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.
Hyundai says the coupe's oversized wheels, carbon-fiber hood and bright orange bodywork drew inspiration from race cars and "Dub City" die-cast models. (Evidently, the chrome 24s and 1500-watt stereo didn't make it.) 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-horsepower V-6.
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.
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.
