The Fast and the Curious: The New York Auto Show
Stubborn smoke, green zeal and a rapper's delight rev up the New York event.
March 20, 2008 — -- Visitors to this year's New York International Auto Show will find speed machines, green machines and, in one case, a wrecked machine.
More on the wrecked machine later. First, on the speed front: Sparks flew, literally, when Hyundai unveiled its new 2010 Genesis Coupe in a flashy media event Wednesday that was part rock concert, part NASCAR.
Live music blared and pyrotechnics filled the Javits center with smoke, as two Genesis sports cars -- one red and one silver -- took turns spinning around a partitioned-off section inside the convention center.
Driven by professional stunt drivers, the cars only reached speeds of 30 to 35 mph. But in an enclosed space surrounded by rapt onlookers, it looked plenty fast.
The purpose of the demonstration, said John Krafcik, Hyundai's vice president of product development and strategic planning, was to show off the power of the coupe's rear-wheel drive engine.
The sleek two-door, with an available 306 horsepower V-6, is a departure for Hyundai. Krafcik hopes it will draw true auto enthusiasts -- the kind who read at least two different car magazines a month and who have eluded Hyundai in the past.
Also eluding Hyundai, Wednesday: ventilation. The fog from the demonstration didn't dissipate until well into the automaker's presentation.
Hyundai isn't discussing pricing on the Genesis coupe, but a spokesman said that the car would be priced below the sedan version, which reportedly will be priced at $29,900 to $36,000.
Tack a zero onto the latter figure and you won't be far off from the price of the new 2009 Bentley Brooklands. At an eye-popping 530 horsepower, the uber-upscale automaker says it is the most powerful V-8 engine it's ever produced. The luxury coupe's base price is listed at $340,990.
In its presentation, Bentley stressed environmental and energy concerns over opulence and power. The company handed out a 17-page treatise on its Earth-friendly efforts, including an announcement that all Bentley vehicles would be compatible with renewable fuels by 2012.
Bentley board member Stuart McCullough said that the automaker would seek to satisfy customer expectations "in as sustainable a fashion as possible."
