SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association), hosted this year from November 3rd to November 6th, is slated to have a strong injection of Genesis Coupe straight from Hyundai and Rhys Millen Racing (RMR).

Taking the already potent Genesis Coupe a step further, they have developed a new RM460 Genesis Coupe, with a mid-mounted 4.6L Tau V8 powerplant. With over 500hp contained in the Genesis Coupe, RMR is hoping for a killer combination both on the track and on the street!

[Source: Hyundai Press Release]

The Tau V8 engine replaces the original back seat and maintains most of its original architecture with upgrades to eight individual throttle bodies and a set of JE pistons that bumps the compression ratio to 11.0:1. An engine management system by AEM has been added to speak to the factory Engine Control Unit (ECU) while maintaining all factory dash and gauge cluster functions. A Mendeola five-speed sequential transmission has been mounted to the V8 and tuned for a maximum speed of 182 mph. Suspension will be maintained by the original MacPherson strut dual-link front suspension and a five-link rear suspension setup, and upgraded with a KW coilover component.

Pikes Peak, home of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. A contest of driver skill, manufacturer engineering, and raw power all mix into the pot as a car is sent hurtling up the mountain in a fight against a loose surface and the ever persistent pull of gravity. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Tim.

In case you were wondering, this isn’t a specifically prepared car for the hill climb. In fact, it appears to be the car that Rhys Millen uses for drift competitions, powered by the turbocharged V6 powerplant.

[Source: AutoBlog, Live Sockets via Tim]

“This is the first time Millen is making the run in his new Hyundai Genesis Coupe, and he’s evidently driving the same car he has been using in Formula D drift events all year long – complete with the Hyundai V6 powerplant. In fact, the car was trucked to Colorado directly from last weekend’s drift event in Las Vegas.”

Previously , Rhys Millen’s drift Genesis Coupe was powered by a turbocharged Nissan powerplant – because they stated the Hyundai powerplant was too new and they were not sure of it capebilities. It seems they’ve poked and prodded, and finally gave the engine the thumbs up. The new powerplant for Rhys Millen’s drift Genesis Coupe is the 3.8L V6 with a hefty turbocharger, bumping power to 480hp and 570lb-ft of torque, all from 9psi and it’s mostly stock internals and stock 3.8L displacement. Impressive!

[Source: Autoblog]

To start with, the engine is running with mostly stock internals and its original 3.8-liter displacement. Over the weekend, the team ran the engine on the dyno and squeezed out 480 hp at 4,500 rpm and 570 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm. They achieved those numbers with just 9 psi of boost from the turbo. The engine is now in the car and Millen will be competing with Hyundai power at Round 2 of the formula D championship at Road Atlanta this weekend.

The internet is abuzz with information about the Genesis Coupe that Rhys Millen Racing is using – it’s a heavily modified Genesis Coupe powered by a turbocharged 4 liter Nissan motor, a combination that is sure to produce quite a show of power. Sources say that the Nissan powerplant was chosen because of it’s penchant for power on short notice, but RMR will be switching back to the Lambda V6 once they sort out how to coax the same tire smoking power out of it. Click here to see the details from Edmunds Inside Line, and here for the details from AutoBlog. Edmunds also issued a correction later about the engine here. Thanks for the tip Loren!

[Sources: Edmunds Inside Line, Edmunds Correction, AutoBlog]

It’s not like you think. It’s not busy. Or rushed. Or frantic. There’s no chopping at the wheel, no exaggerated stabs at the pedals. In fact, it’s just the opposite: small, highly calculated and immensely precise inputs direct theGenesis Coupe’s trajectory. Rapid but relaxed steering suggestions translate into dramatic changes in direction and speed. Subtle, deliberate prods at the throttle and shifter blur the scenery on one side, then the other. [Edmunds Inside Line]

Check out this video of the Rhys Millen drift Genesis Coupe!

[Source: YouTube]

In case you didn’t know, Rhys Millen Racing was one of the first racing teams in the US to recieve a Genesis Coupe for racing. However, RMR’s Genesis Coupe only looks like a Genesis Coupe – the car had been significantly lightened (to a target of around 2400 pounds) and power bumped far higher than the stock car, along with custom widebody carbon fiber panels. The car looks great, to see more details of the build and on RMR see this post here with lote of pictures by Car and Driver.

[Source: Car and Driver]

Turning a relatively benign Genesis coupe into a tire-melting, single-minded asphalt-o-philiac with a target weight of 2400 pounds will involve removing all interior components not required to anchor the driver in place, stripping the chassis of all insulation, rubber, and adhesives, and then stitch-welding the structure for rigidity.