Hyundai Supercar

 

There's a rumor running around the auto industry's hallways that Hyundai, the South Korean automaker that recently began kicking everyone's butt, is working on a V8-powered supercar that would cost between $80,000 and $100,000 and take on some of the most storied performance machines on the road, including the Nissan GT-R and the Porsche 911.

It would be a coupe, according to the rumblings, and its owners would get the same perks as buyers of the Equus sedan, including an iPad owners manual and pick-up and delivery service when the car needs servicing.

But Hyundai CEO John Krafcik says there is no supercar in the works. "No, no," was his response when we asked him about the rumor, which he called "scurrilous nonsense."

Still the rumors persist. We hear front engine and midengine designs are being considered, but the only engine in the plans is the company's new all-aluminum Tao 5.0-liter V8 that is now powering the Genesis R-Spec and will soon be under the hood of the larger and more expensive Equus sedan. It's a bored-out version of the 4.6-liter V8 bolstered by direct injection and a higher compression ratio. In the Genesis R-Spec sedan the engine is rated at 429 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque.

If the supercar becomes real, the V8 will power the rear wheels only. Because of cost and weight, all-wheel drive probably isn't being considered. But the real question is: What transmission would Hyundai use?

Purists will want a true manual with three pedals, but Hyundai only has one and it's the six-speed used in the much less powerful Genesis Coupe. No good, speculation is that the transmission can't handle the torque of the V8. The market will demand a twin-clutch automanual similar to what the company uses in the upcoming Veloster hatchback. But that unit isn't suitable for a rear-drive V8 supercar. So the question remains.