Report: Genesis Working On BMW M4 Killer

Hyundai HND-9 Concept (Credit: Hyundai)

Hyundai’s new N performance line of cars will be launching with a big bang. The first offering that will be available in the United States is reportedly a hopped-up version of the Genesis G70 Coupe. According to Car and Driver’s sources, the car will be aimed squarely at the BMW M4, because everyone loves to use Bimmers for benchmarking.

Korean automakers lately have been luring away key employees from the competition, in particular German brands. In Hyundai’s arsenal is the former head engineer for BMW M, who’s now the big boss of the N division. That gives some serious hope that the new line will offer up plenty of thrills.

Since the G70 Coupe is supposed to be the smallest in the Genesis lineup, with a smaller footprint than the G80 and G90, this matchup against the M4 makes sense. The G70 will be rear-wheel drive, but from what Hyundai has been saying, it sounds like the coupe and sedan versions will be like nothing we’ve seen before from the company. The platform is supposed to be all-new and not shared with the other Genesis models, and even the suspension should be specially tuned for a sportier quality, per the Car and Driver report. In other words, expect a playful, youthful Genesis for people who might not mind feeling a few bumps in the road.

Expect a mighty engine to be crammed under the hood of the Genesis G70 Coupe, considering it needs to give the M4 some grief. Supposedly the new 3.3-liter twin-turbo V-6 is the most likely option, not the heavy Tau 5.0-liter V-8, which should help with weight distribution. Whatever ends up powering the Genesis G70 N Coupe, expect it to throw down some serious numbers.

Technically, the first N division vehicle will be a more potent version of the i30 hatchback. Since the front-wheel-drive car isn’t available in the North American market, it will be giving European drivers a glimpse of what we can all expect from the new performance line.