Hyundai Guns For Mustang With Genesis Coupe 5.0!

It comes as no surprise that Hyundai is now reportedly readying a new 5.0 liter version of their “Tau” V8 for the Genesis Coupe. Major automotive media outlets like Car and Driver are reporting that the punched out version of Hyundai’s current 4.6 liter V8 makes as much as 429 horsepower.

It has been expected that Hyundai would eventually offer a V8 in the Genesis Coupe since the car is based on the same platform as the full-sized Genesis Sedan which already comes with a V8. The current engine lineup in the Coupe is a 2.0 liter turbocharged four with 210hp and a 306hp 3.8 liter V6.

Car and Driver reports that Hyundai’s 5.0 liter engine has direct-injection and a 11.5:1 compression ratio. It is reported that the new 5.0 V8 will be mated to only an 8-speed automatic transmission, but Hyundai has to be thinking a manual must be offered as well. The natural succession of thought is that Hyundai is gunning straight at the new Mustang 5.0 with the new hot-rod Genesis Coupe.

And of course that is very much correct. The Genesis Coupe is in large part an Asian interpretation of the 2+2 Mustang without a doubt. When we wrote our test drive story on the Hyundai Genesis Coupe last year we found it to be a credible driver but still lacking the kind of sharpness, appeal and uniqueness that the Mustang has baked in. With Hyundai Genesis Coupe pricing being pretty close to the Mustang, we can surely expect the comparisons to be made when it arrives sometime in 2011.

While we will reserve judgement, something still doesn’t quite seem right about an Asian sports car rumbling by with the deep echoing sound of dual Flowmasters.