Korea to build it's version of a musclecar

With the recent introduction of the distinctly American inspired Genesis, Hyundai is quickly trying to expand past it's economy car roots. Sporting a 380 horsepower V8 and rear wheel drive, the big luxury car offers features of a car that you might expect to get in a BMW or a Mercedes with the specs of a classic American sedan, all with a low bargain price.

But if that isn't enough for you, check out the forthcoming Tiburon, set to bow in 2009. It's the little brother of the Genesis. Specific details are sparse, but considering the reception of the previously popular Tiburon suggests that this model will only grow its fanbase.

As a matter of fact, the new car is so much different from the old one that Hyundai is considering changing it's name. It's been rumored that the name Tuscani, as the car is known to the rest of the world, will adorn the shiny new ride. Genesis coupe is also a possibility, perhaps contingent on how successful the sedan becomes.

The mystique created around this car, much like it's bigger brother, is due to it's V8 power and rear wheel drive coupled with a low low price. Starting in the low $20's it will be offered with a 2.0 turbocharged four cylinder with around 200 horsepower. There will also be a 300 horsepower V6 available with a six speed manual transmission.

The four will be Hyundai's first turbocharged engine since the Scoupe in 1995. For those of you who don't remember the Scoupe, it was a laughable disaster at the time. Of course, Hyundai has come a very long way since then in terms of quality. Like any terd, however, it can be polished and has developed somewhat of a cult tuner following.

I must say that I envy the engine lineup. I think it would be a blessing for Ford to offer such a range of engines on the next generation Mustang (hint, hint). The ol' weak 6 definitely needs to go. It's barely good enough for rental car duty.

The new Tiburon will go into production in late 2008 and be in showrooms early next year.

Will you be able to have an onboard dyno in the future?

As hot rodders, muscle car enthusiasts, racers, or whatever you want to call this hobby, we have long been slaves to the dynometer. It's a familiar story. Man places performance upgrade on car. Man drives to tows car to performance shop with dyno. Man pays $100 an hour to find out if the upgrade worked and how much power he gains from it. Sound familiar?

Well perhaps in the future this won't be the case. I for one find it absurd that you need an incredibly expensive piece of machinery to measure performance. Aftermarket onboard computers and laptop software are expensive and their reliability is questionable.

16-year-old Taylor Blackwood of Germantown, Tennessee wants to change all of that. You see, he has developed preliminary technology that would allow someone to measure horsepower and torque by placing pressure sensors near the u joint of a vehicle. Their leads connect to a battery-powered signal conditioning unit and wireless transmitter located in a two-piece, weight-balanced plastic collar that bolts onto the driveshaft about halfway between the yoke and the center bearing. Extensive testing of this device over a two year period has resulted in sensors that are tough enough to withstand high torque situations. He's even been granted a provisional patent on the device.

Initial tests show that the sensors are very close in measurement to a classic dyno. The system requires that the tires hook up with no wheelspin to give accurate numbers. However, a slow start in second gear would provide great results. All of this without threatening to alert the law, which I must say isn't a fun proposition.

All of this sounds great, but there is still much development needed for this to be a realistic business idea. Sorting out the electronics to record data is tricky. The user interface is still under development, but the idea is to have a meter similar to what you would find in the Bugatti Veyron, albeit a much more affordable one that is accessible to you common enthusiast.

As envisioned the device would be made for specific model lines, not a universal kit. Initial offerings would be for your more popular tuner cars. On an interesting side note, Taylor is developing and testing the device on his Mustang GT.

2009 Dodge Challenger...the drag package!

I'm not a huge Mopar fan or anything, but you have to give them props for their latest package that will be offered with the 09 Challenger. The Drag Race package allows consumers to get a stripper Challenger that doesn't come with all of the stuff you don't need to go fast.

Starting with a stock, plain white car, Dodge removes roughly 1000 pounds from the stock car's portly 4150. The car will be produced on the same assembly line as regular Challengers, but will have no body sealer, sound deadening, ventilation system, airbags, or rear seats. Mama Mopar also removes the windshield wiper assembly and side and rear impact beams, which means that this ride won't be street legal.

With all of the stuff that's been removed, some things have in fact been added. Included is a lift off composite hood with functional scoop, polycarbonate windows, manual rack and pinion steering, a lightweight brake system, and a cable throttle linkage. The wheelbase has also been shortened a half inch and the engine sits further back for better weight distribution.

Three available engines will power this back to basics blank canvas: a 5.7-liter or 6.1-liter HEMI V-8, or a 360 cubic-inch 'Magnum Wedge' V-8, coupled to either an automatic or manual transmission. No specific horsepower or torque numbers have yet been released.

Dodge plans to build at least 100 examples of the car to qualify it for NHRA's Comp, Super Stock and Stock classes. Pricing will be roughly the same as the current SRT8, in the low to mid $30,000 range.

Now of only Ford would add a drag race package to the thousands of current Mustang packages....