Hyundai CEO John Krafcik confirmed to Autoblog that their next generation of Genesis, Genesis Coupe and Equus rear-drive cars would also be offered with all-wheel-drive.

While no powertrains have been announced for any of the cars, the news of AWD will be welcome for those in the Snowbelt states, where traction going to all four wheels is so prevalent that most dealers don’t even bother to order rear-drive variants of cars like the Infiniti G, and Mercedes C, E and S-Class sedans.

Autoblog also dropped a vague hint that the next Genesis Coupe will go “upmarket” next time, perhaps setting its sights on the BMW M3 rather than the current crop of pony cars. Honestly, the Genesis Coupe, while a decent car, might want to set its sights on the Ford Mustang 5.0, which seems to have the bargain-M3 formula down to a science.

[Source: Autoblog]

Hyundai recently debuted a new 5.0L version of their Tau V8, reportedly making 429-horsepower. The engine will do duty in the new Equus luxury sedan, and according to some, the Genesis sedan as well. But what everyone wants to know is, where’s the Genesis Coupe V8?

On paper, it seems like a natural fit, turning the Genesis coupe into a natural Mustang killer. The Mustangs 5.0 motor only makes 412-horsepower, so Hyundai would have the Ford trumped in the all-important horsepower ratings game. But  one thing everyone seems to forget is that Hyundai previously stated that a V8 engine wouldn’t fit into the coupe’s engine bay.

We don’t know if Hyundai was just trying to placate those who might be underwhelmed by a V6, or if they have been hiding this little gem the entire time. More likely than all of those is that this is just idle speculation dreamed up by someone who wants to see a 5.0 badge on the side of a Genesis Coupe.

[Source: Autoblog]

It’s hard to call the Hyundai PM580 a Hyundai while keeping a straight face, but Rhys Millen, builder of this awesome, Le Mans-esque racer, does have some kind of deal with Hyundai to prep Genesis Coupe and Sedans for SEMA, so its natural that mechanical motivation for the PM580 would come from Hyundai‘s own Lambda V6, punched out to 4.1L of displacement.

Car and Driver is hosting a video of the PM580, showing off some trick bits like the active differential (made by Ford, apparently) and the ultra light HRE wheels. As soon as we hear video of the PM580 starting up, revving or driving, we’ll be sure to post it. In the mean time, this is as good as it gets.

[Source: Car and Driver]

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Known only by his screen-name of McFly on GenCoupe.com, this forum member forced the uncooperative Glen Hyundai dealership in Kentucky to reverse its decision and honor his eBay bid for a used Genesis Coupe after harnessing the power of his online community and media outlets like Jalopnik.

The dealership had apparently posted the slightly used 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T on eBay Motors incorrectly, listing a “Buy It Now” price, but also including the auction. The dealership seems to have left off a reserve price and so when the bidding ended and McFly had posted the last offer of $16,125 he was set to take home his shinny red Hyundai.

Glen Hyundai wasn’t so keen on the idea, however, initially declining to sell the car for that price and then threatening to sue McFly for the negative publicity.

Now we have word that the power of the GenCoupe.com forum community, backed by online media outlets (including Jalopnik) have lead to an agreement being reached between McFly and Glen Hyundai. McFly has urged that his supporters stop calling and emailing the dealership. He did not comment on if the deal reached is for his initial eBay bid.

[Source: Jalopnik and GenCoupe.com]

Rather than spin off the new premium Hyundai products into their own brand, necessitating the creation of new dealerships and huge marketing budgets, the Korean automaker is opting for the “showroom-within-a-showroom” approach. According to documents obtained by Ward’s, Hyundai Motor America (HMA) is looking to make the move soon, creating a luxury area within current dealerships where staff will display and sell new models like the Genesis Sedan and Genesis Coupe as well as the upcoming Equus flagship luxury sedan (pictured above).

Instead of costing dealerships millions of dollars, the new displays are only likely to run in the hundreds of thousands. This setup is quite different from what Japanese automakers like Toyota did when it launched the Lexus brand, opting instead to set up entirely separate dealerships.

“Similar to the attributes of Toyota-Scion buildings, this strategy will create physical and psychological separation in the Hyundai showroom environment,” writes HMA VP of national sales Dave  Zuchowski in his memo.

Cars like the Genesis Coupe, in its higher end trim, compete with models like the Infiniti G37 and BMW 335i Coupe, while the Genesis Sedan stacks up against vehicles like the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class and Lexus GS. The new Equus, however, is aimed at top-tier models like the BMW 7 Series and Lexus LS. It is expected to cost slightly less than an LS and will go on sale this Fall.

Hyundai sees the Equus as another, but important, step on the road to becoming a legitimate luxury retailer. “We intend to use the launch of the new Equus to develop and further establish Hyundai as a legitimate force in the premium-luxury segments,” says Zuchowski.

[Source: Ward's]

See after the jump for AutGuide’s first look at the new 2011 Hyundai Equus:

Continue Reading…

A Hyundai will no doubt be one of (if not the) coolest vehicle at the 2009 SEMA Show. Rhys Millen Racing, which runs a Genesis Coupe drift team, will debut a mid-engine version of Hyundai’s sports car at the aftermarket parts venue. Better yet, instead of using the turbo four-cylinder or the 3.8-liter V8 motor, Rhys Millen Racing (RMR) has opted to swap in the 4.6-liter V8 from the coupe’s luxury sedan sibling.

And as RMR is a race shop, there are promises of even more than the stock 375hp thanks to some high-compression pistons and individual throttle bodies. The factory automatic transmission will be tossed in favor of a racing-style sequential unit

RMR hopes to retain as much of the stock suspension as possible on the car (which has been code named the RM460), with a set of StopTech brakes and a new set of wheels fitted with Toyo T1R tires (measuring 245/35/20 up front and 285/30/20 out back).

See AutoGuide’s live SEMA Coverage here!

GALLERY: Rhys Millen Racing Mid-Engine 4.6-liter Genesis Coupe

[Source: Edmunds]

We still have more than half of 2009 to go and already the list of 2010 North American Car & Truck of the Year nominees have been picked. That’s because the list is essentially a list of every new model for 2010.

Nominated for car of the year are: the Audi S4, BMW Z4, BMW 335d, BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Fusion, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Ford Mustang, For Mustang GT500, Ford Taurus, Ford Taurus SHO, Honda Insight, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Kia Forte, Kia Soul, Lexus HS250h, Lotus Evora, Mazda3, MazdaSpeed3, Mercedes E-Class, Nissan Cube, Nissan 370Z, Porsche Panamera, Subaru Legacy, Suzuki Kizashi, Toyota Prius, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Golf TDI.

The 2010 North American Truck of the Year list is only slightly shorter and includes: the Acura ZDX, BMw X5 xDrive 35d, Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Transit Connect, GMC Terrain, Honda Crosstour, Land Rover LR4, Lincoln MKT, Subaru Outback, Toyota 4Runner and Volvo XC60.

Many off these vehicles have yet to be officially released and some (like the Honda Crosstour) haven’t even been officially named yet.

Jurors will now begin the lengthy process of making a short list, with the final winners chosen at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Last year’s winners were the Hyundai Genesis and the Ford F-150.

[Source: Edmunds]

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Think you’re already seen this one? Well you have… sort of.

With the first Genesis Coupe commercial, featuring the music of Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins fame, airing during the Super Bowl, Hyundai continued its marketing onslaught by airing another custom commercial during the Academy Awards. This time, however, the artist of choice was cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

We think it worked out pretty nicely.