Results:

Hyundai Genesis Coupe: 279hp/262ft lb

Infiniti G37: 305hp/255ft lb

Car and Driver and Edmunds’ reviews.

C&D’s can be read, here.

The good:

Considering the price—always considering the price—Hyundai has bull’s-eyed the target, starting with specs that are right for enthusiasts. Firstly, it’s rear drive, the ne-plus-ultra credential for a sporty car. Also, the base 2.0-liter turbo offers wiggle room for tuners, the V-6 enough horsepower to satisfy if not electrify with its 5.7-second runs to 60 mph (all on regular gas!).

Was it tactile authenticity the engineers sought in giving the clutch a Viking heaviness? Maybe. The stubby, short-throw shifter glides in a satisfying tight path from gear to gear. We’re told shift smoothness is thanks to triple-cone synchronizers on the lower ratios. The RS3800 V-6 (RS stands for “rear-drive sport”) doesn’t rank with the great voices of our age, but it punches back when stepped on and with a high-protein burble not unlike a Z’s.

The bad:

Yet the exhaust note is soggy, the trunk aperture is a mail slot, highway refinement . . . isn’t, and the car badly needs a rear-window wiper.

Edmunds can be read, here.

The good:

Still, there’s no denying that this 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe turns in like no other Hyundai before it, and does so with far less body roll besides. There’s also no denying that the Genesis coupe is simply a fun car.

The bad:

At our test track, the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track hits 60 mph in 6.4 seconds (or 6.1 seconds with 1 foot of rollout as on a drag strip) and goes through the quarter-mile in 14.5 seconds at 97.9 mph. Those numbers are fine, but short of Hyundai’s “under 6 seconds” 0-60 claim and suspiciously pokey for a car with more than 300 hp.

This is odd, because Motortrend, C&D and Automobile all did the 0-60 per Hyundai’s claim.  I guess Edmunds driver was having an off day?

The first press reviews are coming in, and they’re all quite favorable to the Genesis Coupe.

You can read Motortrend’s take, here.

The good:

We all agreed the Genesis Coupe feels sapphire solid. Build quality seems first rate. The doors shut with a reassuring thump. Whether navigating a straight highway or a winding byway, the Hyundai comes across tight and well put together. This overall feel of solidity, of course, is a welcome plus, as it not only gave Hyundai engineers a strong starting point, but it also provides the driver with quicker and more communicative responses.

The bad:

The so-called “RS 3800″ V-6 (for Rear-drive Sport), which does emit a pleasing growl as it revs effortlessly to the 6500-rpm redline, is no-doubt a refined engine — arguably more refined than Nissan’s VQ — but it doesn’t seem 306 horsepower strong. “I realize that on paper this is a 300-plus-horsepower car,” says associate editor Allyson Harwood, “but it doesn’t feel like it. It was pretty quick off the line, but I guess I expected a little more thrust.”

The six-speed manual also was a bit of a letdown. Its rubbery feel generally led to imprecise experiences, especially when attempting to shift quickly, and its placement on the center console seemed an inch or so too rearward. An RX-8’s gearbox will make you jealous. And as editor-at-large Arthur St. Antoine notes, our manual test car suffered from “Lots of driveline lash, making it very difficult to execute smooth shifts and throttle inputs.”

The WTF?

In our instrumented handling tests, the 3.8 Track cars recorded lateral acceleration of 0.90 g (manual) and 0.91 g (auto), and figure-eight runs of 26.2 seconds at 0.67 g and 26.3 at 0.68. Again, these figures outgun those of the upper-echelon Jag XK (0.89, 26.8 at 0.66), but not of its two main rivals, the Mustang GT and 370Z. Ditto for 60-to-0 braking, which, at 111 feet, is just shy of the spans from the Ford (108) and the Nissan (109).

Hyundai has publicly stated that the car was produced to compete against the G37.  How come Motortrend didn’t find an Infiniti to compare it to?

Automobile didn’t make the same mistake.

The good:

Infiniti’s 3.7-liter could take a singing lesson from it, in fact. The meaty clutch in the Genesis has a positive engagement point near the top of its travel, and the high-mounted shifter, although notchy when cold, is a pleasure to row through the gears.

The bad:

The 2.0T is tuned for lots of muscle in the low-rpm, daily-driving range, but it runs out of thrust quickly as the tach climbs past 4000 rpm. Worse, without balance shafts, the engine practically begs you to short-shift it, due to deafening boominess and vibrations severe enough to rattle the dashboard.

Taken from Inside Line,

What is it?
2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe R-Spec

What’s special about it?
Rear-wheel drive, a six-speed manual transmission, 210 horses from a turbocharged four-cylinder, Brembo brakes and a limited-slip differential — and it’s only $23,750.

If you don’t see the appeal of these features and this price, then you aren’t the target buyer for the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe R-Spec.

Hyundai was looking to attract the biggest group of enthusiasts it could with this version of the Genesis, so it started with the base model, stripped out a few standard features to reduce costs and save weight, then added in some of the performance hardware from the top-of-the-line V6 model.

So choosing the R-Spec means no Bluetooth, cruise control or steering-wheel audio controls. Hyundai also deleted the chrome interior trim and onboard trip computer.

Once that cost was taken out, features like 19-inch alloy wheels with Bridgestone Potenza RE050A summer performance tires (225/40R19 front, 245/40R19 rear) could be added back in. The R-Spec also gets a sport suspension with retuned springs and dampers along with front (25mm) and rear (22mm) sway bars and a strut tower brace.

The upgraded Brembo brakes feature four-piston fixed calipers at each wheel, and the ventilated rotors measure 13.4 inches in front and 13 inches in back. The limited-slip differential is a Torsen unit if you care to know.

Hyundai didn’t strip every feature out of this Genesis coupe. You still get basic stuff like power windows, keyless entry and air-conditioning. There’s a six-speaker audio system with a dedicated iPod hookup and leather-wrapped steering wheel, too.

Inside Line says: Here it is, enthusiasts: an affordable, rear-wheel-drive coupe that isn’t a Mustang. Now go out and buy it or you’ll never see another one ever again. — Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor

I can’t agree with that last sentence enough.  GO BUY EVERY ONE OF THESE FUCKERS OFF OF THE LOT!!!  If you, the consumer, want more RWD offerings from companies that aren’t (morally) bankrupt, buy this car!

Hyundai gave the R-Spec it’s own coming out party in Chicago:

While the car they brought to the show is basically a concept, the R-Spec package will be available through dealers and will give performance junkies more in some areas and less in others. The full list of equipment is in the press release after the jump, but the highlights are a 210-hp turbo’d inline-four that returns 30 mpg and a top speed of 137 mph. Available only with the six-speed manual, it comes with stability control, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, 19-inch wheels, Brembos, a Torsen limited-slip differential, a beefier suspension and summer-only Potenzas. To reduce cost and weight, the R-Spec doesn’t include Bluetooth, automatic headlights, cruise control, trip computer, chrome interior accents and steering wheel audio controls. Basically, the R-spec is packing all the heavy-hitting hardware from the Track model and ditches the frippery that drivers and customizers aren’t interested in.

The Genesis Coupe R-Spec will be available mid-2010 with a base price of $23,750, or $3,000 less than the 2.0T Track model. That should allow a lot of extra cash for some tuner bits. Besides the performance tweaks, the R-Spec will only be available in three colors: Karussell White, Bathurst Black and Tsukuba Red. Good names, good colors, good kit and a good price. We’re sold.

As promised, Hyundai released the pricing of the Genesis Coupe during the Chicago Auto Show.  Autoblog summarizes, 

We’ve known rough performance numbers on the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe for some time now: 0-60 in under six seconds, up to 30 mpg with the 2.0T, and so on. But one set of key numbers has eluded us until now: price. Hyundai’s rear-drive performance hopeful will weigh in at $22,000 for the base 210-hp 2.0L turbo model, and the 306-hp 3.8L V6 will start at $25,000.

Despite being the price leader, the 2.0T still piles on a lot of kit including a six-speed manual transmission, a full compliment of brake-related electronics (ABS, traction control, brake force distribution, and brake assist) and 18-inch alloys wrapped in Bridgestone Potenzas. Standard creature comforts include keyless entry, cruise control, air conditioning, leather wrapped wheel and shifter, a six-speaker AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 player with USB port and steering wheel audio controls, and Bluetooth.

Tuner types and gearheads will probably be most interested in the newly announced mid-priced 2.0T R-Spec model ($23,750). Hyundai has chosen not to make the R-Spec a stripped-out lightweight performance model. As such, the model still includes things like the aforementioned six-speaker stereo, air-conditioning and remote keyless entry, but the 137-mph coupe also gets Hyundai’s full compliment of performance hardware, including uprated Brembo brakes, stiffened suspension, a Torsen limited-slip differential, and 19-inch gunmetal alloys wrapped with summer tires.