe should hit 60 mph in less than 6 seconds with the V-6, and it will be the "most affordable" 300-hp sports car on the market. The current title goes to the $25,840 Ford Mustang GT — which does zero to 60 in well under 6 seconds, mind you— so expect the V-6 Genesis coupe to start around there, with the turbo four-cylinder costing a few grand less.
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Yikes! That's a disaster. I love cheap, no-frills power; but clearly it's time to go back to the drawing board.
I think this attracts the tuner crowd pretty well. Tom, what needs to be redesigned? Please don't make them design the car to look like everything else on the road.
Beauty in Reasonable price rocket !
I like it, in concept and execution. The AFFORDABLE rwd coupe market has been left for dead. Not everyone can afford a G37 as a starting point for $25k in mods. And how many unmolested Supras are still around? (not that they were affordable when new)
A V6 Rwd performance coupe is what I've been waiting for for years, and a turbo 4 for the base option? Yay! Keep it below $25k and I'll be at the dealership in 2-3 years.
And if the styling's to odd, There's a Kia version that looks like something from a 60's italian design studio (think more Fiat than Alfa though)
I certainly wouldn't want this car looking like everything else on the road, but I think Kelsey was correct in saying "Hyundai still hasn't found its styling call." There are a lot of design elements I like here, but when they're combined I think it looks like a mish-mash of whatever contours the designers could think of.
I'm still excited to see a legitimate Mustang fighter though; and I expect the production version to be more refined.
I have a pic of the production( or very near pro.) Coupe on my flickr page, link below. Incidentally, it wuz parked next to a Ford Mustang!! LOL
this car is very good. I like the orange and black in the middle.
On paper, the specs are exactly what I would be looking for in a new car. In the flesh, I think its ugly BUT promising. I do not like the huge blind spot in the rear like the G37.