Hyundai Genesis Coupe to Star in Race-Inspired Super Bowl Ads

Hyundai will air its first two television advertisements for the new 2010 Genesis Coupe during the Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday, February 1, 2009. The two distinct 30-second spots will see race driver Rhys Millen getting behind the wheel of the 306HP Genesis Coupe 3.8L V6. Millen will navigate the rear-wheel drive sports car around the 2.54-mile, 12-turn race track at Road Atlanta in Northeast Georgia to show off the Genesis Coupe's capabilities.

The first commercial that will air in the first half of the game will be choreographed to music performed by Yo-Yo Ma in the version. A second musical talent will be introduced in the following 30-second spot, featuring re-edited precision driving footage matched to a completely distinct soundtrack.

"Genesis Coupe is Hyundai's most dynamic performance car ever and it is the second-consecutive all-new model introduction from Hyundai to debut during the Super Bowl," said Joel Ewanick, vice president of Marketing, Hyundai Motor America. "So many elements come together in these advertisements that showcase the Genesis Coupe's design and performance that we know it will cast a halo over the entire brand."

Aside from the range-topping 3.8-liter V6 version, the Genesis Coupe will also be offered with a 30-mpg 2.0-liter model with a low-pressure intercooled four-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 210 horsepower.

First Hyundai Genesis Coupe Crash - Looks Like the Airbags Failed to Deploy

Hyundai had the unfortunate chance to see how its brand new rear-wheel-drive Genesis Coupe performs in a real-world crash when a 2.0 Turbo slammed into the concrete surrounding of a metal pole somewhere in Korea. Despite the severity of the crash and as you can see in the photos that have been circulating around the Korean blogosphere the past few days, it appears that in this particular car, both the driver and front passenger airbags failed to deploy.

To be completely fair, the Coupe's front-body structure looks like it did its job by absorbing most of the energy caused from the impact, which is a good thing in the event of an accident. We're not aware of the details surrounding the crash so if any of you happen to know Korean and you've read something about it in the news, feel free to enlighten us with a comment.

Pics Via: Hankyung and LuckyWorld

SEMA: Rhys Millen's Hyundai Genesis Coupe Racer

The wraps are off from Rhys Millen Racing's 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe as the concept was officially revealed today at the SEMA show. The RMR-designed "Art of Speed" is essentially a stripped out, track-ready version of the Genesis Coupe with custom components on the exterior, a radically altered racing-spec interior and some serious performance enhancements from under the hood. The RMR Genesis Coupe is powered by the entry-level model's 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine enhanced by a Turbonetics turbocharger, wastegate and blow-off valve. RMR did not release any output figures but in standard form, the 2.0L turbo engine delivers an estimated 210HP on regular unleaded and 220HP on premium.

Other mechanical upgrades include the heavy-duty HKS sequential transmission and a KW coilover suspension. The RMR Genesis Coupe sports a silver and blue paint scheme and a lightweight RMR dry carbon fiber wide body kit, functional hood scoop and an APR GTC-500 carbon-fiber wing.

RMR also added SSR Type-F competition lightweight wheels and Bridgestone Potenza racing slicks that are partnered with the factory Brembo brake system. Inside, the Genesis Coupe's interior has been transformed into a racing cockpit with a Sparco steering wheel and seat, eight-point roll cage and a RMR carbon fiber dash.

Hyundai Launches Genesis Coupe in Korea, Announces Performance Data

As well as unleashing its all-new Genesis Coupe in the Korean market, Hyundai also released officials details on its rear-wheel-drive coupe that is scheduled to arrive at U.S. dealerships in spring 2009. But let's cut to the chase. The Genesis Coupe will be offered with a choice of two engines, an entry-level 2.0 Turbo and a 3.8 V6.

The 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder unit develops 210PS at 6000rpm (210HP for US market) and 30.5kgm of torque at 2000rpm (222.7-lbs/ft for US market) which allows it to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a mediocre 8.3 seconds - not exactly the performance you'd expect from a sports coupe. -Continued

The range topping Genesis Coupe comes equipped with Hyundai's new 3.8-liter V6 Lambda RS that delivers 303PS at 6300rpm (306HP for US market) and a peak torque of 36.8kgm (266.2-lbs/ft) at 4700rpm enabling to accelerate from zero to 100km/h in a respectable 6.3 seconds.

Both engines are mated to a standard six-speed manual transmission. The Genesis Coupe 2.0T offers an optional five-speed automatic with SHIFTRONIC while the 3.8-liter V6 offers a ZF six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC.

The Genesis Coupe will be offered with a Limited Slip Differential (LSD) as well as with an Electronic Stability Program (ESP). Hyundai said that there will also be an optional track–use performance package that will include high performance disc brakes from Brembo. For the front 18–inch wheels, Brembo engineers developed 13.4–inch x 1.1–inch rotors (340mm x 28mm) and four–pot fixed calipers (42mm+42mm) while the rear setup features 13.0–inch x 0.78–inch rotors (330mm x 20mm) gripped by four–pot fixed calipers (32mm+28mm).

Depending on the market and the trim level, the Genesis Coupe's equipment will include USB/iPod connectors, auxiliary audio inputs, 5.6-inch information display unit (for audio controls, digital clock, climate control, inside/outside temperature) and steering wheel-mounted remote controls for the audio system. An eight-speaker Infinity sound system is optional.

The Korean automaker announced that it hopes to sell 40,000 Genesis Coupes annually, 5,000 in Korea and 35,000 in overseas markets. Hyundai said that the Genesis Coupe's target customer is a middle-aged male (64 percent) looking for superior performance in terms of acceleration and handling. In the U.S., the competitive set includes the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Nissan Altima Coupe and Ford Mustang.

Korean retail prices start at 23,200,000 Korean won ($18,800 US or €13,800) for the base 2.0L Turbo version and with full options, including the V6 Lamda RS engine, the Coupe tops out at 33,920,000 Korean won ($23,400 US or €20,200).

Hyundai Develops new 310HP V6 Lambda RS Engine

Hyundai has announced that it has developed a new high-performance V6 Lambda RS (Rear wheel drive Sports) engine which will see its first application in the Genesis Coupe to be launched in Korea this month followed in spring 2009 by the North American market. Based on the current Lambda V6 engine that was first introduced in 2004, the RS edition features a series of modifications which have increased power to a maximum of 310 HP at 6,300rpm and peak torque to 36.8kg/m at 4700rpm. -Continued

Comparatively, the current 3.8L V6 Lambda in the Genesis Sedan produces an output of 290 HP. According to Hyundai, due to the lower hood line of the Genesis Coupe the company's engineers had to shave 5cm or about 2 inches off the height of the original Lambda engine design, something that inevitably led to a major redesign of the intake and exhaust system.

The 310HP 3.8-liter V6 Lambda RS engine will be offered with a choice of two transmissions, a six-speed automatic or a six-speed manual.