Hyundai and drifting/rally driver Rhys Millen have an established history of creating crazy, lampshade-on-the-head hooligan rides, including a 550-hp Genesis coupe drift racer, a 500-hp, rear-engined V-8 Genesis coupe, and even a purpose-built, 750-hp Pikes Peak racer.
For the 2011 SEMA show, Millen’s company, RMR, and Hyundai once again dropped a V-8 into a Genesis coupe, but this time, they’ve “kept it real,” so to speak—i.e., drivable, recognizable, and actually somewhat plausible. How plausible is cramming Hyundai’s largest and most powerful mill into the snug confines of the Genesis coupe’s engine bay? Well, according to Hyundai spokesman Miles Johnson, the 5.0-liter Tau V-8 “fits right in,” saying that modifications included the engine mounts but little else. Based on conversations we’ve had with Hyundai engineers in the past about this exact subject, however, there may be more than a few other things that need to be changed, and a production V-8 Genesis coupe remains forbidden fruit. (A supercharged V-6 continues to tantalize, however; another 2011 SEMA car called the Genesis Hurricane SC featured such a powertrain, and blown Genesis mules have been spotted.)
Other RMR contributions to this one-off include a custom stainless-steel exhaust system, plus a new oil cooler, a rear differential cooler, an RMR lightweight clutch and flywheel, and an RMR adapter plate. In the process, RMR unlocked another 21 horsepower for a total of 450, compared with the 429 hp of the Genesis 5.0 R-spec sedan. Considering that the coupe’s top-dog mill soon will be a naturally aspirated, direct-injected 3.8-liter V-6 making 333 hp, 450 hp would vault the sports coupe into the Mustang GT and Camaro SS’s league.
Still, Millen and Hyundai might have slapped some turbos on the Tau and received 600-plus ponies for the effort, but they didn’t. While the RM500 isn’t exactly a snooze to look at, a similar sort of judiciousness characterizes most of its other modifications. These include Brembo-sourced carbon-ceramic front brakes, 19-inch HRE wheels, Hankook Ventus tires, Sparco seats, and RMR-designed carbon-fiber body addenda (front lip, rear diffuser, decklid spoiler, side skirts, roof overlay, grille, and fog-lamp inserts). RMR also provided yellow fog-lamp lenses, a one-inch steering-column extension, new seat brackets, and suede upholstery.
Floating It Out There, But Don’t Hold Your Breath
The chief reasons for building the RM500, according to Johnson, are to showcase how the Genesis coupe can perform with Hyundai’s new Tau V-8 under the hood, and more significantly, to gauge customer interest in such a package. We’re pretty confident that the RM500 is riotously fun to drive, but even if Hyundai somehow found a way to make Tau installation work in the coupe, we know that it will then have to federalize the car according to emissions and crash regulations. And then sell enough of them to pay for that. And hopefully then make a profit. Good luck.
In any case, the RM500 represents Hyundai’s most visible effort yet to explore fiercely loyal V-8 sports coupe segment. We’re no more optimistic than before that a V-8-powered Genesis coupe will happen, and even if it does, there’s no guarantee it will succeed in winning over any members of the muscle-car crowd. We’ll admit we wouldn’t mind seeing Hyundai try.
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