Everybody loves a sports car! Or maybe not. But for sports car lovers, owning one might be a dream or a reality. For those still dreaming, the Hyundai Motor Company has made it easy for almost everyone to own one at a low market price, yet still delivering on speed, efficiency, quality, and beauty like its other competitors.
Hyundai is a South Korean car manufacturer that has been on the scene since 1967. They started out producing low price cars with a very generous warranty and lots of standard features. Hyundai has since then grown into one of the biggest competitors in the automotive market. They’ve added efficiency, luxury, stylish design, and more robust engines.
Hyundai has its headquarters in Seoul and operates the largest automotive manufacturing facility, employing 75,000 people worldwide. Hyundai manufactures various vehicles; from SUVs to compact cars, to Sedans, and, of course, sporty cars.
We’ll be looking at some of the best sports rides the car manufacturing company has produced through the years, but before that, we’ll quickly look at the first model it stemmed from.
Hyundai Genesis
The Hyundai Genesis made its first appearance at the 2007 New York International Auto Show as a concept car and made its market debut in 2008.
The Hyundai Genesis is a rear or all-wheel-drive, four-door executive luxury sedan. The first generation of the Hyundai Genesis was marketed as a “premium sports sedan” during its debut in 2007 worldwide, except in Europe. Hyundai recorded massive success in its debut year, making the South Korean manufacturing company separate the Genesis as a stand-alone luxury division of the company, Genesis Motors.
The Hyundai Genesis was produced from 2008 to 2016 and later continued from 2016 to 2020 under the rebranded G80, a successor to the Hyundai Genesis.
The Hyundai Genesis featured a wide range of specs across different countries. The Genesis featured the engine choices based on the market: two V6 with a weight distribution of 52% front – 48% rear and a V8 engine with 53% front – 47% rear. It also included a multi-link front and 5-link rear suspension, a speed-sensitive race-and-pinion steering, and four-wheel disc brakes.
The Genesis also included standard features such as automatic headlights, remote keyless entry and starting, door locks, heated front seats, power windows, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, cruise control, leather seat upholstery, and steering wheel, and a 7-speaker audio system with XM satellite radio.
The sports sedan received a 5-star rating in its crash test from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Hyundai Genesis comes with standard safety features like front and rear side bags, brake assist, dual front airbags, ABS, side-curtain airbags, electronic stability control, EBD, and traction control.
The Genesis has a drivetrain ranging from its Lambda II 3.3 MPi model to its Tau 5.0 GDi, producing a power-range of 258 to 424 hp.
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Hyundai’s first rear-wheel-drive sports coupe was released October 13th, 2008. The Hyundai Genesis Coupe shares the same platform with the Hyundai Genesis.
The Genesis Coupe was designed to challenge cars like Infiniti G37. Later discontinued in 2016, the Genesis Coupe first arrived in the US in 2009 as a 2010 model.
The Genesis Coupe came in eight trim levels based around two engine choices. They include the:
2.0T R-Spec, 2.0T Base, 2.0T Track (2010 only), 2.0T Premium.
3.8 Base (2010), 3.8 R-Spec, 3.8 Grand Touring, and 3.8 Track (GT in Canada).
The Base model comes with
- ABS
- USB/iPod + Aux input
- Cruise control
- Electronic stability control
- Keyless entry
- Steering wheel audio controls
- Bluetooth hands-free
- Tire pressure monitoring system
- Electronic brake force distribution
The 2.0T Base and the 3.8 Base used a 6-speed manual transmission. The 2.0T Base also used a 5 speed automatic, and the 3.8 Base also had the automatic transmission option.
The 3.8 Grand Touring and 2.0T Premium have added features like power-adjustable driver seat, leather interior, keyless entry with push-button start, touch screen infotainment system, navigation, automatic headlights, electrochromic dimming mirror with compass, heated front seats, and a sunroof or moonroof.
The Genesis Coupe has a wheelbase of 111 in, a height of 54.5 in, a width of 73.4 in, and an overall length of 182.3 in. The Coupe has a curb weight of 3,389 lsb and 3,294 lbs for the V6 and 4-cylinder, respectively. The Coupe produced power between 210 and 348 hp across its different models.
Hyundai Veloster
The Hyundai Veloster took over from the Genesis Coupe when Hyundai motors discontinued it after the 2008 model. The Veloster was first produced in 2011 and is still in operation till date. It is a 2+1 kammback coupe. A sport compact that differs from its competitors with its asymmetrical door build, making up one large door on the drivers’ side and two smaller doors on the passenger side.
The first generation of the Hyundai Veloster ran from 2011 to 2018. Hyundai went on to reveal the second-generation Veloster in 2018, which came with safety equipment like lane-keeping assist, driver-attention monitor, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking. Multi-link suspension and torque vectoring control now come as standard for all second-generation Velosters.
The Veloster comes as a base Veloster, the Veloster 2.0 Premium, Veloster Turbo, the Veloster Turbo R-spec, and the Veloster Turbo Ultimate.
Hyundai disclosed in July 2021 the discontinuation of all Veloster models in the US for 2022 except the Veloster N model.
The Veloster N was released in 2019 and was the first N model in the North American market. The N model is paired to a 6-speed manual transmission with an 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission introduced in April 2020. They both make up to 275 hp.
All sports cars by Hyundai have been discontinued except the N variant. As we look forward to what the company brings to the market in coming years, the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Veloster and Veloster N models are still standout and efficient sports cars within most people’s budget.
Read Next
About The Author
