2011 Hyundai Coupe 3.8 R-Spec: Sports Car Performance at an Affordable Price.

BY Ric Green

I never even thought about owning a Hyundai seeing as enjoy the company of a fast I like sports cars, but things have definitely changed. After driving the 2011 Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec, Hyundai's rear-wheel-drive two-door with its $27,705 MRSP there could just be a new addition to the on deck circle at home.

The Genesis Coupe first arrived in United States dealerships in February 2009 as a 2010 model. At the time Hyundai USA acting President and CEO John Krafcik described the Genesis Coupe as being designed "...to deliver a driving experience that challenges cars like the Infiniti G37." I have driven a G37 and there are many similarities except when it comes to price. The 2011 Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec has an MSRP of $26,750 as compared to the G37 G Coupe's $49,850. (Look for the G37 review in next week's Pelican)

The 2011 Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec starts with the conventional 3.8-liter V-6 engine with variable valve timing at the heart of its rear-wheel-drive power train. The result is a maximum 306 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed manual transmission as no automatic transmission is available with the R-Spec. After being converted by the gearbox, torque is transferred down a driveshaft to the rear axle where a Torsion limited slip differential (LSD) splits power delivery between the rear wheels.

Power is only half of the Genesis Coupe's R-Spec's story. Control is the other half. Helping to balance out the speed generated by the 300-plus horses are; Brembo brakes on all four wheels with big four-piston calipers up front and a racecar firm set-up featuring a track-tuned suspension.

The rubber meets the road via a set of 19-inch wheels shod in 225-profile summer tires up front and 245-profile rubber out back. The R-Spec simply sticks when pushed through a turn, going exactly where you point it with little to no drama and communicating nearly every detail of the road up through the steering wheel. The V-6′s generous and flat torque curve also means that power is nearly always available to adjust the Coupe's path at a turn's apex.

With a gentle application of throttle, the Genesis Coup's rear can be pushed out, a feat that my Automotive Insider driving partner Joe Castello found out when riding on Pompano's back streets and I-95 on-ramps.

2011 Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec has a comfortable interior featuring soft-touch surfaces, metal grain and chrome accents, padded door armrests, rear coat hooks, a trunk deck-lid grab handle, and better display-screen graphics. And don't forget the softer leather on the steering wheel. I was comfortable in the front seats with my 6'1" 250 lbs. frame fitting just fine behind the wheel. The back seat is a different story; uncomfortable rear seats aren't necessarily a disadvantage in this class of car, as other affordable sports cars don't exactly offer generous back seat comfort. In some cases, you don't get a back seat.

With the 2011 Genesis Coupe 3.8 R-Spec, Hyundai has packed sports car performance, driver comfort and fun driving into an inexpensive package.