Genesis on the Trail of Orient Express

[JOwest]

Motor Trend is taking two Genesis V8/Tech to Europe and follow the route of the Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul:

Daybreak, and we're parked outside the Gare de l'Est, one of six major railway stations that serve Paris. Nothing particularly unusual about that, perhaps, except for the cars we're driving -- a pair of California registered Hyundai Genesis sedans, both loaded 4.6-liter V-8s. We're a long way from Orange County, Toto. And we're about to go further.

The Gare de l'Est is where the famed Orient Express began its journey. We've all heard of the Orient Express -- it was featured in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, and was the setting for Agatha Christie's 1934 thriller Murder on the Orient Express. James Bond rode it in From Russia With Love. It has become a pop culture icon.

The original Orient Express, inaugurated in October 1883, ran from Paris via Strasbourg, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, and then into Romania and Bulgaria before finishing in Istanbul, the ancient Turkish city where Europe literally meets Asia. Look at the route on a map and it screams road trip. Which is why we're parked at the Gare de l'Est as sleepy-eyed Parisians hustle through the terminal on their way to work: We're planning to drive our two Hyundais more than 2000 miles east to Istanbul.


Read more at:
http://blogs.motortrend.com/6561705...-trail-of-the-orient-express-day-1/index.html

 

[dataguy]

Autobahn time!

The Genesis might have been designed and engineered in Korea, but the 4.6-liter Tau V-8 feels eerily German in its power delivery. It's smooth and linear till about 3000 rpm, then you get a noticeable surge as the engine gets a second wind; old Benz V-8s used to feel just like this. At 3000 rpm in top, the Genesis is cruising at 110 mph, and could do it all day long. Wind and road noise are impressively hushed, and the car feels surprisingly relaxed.

http://blogs.motortrend.com/6535501...-trail-of-the-orient-express-day-3/index.html

 

[JOwest]

These guys really pushing the Gen. Here is a picture taken when they hit 150mph.

 

[moose66]

Cool. Was squinting to see if I could see what the tach was registering at this speed. No such luck.

 

[JOwest]

Cool. Was squinting to see if I could see what the tach was registering at this speed. No such luck.

They said the engine was turning 2200 rpm at 80mph. Using that as a base the engine would be turning at 4125 rpm at 150mph.

 

[wallymn]

They didn't have kind words for the Genesis handling at speed.

 

[dataguy]

They didn't have kind words for the Genesis handling at speed.

While they weren't kind, they weren't harsh either. Seemed to be more about the Germans' home court advantage, so to speak

I'm fairly surprised that a governor isn't in place to keep John Q. Public from Autobahn speeds here in the States.

 

[TJPark01]

While they weren't kind, they weren't harsh either. Seemed to be more about the Germans' home court advantage, so to speak

I'm fairly surprised that a governor isn't in place to keep John Q. Public from Autobahn speeds here in the States.

One thing that continues to slip past people regarding suspension is that (for sake of argument) the tire is essentially a suspension component. At 80mph, you're not gonna feel a whole lot of performance separation between a performance tire or an all season. @ 150mph, all the rules change. If you throw some dedicated summer tires that are W (168) or Y (186) rated Michelins or Pirelli's or Continentals, the car will feel as buttoned down as any german sedan.

 

[tjc78]

I texted that 150 MPH picture to my girlfriend. I had her going for a while.

 

[crupp]

These guys really pushing the Gen. Here is a picture taken when they hit 150mph.

That is a pretty clear picture for someone sitting in the car and taking a picture at that speed

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[crupp]

Cool. Was squinting to see if I could see what the tach was registering at this speed. No such luck.

THough you can not tell the exact RPM you can tell that it does not appear to above 5k, based on the length of the arm on the speedo.

 

[TJPark01]

THough you can not tell the exact RPM you can tell that it does not appear to above 5k, based on the length of the arm on the speedo.

Yeah, but you can't make assumptions without knowing the context of the driving. Did he get to 150 then coast, was he on his way to 150 with the foot on the floor, was he steady building speed, did he manually drop the car into 5.

 

[crupp]

Yeah, but you can't make assumptions without knowing the context of the driving. Did he get to 150 then coast, was he on his way to 150 with the foot on the floor, was he steady building speed, did he manually drop the car into 5.

Your picture serves you well.

 

[TJPark01]

I have no doubt the car can get to 150 without much fanfare. The fastest I have gone is 120 and the engine was barely being pushed. It's not the engine i'm worried about but having the appropriate shoes to dance at that speed. I like the Dunlops that come on the car, I think it's a nice balance of comfort and sportiness. On the track or at high speeds, they show their limitations. Life is full of compromises, @ 150mph, I'm not willing to make ANY.

 

[jwaters943]

It seems to me that they quite liked it overall. Sure, they had some complaints, but they would of ANY car IMO.

On a sidenote, some of the comments from the Hyundai-haters on their site crack me up.

 

[TJPark01]

It seems to me that they quite liked it overall. Sure, they had some complaints, but they would of ANY car IMO.

On a sidenote, some of the comments from the Hyundai-haters on their site crack me up.

The overall reception was initially one of skepticism (myself included). The proof is in the pudding. After a year in the N. American market, the reception has been overwhelmingly positive from journalists and end users. The negative comments are mostly born out of ignorance and blanket perception based opinion. When you say, "American cars are crap." Is says more about you and your perception of them, than their actual products. Check out a Buick Enclave or a new F-150, they're pretty nice; but blanket statements about countries and brands serves little purpose.

 

[gipp]

Overall a very favorable review on the Orient Express for the Genesis. Interestingly, the print acticle is a bit different from the online article. Lots of praise for the Tau V8 and the overall solidity and luxury. Also another confirmation that V8 owners are enjoying 27-28 mpg while cruising in the 70-80mph range.

However, to be fair,it seems that Motor Trend got the same version V8 that many of us have vs. the 99% that posters claim are more representative of the Geneisis. In the online article they state "the firm springs suspending our Genesis sedans are creating a ride that seems somewhat unsettled... car is suffering from a lot of vertical motion, making me long for a quick ride that can better absorb bumps at speed -- a Subaru STI would do nicely, thank you. That said, the Genesis is just a few chassis tweaks from being a stellar driver's car." In the print article they add "The Hyundais skip and jitter all over the place, the abrupt vertical motions barely tamed by the seats" after traveling a section of rough roads at low speed.
Gee, that sounds just about word for word what many of us V8 owners have said and commented on. I guess these Motor Trend writers are part of the "minority of whiners " and not the professional automotive writers they claim to be.

I am envious of the trip on the Orient Express and wish I had a chance to take "Worf" on such an adventure. I'll just have to settle on the glorious sights and sounds of the New Jersey Turnpike for now...possibly a road trip to South Carolina soon on the equally glorious I-95. A quick question-Which is scarier-the feared Bulgarian Police/gangsters mentioned in the article or the average day to day North Carolina State Trooper one is sure to encounter on I95 with out of state plates?




Read more: http://blogs.motortrend.com/6536512...0.505511:b26746332:z0&ID=loomia#ixzz0W0HnatWs

 

[dataguy]

Gee, that sounds just about word for word what many of us V8 owners have said and commented on. I guess these Motor Trend writers are part of the "minority of whiners " and not the professional automotive writers they claim to be.

Is it entirely necessary to dig up months' old threads to inject comments about the suspension that have been beaten to death elsewhere? At least bring it up in Sayantsi's cherry-picked, "there's no problem with the suspension" article thread, so we know which threads to stay away from.

 

[Sayantsi]

Is it entirely necessary to dig up months' old threads to inject comments about the suspension that have been beaten to death elsewhere? At least bring it up in Sayantsi's cherry-picked, "there's no problem with the suspension" article thread, so we know which threads to stay away from.

The only people staying away from threads like that are people that don't want to read the truth!

And fwiw, I didn't cherry pick anything - I posted all the suspension comments from all the major/credible media sources I could find.

 

[dataguy]

The only people staying away from threads like that are people that don't want to read the truth!

I'm just tired of hearing both sides. At least if the discussion is confined in a few places, I can choose to avoid those threads. I'd prefer not to have to ignore people who make valuable contributions overall just to avoid their suspension posts.

Besides, my mind is already made up on that particular issue, and it's not going to be changed by anything that anyone has to say about it. EDIT: That doesn't mean I oppose people posting about it, just that it's not helpful to anyone to post pro/con off-topic in every single thread. Counterproductive at best, trolling at worst.