Rear wheel drive v8 hyundai?!

We’ll get right to the nitty-gritty. This rear-wheel-drive Hyundai sports sedan—there are six words we’ve never strung together before—will arrive at dealerships in production guise sometime next year. In other words, think of the information below as a primer for what to expect when this concept becomes reality.

The Genesis uses an all-new, all-aluminum 32-valve 4.6-liter V-8 producing well over 300 horsepower and more than 300 pound-feet of torque, according to Hyundai, and mated to a six-speed ZF automatic transmission. Hyundai estimates the duo will propel the car to 60 mph from a stop in well under six seconds, although the company hints at larger-displacement, forced-induction versions of the V-8 that would surely perform the 0-to-60 samba in even less time. (A blown Hyundai? From the factory? Seriously?) The Genesis rides on a five-link independent suspension at all four corners and offers the driver a choice of shock settings.

The concept’s rear-wheel-drive architecture is a prototype of the final version, which will mark the first use of rear-drive for a U.S.-market Hyundai. Weight distribution is claimed at 53 percent front and 47 percent rear, figures that’ll make Hyundai’s sporty goals a lot easier to achieve than, say, the front-wheel-drive Azera’s 62/38. Like all Hyundais, the 16.4-foot-long concept Genesis focuses strongly on safety and is crammed full of lifesaving technology, including eight airbags, stability control, adaptive cruise control, active headrests, and brake assist.

To date, equating driving excitement with Hyundai has been about as ridiculous an idea as expecting to find foie gras on the McDonald’s Value Menu, but Hyundai truly believes the Genesis can change that—and with big targets like the BMW 5-series and the Mercedes-Benz E-class in its sights, Hyundai had better get it right. That means world-class fit and finish, the best materials, and driving dynamics that won’t bring to mind a Toyota turned the other way around. One thing Hyundai has already nailed, though, is the price, which the company promises will begin well under $30,000 (for V-6 models) when the Genesis hits the streets. V-8 versions will likely start around $35,000.