Circa 25 years ago.
Posted on 11/13/2010 11:23:33 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
During a recent powertrain briefing, Hyundai revealed some more details about its new 5.0-liter Tau V8 and 1.0-liter Kappa three-cylinder engines that will be used in a variety of global markets in the near future.
Slated for use in the Genesis sedan as well as the larger Equus, Hyundai's new V8 will use direct injection to produce 429 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. That's a healthy increase of 59 horsepower and 8 ft-lbs of torque over the 4.6-liter V8 it's replacing, while also increasing fuel economy by one mile per gallon to 18/26 thanks to an all-new eight-speed automatic transmission. Hyundai has not mentioned any plans to offer the new Tau 5.0 in any other products, though we'd love to see it shoehorned under the hood of a Genesis Coupe. (Full disclosure: We really want to see a 5.0 battle between the Genesis Coupe and Mustang GT.)
On a much smaller level of displacement, Hyundai also detailed a new 1.0-liter Kappa inline three-cylinder engine that will be offered in other markets in the new i10 subcompact. Currently, this engine produces 69 horsepower and returns around 55 miles per gallon on the United States testing cycle. And while this 1.0-liter engine currently isn't slated for consumption here in the States, future versions of the Kappa engine could come to our shores. Hyundai says that we'll see a turbocharged, 110-hp version of the 1.0-liter three in 2012, and that a turbocharged 1.2-liter Kappa will be released shortly thereafter. The 1.2T is estimated to produce around 130 to 140 hp, making it more suitable for American-sized vehicles.
They’ve come a long, long way.
Hyundai has really gotten their act together in the last decade I’ve had my Elantra for 7 years, and I’ll probably hang on to it for another four or five at least. It came loaded with everything, and it runs as smoothly today as when I first bought it.
As for taxis in Korea...I feel ya. As the old saying goes: “There are no atheists in foxholes...or on any highway within 50 miles of Seoul.”
Nothing remarkable here. Cadillac has V8 already with similiar numbers. And a 3 cylinder? Not unusual you can get 55mpg. It’s basically a motocycle. Move along.
But still come up short against Honda. I took a close look at both. Fit and finish on the Honda is much, much better. Dash and console parts move on the Hyundai when you push on them. You can pound on the the dash and console in the Honda and all they do is make a thud sound. Solid.
429 horsepower sounds like a lot out of a 5.0L mill, but 376 torqs means that they’re spinning that V8 into high revs to make the HP figures.
These are pretty good figures... for a Hyundai. I will give them that.
Toyota has their 5.7L V8 at 552 factory horsepower and 500+ torques, full drivetrain warranty. That mill has a rotating assembly that will support 1000+ horsepower with stock parts. There’s Tundra 4x4s out there right now that will boil all four tires down the dragstrip.
And Ford and Chevy? Good God. Their most powerful engines with the most power potential in their company histories are being made right now.
I don’t think well-equipped Cadillacs with a powerful V-8 start at $43,000.
I had a co-worker back in 2001 that had an RUF (Porsche) and lived in Seoul.
We both were stationed at Yongsan, but our worksite was at a ROK base down in the southern suburbs of Seoul.
And after getting off of work one Sunday morning (worked the mid-shift), he offered be a ride.
Needless to say, we got back to Yongsan in about 5-7 minutes. Never thought I’d ever be able to say that it’s possible to drive at 140 miles an hour in the middle of Seoul. But it is, at least, at 0600 on Sunday morning.
Was stationed at Camp Red Cloud, which was then I Corps (ROK/US) Group headquarters. I drove Lieutenant General M. Collier Ross to the Blue House and Yongsan from time-to-time when his regular guy had the day off. You’d be surprised how fast you can go in a souped-up Ford LTD with 3 star plates. Who’d pull you over?
Cadillac has an engine with far more guts than just ‘similar’ numbers to that Hyundai. Those CTXs can really peel out.
Circa 25 years ago.
Wasn’t that the Geo Metro?
A Cadillac CTS-V with a V-8 starts at $64,290, according to their website. You cannot get a V-8 in a regular CTS.
http://www.cadillac.com/pages/mds/pricing/affordability.do?zipCode=50315®ionCode=70&countyCode=19049
Well, it is a Cadillac. Can’t have any old riff raff driving around in one.
Hyundai has really gotten their act together in the last decade I’ve had my Elantra for 7 years, and I’ll probably hang on to it for another four or five at least. It came loaded with everything, and it runs as smoothly today as when I first bought it.
As for taxis in Korea...I feel ya. As the old saying goes: “There are no atheists in foxholes...or on any highway within 50 miles of Seoul.”
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Had a 94 Excel. put 130,000 miles on it. Went to the shop once for clutch problems. Luckily I can do the minor things. Have a 2004 Santa Fe that my family is very happy with. Hyundai puts out a good product.
Almost. The Geo Metro was a later iteration of the Sprint, a rebadged Suzuki Cultus/Swift.
Now about Hyundai, yeah their early cars were pretty bad. The Excel was one of the worst pieces of junk you could buy. Had the distinction of being the last car sold in the US with a carbureted engine. They also sold a rebadged version as the Mitsubishi Precis. Hyundai has definitely come a long way since then.
But let’s not badmouth South Korea’s car-making skills. Their cousins up north couldn’t build any cars at all.
Chevy Sprint came before the GEO Metro but it makes no difference. They were all made by the same Jap company.
Love the Ford Taurus and with 376 Horsepower and all the electronic goodies.
But I have never owned anything but a Ford and always will.
Looking into. Bump.
The Hyundai’s new V8 sounds like a replacement for the Ford 4.6 V8, which powers the Crown Vic, Grand Marque, Lincoln Town car, and I’m sure some Ford trucks.
I love my Grand Marque, and previous Crown Vics!
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