The 2012 Hyundai Genesis sedan is due a facelift, a bigger and more powerful V-8, and an eight-speed automatic transmission. For technology and performance, those changes should elevate this already-laudable luxury four-door into the upper echelon of the premium-sedan segment. It’s already a fierce competitor on price. Whether freshened styling, availability of more than 400 horsepower, and a state-of-the-art transmission are enough to pull buyers out of a Mercedes E-Class instead of merely over from a Buick Lucerne is another matter. Meanwhile, the 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe (essentially a shortened, sportier version of the better-selling sedan) is also in line for some styling and powertrain updates.

Both the 4-cylinder and V6 engines are slated to get upgrades, although exactly how extensive they will be is not yet clear. It’s not hard to speculate that the 2.0T model could gain the Sonata Turbo’s new engine, prompting a significant increase in power from 210-hp to 274-hp. That would come very close to the 3.8-liter V6′s 306-hp number, suggesting it would also have to receive a major update, be it through naturally aspirated means, forced induction, or a switch to a V8. Past reports have already indicated the company’s new 5.0-liter V8 will replace the current 3.8L V6, producing a rather significant 429-hp.

Hyundai’s most powerful engine ever
The heart of the new Genesis 5.0 R-Spec model is a 5.0-liter ‘Tau’ V-8 engine with direct injection technology producing 429 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 376 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm. Even with its extra displacement and performance, the 5.0-liter mill nearly matches the current 4.6 V-8 in fuel economy, returning an estimated 16 mpg city and 25 mpg highway versus the 4.6’s 17 mpg city and 26 mpg highway.

Sending drive to the rear wheels is Hyundai’s new in-house developed eight-speed automatic transmission. The two additional ratios help to enhance acceleration, shifting smoothness, and transmission efficiency by 6.0 percent over the former six-speed. The advanced transmission also gets paddle-shifters for pseudo manual control and is standard across the 2012 Hyundai Genesis range.

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Review 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Spider

The forthcoming Amelia Island event by RM Auctions next month will feature the sale of one of the greatest prewar sports cars in the collector car market today. The vehicle in question is a rare 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport example, estimated to fetch between $1,100,000-$1,500,000.

Featuring a lightweight Zagato bodywork, the vehicle is fitted with a 85 bhp, 1,752 cc supercharged DOHC inline six-cylinder engine, four-speed manual gearbox, solid front and live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel drum brakes.

One of the largest changes introduced with the 4th series Gran Sport was a modified Roots-type supercharger that operated at engine speed and with larger rotors. With no step gear, it ran slower and therefore spun the opposite direction which relocated the carburetor from the left to the right side of the manifold.1
With its supercharger, the 1750 Gran Sport was an invincible race car, one with ample torque for its small chassis. The supercharger was a necessary ingredient that allowed the 1750 to be light, yet powerful, a characteristic that contributed to less driver fatigue and less stress on individual components. It was somewhat rare on sports cars of the period but was proven effective with the 1929 Super Sport. For the Gran Sport the engines main bearings also increased in size.1

In competition, the 6C-1750 was quite possibly the most successful car/chassis ever manufactured by Alfa Romeo. In addition to winning the 1929 Mille Miglia, twenty-five out of twenty-six supercharged 1750s completed the 1000 mile course. During the 1930 Mille Miglia, the 1750 would sweep the first four places in the race and would become known for an epic 6C-1750 duel between Nuvolari and Varzi. Nuvolari overtook Varzi in the pre-dawn with his 1750's headlights switched off and continued to win the race with a finishing time of 6 hours 18 minutes 59 seconds (averaging 62.78 mph) making the 6C-1750 the first car to ever complete the 1000 mile Mille Miglia Race averaging over 100 kph.

Other victories included the 1929 and 1930 24-Hours of Spa, 1930 Tourist Trophy, several World Speed Records (2000cc class) at Montlhery, France in 1931 (including 1000 kilometers @ 97.1 mph, 4000 Mile Record @ 93.97 mph and 48 Hour Record @ 94.4 mph) as well as winning numerous other Road Races, and Hillclimbs.

The current owner, a noted collector in his own right, has been absolutely pleased with the car’s rally abilities. For long distance driving, he has fitted a custom made sling to alleviate the leg fatigue caused by the centre throttle pedal and put the steering wheel into the second, more comfortable, driving position – neither of which has modified the car in any way. On the button and perfectly sorted, it is ready for a fourth Mille Miglia entry!

FRENCHTEXT

85 ch., 1.752 cm3, 6-cylindres en ligne à double arbre-à-came en tête et compresseur type Rootes, boîte 4-vitesses manuelle, essieux avant et arrière rigides avec ressorts à lames semi-elliptiques, freins à tambour aux quatre roues. Empattement: 2,740 mm (108")

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The 2012 Ford Focus will be different in a number of ways, but the biggest is how it will be launched in the U.S and Europe at the same time – something that did not happen with the current Fiesta. The Detroit automaker has a lot riding on this car, as we all know how competitive the hatchback market is. We have known the specs for some time now, but only now are some auto websites getting the chance to review this latest addition to the Blue Oval family.

Zach Bowman from Autoblog notes that the first and most important thing is how the new 2010 Ford Focus will compare to the likes of the Hyundai Elantra and Chevrolet Cruze; both of which have managed to put the fear up Honda and Toyota with the Civic and Corolla respectively. The current Focus has been popular in the UK for years now, so you would assume that the new-generation model would do as well. However, I was a little shocked when I watched last Sundays episode of Top gear, where all three presenters agreed that it did not offer much and was just plain boring.

The Focus will offer many features not often seen in compact cars, including blind-spot alert, automated parallel parking and a rear-view camera. The turbocharged Focus ST cranks the excitement up several notches with around 245 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. The suspension and stability control were re-tuned to provide better handling and control than is customary in high-powered front-wheel drive cars.

At the rear, there’s an independent multilink suspension, and at the front, the ABS has been tricked to serve as a limited-slip diff. On gyrating Route 94, the Focus offered gratifyingly precise turn-in and steady path control. Just as Ford promised, the damping rates felt similar to the A3’s, lending the car an agile, button-downed, purposeful persona. Note, however, that we sampled only the Titanium handling package ($595), with its heftier bars, springs, and 18-inch rubber.

Too bad the Focus’s steering doesn’t more faithfully replicate the A3’s. As is true with many manufacturers, Ford is still coming to grips with electrically assisted steering, “endlessly mixing and matching 250 programmable parameters,” as one engineer somewhat wearily put it. The steering is adequately weighted and satisfactorily accurate—with a column adjustment for reach and rake—but there’s a steady whiff of artificiality about it, not to mention a quickness just off-center that may pester persnickety pilots.

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