Life on the Fast Lane Nov 28, 2010

Life on The Fast Lane - November 28, 2010

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What do the champion drivers have to say about the Hyundai Genesis Coupe?

The Hyundai Genesis Coupe: The sports car minus the hefty price tag

Official finish times:
1. Tyson Sy 2:00:67
2. Georges Ramirez 2:02:58
3. Mike Potenciano 2:03:04

     WHILE most of the 13 champion racers who took part in Concept One’s Race of Champions Hyundai Genesis Coupe leg had a lot of things to say about the sports car’s power and handling, the thing that surprised them the most is its price. “You cannot fi nd any 300-horsepower car for that price. Not even close,” says racer and television personality Gaby dela Merced.
     Everyone seems to agree. “It’s a relatively affordable sports car,” says Concept One owner and president Sam Liuson. “Most of the other brands will cost you easily P2.5-million, while the 3.8-liter engine Genesis is priced below P2-million. With 300 horsepower, you get a lot of power for that price.”
     “The drivers are very happy,” says Don Sta. Agueda III, senior manager for product planning of Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI). “Hopefully, more customers will test the Genesis. It’s a performance car, so what better way to put it to the test than have expert drivers drive it?”
     The “expert drivers” include past and future legends in the Philippine motorsports scene, including rally cross legend Vip Isada, international formula race car driver Tyson Sy, veteran race car driver Mike Potenciano, and more who participated in the second leg of the Race of Champions at the Batangas Racing Circuit. Concept One brings them all together to see who the real champion is, says Sam.
     “They come in and race consistently, and they earn points. ey’re thanking me for coming up with this event. And for this particular leg, I can say that the car was fantastic.”
     The Genesis Coupe is not all about power, cautions Don. “It also comes with safety features, including dual airbags and side and curtain airbags, something that isn’t common in sports cars. ere are also features for conveniences, including cruise control, sun roof, and fully automatic temperature control.”
     But at the end of the day, if you look under the hood, it is really a racing car, says Paeng Batuigas, HARI manager formarketing services. “We want to highlight the car’s power. And we’re surprised at the buyers of the car, because both the young and the not-so-young appreciate the Genesis. It’s not just a weekend car.”
     The last leg of the Race of Champions is set on Jan. 8 and 9 at the Clark Speedway.

Tyson Sy, two-time Philippine
National Formula 3 champion and international formula race car driver

Mike Potenciano, veteran race car driver

Menchie Ramirez, racer and wife of late champion racer, racing eacher and motoring journalist Kookie Ramirez

Vip Isada, legendary rally cross champion

Gaby dela Merced, Filipina Formula 3 racecar driver, model and TV personality

Georges Ramirez, professional race driver and son of Filipino racing legend Pocholo Ramirez

“THE Genesis was good. The handling was good. The power was good. If you’re not a race car driver, the power is enough for city driving. And it’s cheap, so I can recommend it to people who like sports car. If I will compare it with similar sports cars, it’s up to par. Of course, it’s diff erent with formula cars, but I was surprised with the power. I was amazed. Driving it made me miss racing.”

“IT’S my fi rst time to drive a Genesis and I always drove four-wheel drives, but I was amazed with the 300 horsepower. The handling was good, too. Not only does it look good, you also get to feel confident in handling the car. You’ll feel confi dent in exploring its limits. Be prepared to be amazed with its limits.”

“I DID a ceremonial lap. e Genesis is easy to drive. It’s powerful so you have to be careful to not put too much power out. Drive it with a lot of care because you have 300 horsepower. It’s also very nice to be behind the wheel. It’s very comfortable and easy to drive despite having a lot of power. When you want it to do certain things, it follows you. It made me miss racing. You always miss racing.”

“CIRCUIT racing is not my forte, but the adrenaline was the same. e style of driving is very diff erent, but in terms of the rush, the excitement is pretty much the same. I got the same rush.”

“YOU can feel the demon inside the car, which is always good. e car was fun to drive. e power’s there. When it goes up, it’s defi nitely there. You feel it. e handling’s good. It overstirs, but it’s a rear-wheel drive, so it’s supposed to do that. Honestly I recommend it to anyone who enjoys cars. If you feel uneasy with the car, just put the traction control on, and you’ll feel safe. If you want to be more daring, you’re going to have a crazy fun time. It all depends on how you use the car. You would get the same adrenaline. You’re going to have a fun time. And for that price? You cannot fi nd any 300-horsepower car for that price. Not even close.”

“THE Genesis was nice. With 300 horsepower, of course it was nice. I am amazed that you can get that much car for that price. With 300 horsepower in the rain, I really had fun. I was enjoying myself. We only got to run two laps, but all of us old timers were saying how great it was. e interior is nice, the fi nish is nice, the design is nice.”

Genesis Coupe Club Phippines
ENJOYING THE GENESIS

Club president Charl Henrich Angderson (left) with vice president Tony Lombardo.

The offcers and members of the club pose with their Hyundai Genesis.

"WE’RE just people who enjoy our cars,” says businessman Tony Lambardo, also the vice-president of Genesis Coupe Club Philippines, the offi cial car club of owners of the sleek and beautiful Hyundai sports car.
“Most of our members are businessmen. They have busy schedules. But we try to do a fun run every month. We spent good money in our cars, so we might as well have fun with them,” adds the proud owner of a top of the line V6 blue Genesis.
Barely six months old, the GCCP grew from 8 members in July to more than 40 today, thanks to eff orts by its president Charl Henrich Angderson, who drives a 3.8 M/T matte black beauty.
“It started out in a thread in Tsikot.com. One day, I just decided to gather all the Genesis Coupe owners in the website. We met up, and from that meeting, we decided to form a club. We get additional members from referrals,” he says.
“As long as you got a Genesis and a license, you’re in,” Tony says, laughing. “We’re not racist to anyone. We’re multicultural, actually. We have Filipinos, Chinese, Americans, English as members.”
The club’s activities are diverse —from motorshows to fun runs, and maybe a drifting event in the future—but its goal has always been the same: to show everyone what they saw in the Genesis and hopefully convince a car buyer or two to get one.
“We go to car events to show them what the Genesis is and the ways it can be modifi ed,” adds Tony. “ ere are no available accessories here in Manila, so we have to get them from abroad.”
Asked what the appeal of the Genesis is, their answers are the same: it’s the cheapest sports car you can buy in Manila. “It’s true value for money,” says Henrich, talking about the car’s surprising capabilities at 300 horsepower. “It’s easily more aff ordable than models of comparable power and look.”
But it’s not only a sports car, Tony says, because with the two seats at the back, it is also a family car you can take aroundthe city, broadening its appeal even further. “But at the end of the day, we just like to enjoy our cars.”

The participating champions in the second leg of Race of Champions.

HARI’s Paeng Batuigas presents Menchie Ramirez a bouquet of owers.