Genesis bests RX-8 in AutoX course
 

http://jalopnik.com/5189896/2010-hyu...pe-first-drive

"Pitting it against a similarly equipped (but $2,320 more expensive) Mazda RX-8 (provided by Hyundai) around an autocross course, the Hyundai demonstrated a near total aversion to understeer. In comparison, the RX-8's front washed wide under power around the 1st and 2nd gear 90-degree corners, those same corners had us taking advantage of the Coupe's comparatively prodigious mid-range and considerably greater front-wheel grip to slide the rear around."

Is this characterizing the cars correctly? Anyone done any testing of their own?

This article didn't seem to be clear about which version of the Genesis they used to compare against the RX8...did they use the 2.0L turbo or the V6? If the V6 was used, was it the track version?

With a V6 sporting over 300hp that's a pretty serious power gap. Maybe Hyundai has made a pretty cool sports car. I don't subscribe to the notion that the RX8 is the best car out there. Still, I wonder how much of the grocery getting spirit is in that car.

Did they say whether the car was faster on the autocross course than the RX8? How much faster? If we're talking about 10th of a second then it's a close comparison.

Still, at the end of the day we're talking about 6 years of engineering different between the vehicles. I'm sure a rebuilt RX series vehicle with a 16x rotary would put up quite a fight.

betting they used the S/C'd v6.

the coupe is brand new. they will do what they can to make it look at wonderful as possible simply to make sure they can sell it. and why not, right? When you sell gold-plated dog shit, you have to shine it as bright as possible that way people can't see too much detail under the amount of glare.

I doubt it's characterizing the cars correctly. The RX-8 directely from the showroom isn't that good at AutoX. It only becomes a dominant force at AutoX once you've had it aligned, changed out the wheels/tires/brakes, upgraded the suspension, and tweaked other suspension bits and pieces. Hyundai 'supplied' both cars and I doubt they supplied the alignment specs they were using.

The adjustability of the RX8, the balanced weight, and the consistent feel of a high revolution NA engine makes it a beast in stock autox. But it is giving up a lot of power to newer models. Says something about the RX8 that they used a 6 year old platform to compare against.

All that being said I have no idea how a Genesis will do at AutoX but it would seem to be a good candidate if the suspension is as adjustable as it would seem to be. Hopefully people run them out there.

Grats to Hyundai . its like a 10 year old claming ownage for beating up a 4 year old.

That's not really fair. The RX-8 has dominated the division of the main US autocross association that the Genesis will likely compete in, B-Stock. The V6 is very comparable in engine specs to the 350z and not far off the 370z but with the LSD pacakge it may avoid some of the pitfalls that limit the adaptability of the 350z/370z. If the Genesis can also prove that it's durable and dependable enough to handle competitive autoX duties I can see it becoming a very popular car for Autox.

A more fair comparison would be an 18 year old pitcher showing up a 30 year old hurler in an attempt to become the ace of the staff.

I've also read that the 2.0l turbo may be a tuners choice for cars moreso than the V6 so that review was kinda suprising.

What was the track setup? Grippy concrete or slippery asphalt? Alignment specs? Tires?

Were they driving the '8 the same way as the Genesis (using the gas pedal as a primary steering device) or like a low-torque car?

Feh. Just because you disclaim that you were pampered doesn't make you instantly free of bias.

While I like the Genesis coupe, it is likely that Hyundai test pilot is paid to drive stupidly with the rx-8. Maybe there's no air in the tires? hahaha.... dunno. But I can tell you the Genesis Coupe has value written all over it!

Gen Coupe (I4 Turbo) looks really really promising. Its got handling AND huge modability, I have no doubt that it will have a large aftermarket...

42 psi in the RX-8 tires.... that's my bet!

I'll let everyone know what the Genesis is like when I get the chance to drive one soon!

Fail...
Didn't Hyundai do this too with the Azera, and the Genesis sedan. They said that the Azera had more interior room than a 7 series bimmer, but who in the world would choose that car over a 7 series bimmer.

Some of this is suspicious, maybe they used the auto 4 port with no lsd, who knows?

Forgot to mention, 500th post!

Anyway, I think the Genesis is pretty overrated, just like halo 3 :D

Hmm, I don't think that's a good comparison..

I've spent quite a bit time with the RX-8 on various autocross courses. There is a trick to getting the RX-8 to power out of corners without the front end pushing. You have to ensure that rear negative camber is just a little bit more than the front. Something like -1.0 front, -1.2 rear. If you add more negative camber, the rear has so much grip it just overpowers the front. So, it is easy to setup and RX-8 to push under power, either accidentially or intentionally.

As to how it will compete in B-Stock, assuming that's where it ends up, we shall see. As RK points out there is some car prep that goes into even stock class autocrossing. I tried to get specs from the website but gave up in frustration.

OK, found the specs. Nearly 3400 lbs for the V6, but only 8" wide front, and 8.5" wide rear wheels. Does not look good.

I'm sure it's an exciting car to drive, however.

I'm thinking F-Stock (let it go play with the G35 coupes).

Handling is more than just throttle steering.