Monthly Archives: October 2011

The Hyundai That Howls

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R-spec_a

I have a problem in that, until very recently, the first thing that would come into my tiny, tortured mind when I saw the word Genesis would be the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn. Sad, really. Although, it should be said the film had its moments: “I’ve hurt you. And I wish to go on . . . hurting you.” Ah, Mr. Montalban, you were a unique treasure.

Anyway, in this flick Genesis was of course a really wild torpedo-shaped technological miracle device that could create a live planet from a dead one, or something like that. These days, when I see Genesis I think of a really nice sedan from Hyundai that goes after the cream of the luxury car market (like Lexus, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz, etc.) by offering similar features at a much lower price. It’s a very nice effort, and a pleasure to drive even equipped with the standard V6 which is a very refined engine. A V8 can also be had, but really isn’t that big a step up merely because the V6 really is that good.
But, as you no doubt are aware, car companies can’t ever leave well enough alone. There have been Korean elves at work, and they have been laboring really hard on something really surprising, and ultimately very cool. No, it’s not a torpedo-shaped miracle device than can create a live planet from a dead one. At least, I don’t think it can.

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No, this creation is a sedan. As if it wasn’t enough that Hyundai built a very decent luxury ride in their Genesis; now these upstarts have really poked their robotic finger in the eye of the other guys by building a performance version of the car that they call the R-Spec. This beautifully understated machine is powered by a lovely 5-liter ‘Tau” V8 that generates a very respectable 429 horsepower. This veritable herd of hosses gets to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic with a Shiftronic manual mode, and I was able to regularly get 0-60 runs in the sub-6 second range (with commendable smoothness, I should add). Larger brakes and clever Sachs Amplitude Selective Damping shock absorbers help keep all things chassis in control, and while the ride is still pretty soft (and the steering is a tad too light for my tastes), control remains good when you exploit some of the muscle. The car feels solid and leans more towards ride quality than all-out cornering competence (or more on the Lexus side than in BMW’s neighborhood), but it’s definitely more athletic than the “ordinary” Genesis. Lovely summer 19” performance Bridgestone Potenza Pole Position rubber helps all ‘round, and managed to just avoid the first snow of the season when the R left my possession which means they are very clever indeed.

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The interior is as brilliantly understated as the exterior, meaning it’s classy and well-finished without drawing undue attention to itself. All the latest bells and whistles are present (even one of those heinous control knobs similar to BMW’s iDrive or Audi’s MMI), but overall the controls are refreshingly logical and conventional. A great sound system, Smart cruise control, a Lane Departure Warning System and many of the latest tech is well represented, but again in an interior that is more conventional than many in this class these days and therefore (in my view) smarter.

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The R-Spec is also a bit of a screamer, what with nearly half a grand of horsepower under the superbly sculpted hood. It’s another case where (like the Boss 302 Mustang I talked about a week or two ago) the machine really turned out to be pretty much exactly what they, being the Hyundaites, wanted this car to be. It’s a very potent, pleasurable rocket ship that will pamper you and your passengers while undercutting a lot of the competition in terms of price. My guess is it will prove ideal for a lot of buyers, and that’s quite an achievement in a very demanding class of cars.

The Goose with Six Gears

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There are a whole mess of touring motorcycles out there these days, which is in contrast to the recent past where there were just big tour rigs that were designed to comfortably to go coast to coast with a good deal of stuff, including a passenger. If you wanted a different kind of machine to take a huge trip like this you could certainly do it, but it typically meant buying a lot of aftermarket accessories and fashioning your own mile-muncher. Such rides are often brilliant, but in some cases they don’t exactly handle the way they should because they really aren’t designed to carry all this stuff long distances. Comfort can be a less than stellar as well, as many of these starting platforms are more focused at around-town putting (and in some cases designed more for style than over-the-road functionality).

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But now every genre of motorcycle has a turn-key touring version including cruising, standards, convertibles, and (my personal favorite) the sports tourer. Moto Guzzi has a good un’, too, in the form of the Norge GT 8V. This is a big touring bike that while not quite a full dresser, has big, detachable panniers that are easy to lock and secure (and capacious enough to swallow a full face helmet). The big 1200c air-cooled transverse 8-valve V-Twin has the familiar Guzzi “feel,” but is never annoying and has a generous supply of power in a broad, flat torque curve. The six-speed gearbox has good ratios to match the power output, and 70 MPH in top gear comes at a leisurely 4,000 RPM. The riding position of the 570 lb. (dry) bike is sporting in terms of the knee bend to the pegs but the bars and high and wide enough to make all-day riding comfortable. This comfort thing is enhanced by a really well-designed saddle (31.9 inch seat height; a lower seat is available as an option) and further helped by an easily adjustable rear shock that is perfectly suited for a sport touring rig such as this. Rough-road ride quality is superb, and the shock seems to hold its composure during aggressive cornering as well. The front forks are likewise sorted, and have preload adjusters on the the top of the stanchion as is standard practice these days. As it is basically a Guzzi trademark, there’s shaft final drive that uses sophisticated engineering to reduce “shaft effect” if you get ham-handed with the throttle. 

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Cool things: standard heated grips and an electrically-adjustable windscreen, although on the latter the up and down buttons are located on different sides of the handlebar and a loooooong reach for your thumbs. The aforementioned hard saddlebags are very capacious and once you learn the drill are easy to deal with and seem very weatherproof. A stout side and centerstand are always the traveler’s friends as are the 6-gallon fuel capacity and decent fuel mileage (I saw around 42 MPG in fairly spirited riding). 

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So all in all this is a pretty fine sport touring ride that has the size, power suspension and goodies to make long days on the road a pleasure, especially if your tastes lean towards taking the roads less traveled. Prices start at $15,990. www.motoguzzi-us.com

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The New Boss is Hot

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Well, it is a great thing when you get surprised by a pony. It’s especially satisfying when, instead of being a 9-year-old girl at a birthday party (and it’s a 1-horsepower horse), you’re old enough to have a driver’s license and the equine surprise is a Mustang with 444 ponies under the hood.  Ford’s new Boss 302 allowed me to channel my inner 9-year-old girl (a strange experience for a male of my advanced years), as I was both giddy and surprised because to be honest I’ve never been a hard-core pony car kind of guy. Oh, they’re fun, sure, and the latest crop of retro hosses are well done. Of the group I’ve preferred, in this order, the Challenger SRT8 (wonderfully over the top) the Mustang (something just seemed to be missing, somehow) and then the Camaro (too claustrophobic). 

But Ford’s new 5-liter has altered this ranking, for it is one of those cars that they just got right from headlight to trunk and ends up being a wonderfully integrated, entertaining package. First there’s the engine, which has the right power curve, makes all the right noises, and, wonder of wonders, is even dressed properly out of the box to invite those who appreciate such mills to gaze upon it. True story: I guy approached me at the gas station and asked to if I would crack open the hood as he had to leave his beloved Mustang in Puerto Rico years ago and was homesick. These days I would be uncomfortable with such a request, as opening the hood on most cars reveals a sea of plastic shrouds that might cause the enthusiast to not only be disappointed, but sink into a deep depression. 

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Not the might mill of the ol’ Boss 302, though. It looks great, with plenty of detail work and even the spring tower bridge strut is properly finished so as to welcome inspection. The Mustang fancier approved, and went into detail as about modifications he’d done to his car including fabricating his own spring tower strut years before it was a factory item. So kudos to Ford for sweating the details on this one. It actually should be an important part of the allure of a car like this, and they came through impressively.

This attractive V8 is bolted to a really sharp 6-speed manual transmission, which whether called upon to cruise for burgers or play Bullitt turned out to be a true snickity-snick delight. Great ratios, nice shifter action, and a really well-balanced clutch. Perfect, really, except for the placement of cup holders just behind the shifter which cause ergonomic interference when occupied. Man, I seem to encounter this foible a lot on new cars, as if the interior designers forget that certain models actually come with manual transmissions. You don’t suppose some of these folks have never actually driven a car with a manual gearbox, do you? Nah . . .

 We continue our trip aft and find the same old funky live rear axle, which is still a straight non-independent beam of a thing (as if borrowed from an F150) that is not exactly stellar on bumpy corners but is as well-managed as such a design gets. All the suspension rates are spot-on for aggressive driving and manage to avoid beating you up on rough stuff, which is very cool. The car feels both balanced and solid, with its 3600+ lbs. pretty much negated by light, responsive steering (probably the best weighted electric-boost steering I’ve encountered, excepting the Honda S2000). Also most excellent are the Brembo brakes, which are easy to modulate and hauled the car down from 60 MPH in an average of 114.5 feet. That’s an excellent performance from any car, especially something like this that isn’t priced like an exotic. 

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Other great parts choices include superb Recaro seats that are so typical for the brand in that they offer peerless support and comfort wrapped in attractive, durable style. They work better from an ergonomic standpoint that their pony car competitors, and really tie the whole machine together. The hot fudge on this ‘Merican sundae is exterior styling that’s pretty understated, with Boss 302 graphics that walk right up to the mountain, think about going over the top but doesn’t quite get there. The Competition Orange finish on my (Sorry. Wishful thinking. Ford’s) test mule was pretty much flawless with a rich, deep quality to that was very striking. Again, it’s not flashy or overstated; just executed with what appears to be great care. This great coupe was a pleasant surprise in that it’s such a home run in terms of what it’s supposed to be, and easily the best Mustang I’ve ever driven by a margin. Remember, this is coming from a guy who’s really not that into the genre, too. But hey, when push comes to shove who doesn’t like a pony, especially one that can run like the wind?