It looks like Hyundai is trying to dominate the SEMA. It has already announced a 1000-horsepower Genesis Coupe and an insane night racer: the Yellowcake Veloster Turbo. Hyundai has now revealed the product of its partnership with ARK Performance: the Legato Concept.
Based on the Genesis Coupe, this concept seems to focus as much on the look and feel of luxury and performance as the reality. While only the concept drawings have been revealed, the car has undergone a transformation.
The body has been swathed in a complete areo kit, with new skirts, bumpers and deck lid. It still looks like a Genesis Coupe – which is a good thing. But one that you would see featured in the latest Fast and Furious movie shortly before it hit a truck, flipped over, and exploded.
The interior has gotten some love, too. Gone are the normal seats, steering wheel, and instrument cluster. They have been replaced with the sort of thing you normally find in track cars, like Takata Drift Pro seats. A digital readout has been provided to assault the driver with all of the information she might need to successfully manage a 24 Hour endurance race.
For good measure ARK has also thrown in a Rockford Fosgate Stereo that can shatter ear drums and detonate car alarms. Just the thing you will need to overcome an engine tuned to scream like a banshee.
The normal 3.8-liter Lambda V6 has been stroked to 4.0-liters. Ark has also rummaged in the engine’s guts and crammed in a few new goodies under the Legato’s hood, including a new crankshaft, oil cooler, intake system, and carbon clutch. All of this boy-racer madness is good for 400 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque.
In an era of small displacement, forced induction engines, this old-school, large displacement V6 stands out. It’s a real sportscar engine, one that will assault you with torque and push you into your seat as you exit a corner.
Hyundai explains that Legato is an Italian music term meaning “tied together,” and while it remains to be seen how well all of these mods work, the name seems appropriate.
The Legato is very much in the family of Pacific Rim tuner cars, like the old Nissan 300ZX and the Mazda RX7. It’s a bit garish and more than a bit immature, but born to go fast. And yet, thanks to that engine, it’s also a bit special.
The Koreans seem to have found their own unique sports car flavor, and Hyundai is tying one on.
