2010 Hyundai Genesis

Curb weight is close as well-a claimed 3550 pounds in base V-6 configuration makes it about 65 pounds lighter than the G37. Engine specs and output are also in the ballpark; Hyundai claims the coupe's all-aluminum, 24-valve 3.8-liter V-6 makes 310 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 263 pound-feet of torque at 4700.

At 3450 pounds in base trim, four-cylinder 2010 Hyundai Genesis coupes won't be light, but they still should be an attractive alternative for enthusiasts.

Genesis coupes get three transmissions. The four- and six-cylinder will share a six-speed manual. In addition, four-cylinder models, likely badged 2010 Genesis 2.0t, will receive a five-speed automatic with Shiftronic. The Genesis 3.8 will get a six-speed automatic transmission with Shiftronic manufactured by ZF.

Suffice it to say, the Genesis is one of several top-notch products coming from the now formidable Korean brand.2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, in which it represents the topline power plant. (A 2.0-liter turbocharged four gets the call for entry-level assignment.) Accordingly, the 3.8 is tuned to 306 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, and features all-aluminum construction, dual overhead camshafts, and continuously variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust. Perhaps most pleasing is the fact that the 3.8 consumes good old-fashioned 87 octane.

Sure, there are some aspects of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe that we feel could use improvement -- namely, the rubbery shift action of the six-speed manual, the gluey steering, and the subdued feel of the 306 horses under hood. But for the money -- just $30,250 for a loaded 2010 Hyundai Genesis Track version, which boasts Brembo brakes and a limited slip -- it's an honest, entertaining, and rewarding drive.

The 2010 Hyundai Genesis coupe is based on the Korean company's rear-wheel-drive Genesis sedan, and while it won't get the sedan's 4.6-liter V-8, it still will get a healthy dose of horsepower under the hood. Buyers will have a choice between a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-banger pumping out 212 hp on regular fuel (or 223 hp on premium) and a 3.8-liter V-6 producing 306 hp (preliminary figures).

Four-piston brake calipers, optional nineteen-inch wheels, a track-tuned suspension, a front strut-tower brace, and a Torsen limited-slip differential will help entice performance-oriented customers into Hyundai showrooms.

Hyundai says it intends the 2010 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec to appeal to true enthusiasts who want a low starting price and the ability to tune their car to their own specifications. One look at the MSRP of $24,500 confirms the 2010 Genesis's budget-enthusiast aspirations.

Included are the 210-hp turbocharged four cylinder, six-speed manual, Brembo brakes, limited-slip differential, and 19-inch summer performance tires from the more expensive Genesis Coupe Track model.

Included are the 210-hp turbocharged four cylinder, six-speed manual, Brembo brakes, limited-slip differential, and 19-inch summer performance tires from the more expensive 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe Track model. Gone is anything Hyundai deemed "non-essential convenience equipment," including Bluetooth, automatic headlights, cruise control, trip computer, chrome interior accents and steering wheel audio controls. Don't ask for an automatic transmission, either. Mind you, with power windows and locks, keyless entry, and a leather-wrapped shifter and steering wheel, it's still better equipped than a loaded Accent, but the purist intent is clear.

Hyundai hopes the tuner crowd will embrace the two-door 2010 Genesis, especially the base model, which comes with a new, 210-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter.

An even bigger issue for the 2.0T is that the 3.8 costs only $3000 more. Tuners like to tinker but they love speed, and even with three grand in modifications, the four-cylinder likely won't come close to the V-6's output - and it'll never match its sound and power delivery.

A six-speed manual transmission is standard with either engine; alternatively, base and Premium 2.0T coupes can be mated to a five-speed automatic. All V-6 2010 Hyundai Genesis models are available with the same ZF six-speed automatic found in the Genesis sedan, but inexplicably, in this application, it doesn't match engine revs on downshifts and has no true manual mode.

Track models are the top-specification coupes and come standard with a full complement of electronics (minus a navigation system, which will become available later this year). Behind the nineteen-inch wheels (lesser models come with eighteens) are red-painted, four-piston Brembo calipers front and rear.