V6 Throwdown: Motor Trend pits Hyundai Genesis against 2011 Mustang, 2010 Camaro and

[Sal Collaziano]

V6 Throwdown: Motor Trend pits Hyundai Genesis against 2011 Mustang, 2010 Camaro and

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Performance, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GM, Hyundai, By the Numbers

Hyundai Genesis 3.8 Track - Click above for high-res image gallery​

By now, we've all read the various incarnations of the muscle car shoot-out, which means that had the crew from Motor Trend decided to simply line up the V6 versions of the 2010 Dodge Challenger, 2010 Chevrolet Camaro and 2011 Ford Mustang against one another, odds are you could have picked the podium without breaking a sweat (or reading the article). And that's why we're guessing the editors decided to throw in the Hyundai Genesis Coupe for spice.

At first glance, this feels like the easiest game of "which one doesn't belong" ever played, but on closer inspection, the Genesis 3.8 looks right at home among Michigan's Neapolitan pack of muscle cars. The Hyundai boasts 305 horsepower from its sizable V6, which is more than any of the big domestics. How does it fair against the entry Mopar, Bowtie and Blue Oval? We'll go ahead and spoil it for you by saying that MT didn't just invite the Korean coupe to the dance. It named it belle of the ball, too.

Why did the Genesis Coupe take the gold, even ahead of re-powered 2011 Mustang? According to MT, the Hyundai simply feels more like a sports car than the rest of the suspects. Funny - we thought they were testing muscle cars...


Gallery: Review: 2009 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track



Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Ford Mustang V6



Gallery: The Joy of Six: 2010 Chevy Camaro V6 RS



Gallery: In the Autoblog Garage: 2009 Dodge Challenger SE



[Source: MT]V6 Throwdown: Motor Trend pits Hyundai Genesis against 2011 Mustang, 2010 Camaro and Challenger originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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[DavidNJ]

Re: V6 Throwdown: Motor Trend pits Hyundai Genesis against 2011 Mustang, 2010 Camaro

Nice test. I don't understand why the Mustang was that much quicker than the Hyundai. The engines are about the same, or really a slight edge to the Hyundai. Either the Hyundai was weak or the Mustang was a ringer.

 

[DavidNJ]

It could be a Mustang wringer. All the Mustangs tested by different magazines seem fast. Or it could be the power curve and gearing or rotational inertia in the engine and driveline.

That last one has long been a reason BMWs always seem quicker than their ratings would imply. BMW uses a higher strength steel than most production crankshafts with smaller journals (1.78 vs 1.88 in Hondas and 2.1 in small block Chevies). That gives you less weight in the rods, etc. It is like taking 100 pounds off the car.

Or they could have just 'blueprinted' the engines with closer attention to the balance, bearing clearances, straightness of the bearing bores, cam timing (although that is pretty well controlled always), valve seats, valve springs, piston bores, piston ring tension and gaps, etc. The result could easily be 10-15hp more than an off the rack production engine. Hard to notice day-to-day, but obvious on a race track.