The day has come, Korea builds a faster sedan than your Charger...

[89MOPAR]

 

Well, It's taken about 40 years , but Hyundai is going to release a 4 door sedan with more horsepower than our vaunted 440's   

based on a "Gross" HP rating of 350 [ low perf] -375 [ Hi-perf] - 390 [ 6pak]  - which of course is Much more generous in rating horsepower than the "Net" horsepower rating manufacturers went to in 1972.
      http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=12&article_id=6409

uggh.  I know , it sucks, its ugly, its an abomination, it'll never be a Charger, etc etc . But it's true.
  0-60 in less than 6 seconds.   369 hP out of a 4.6 liter V8.
Hopefully they put a V8 badge on it , so  you know who to watch out for.

   

[69charger2002]

wow. well no matter what it looks or drives like.. one thing is for sure. 369 true Hp out of a V6 is damn impressive.. regardless how far technology has come since 1969. i'm ore about looks than performance personally, and you cannot beat the looks of older mopars, your aspen included! 
trav

[68RT4ME]

You have to hand it to those guy's. They've been at it a while here in the U.S. always trying to inch their way closer to what Americans want. Technology today being what it is and shared globally gives them a chance at doing something like this. I feel the company name alone might hold back most people from buying one but, if it turns out to be a quality machine, it will catch on.

I know that U.S. auto makers build a good car. I truly believe that but, they sure seem to have a real problem convincing their own market about that. I understand that it may cost more to produce an American car than an import but, the U.S. needs to force other countries to play at the same level or at least make it so that price wise, the American cars are compatible to imports and I think that can only be done by imposing tariffs to match what other countries put onto our cars. Still, We should all try to support our own carmakers. They also need to actually make cars here again instead of in Mex. or Canada or anywhere else their building them.

It's a vicious circle and smarter people than I are working on it I'm sure but, how long will it take to turn things around? BTW, our home is as of this week an all Dodge household.

[sick dawg]

Well, It's taken about 40 years , but Hyundai is going to release a 4 door sedan with more horsepower than our vaunted 440's   

based on a "Gross" HP rating of 350 [ low perf] -375 [ Hi-perf] - 390 [ 6pak]  - which of course is Much more generous in rating horsepower than the "Net" horsepower rating manufacturers went to in 1972.
      http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=12&article_id=6409

uggh.  I know , it sucks, its ugly, its an abomination, it'll never be a Charger, etc etc . But it's true.
  0-60 in less than 6 seconds.   369 hP out of a 4.6 liter V8.
Hopefully they put a V8 badge on it , so  you know who to watch out for.

   

No matter how you slice it, dice it, or mash it, in the end it's still a Hyundai! Kind of a rotten potato in my book.

[Troy]

Without getting on my soap box too much, the US auto industry could learn a few things from Hyundai.

Hyundai Motors started in 1967 but didn't start importing cars to the US until 1986.

The timing of Hyundai's entry into the U.S. market in 1986 was ideal. At that time, most automobile manufacturers had abandoned the entry-level market in favor of high-end, high-priced vehicles, leaving a large void in the market. First-time car buyers such as college students and young families were not able to find adequate, value-equipped cars that met their needs, yet were priced within their economic means.

In February 1986, Hyundai launched its subcompact Excel model in the U.S. market. Customer response was immediate; in just seven months Hyundai Motor America had sold its 100,000th Excel. Total 1986 sales numbered 168,882 - an industry record for an import car distributor in its first year. Hyundai sales averaged 1,431 units per dealer, another sales record. In 1987, Hyundai sales continued to soar, reaching a record of 263,610 units.

What makes this sales performance even more remarkable is that it was done with dealers located in only 31 of the 50 states.

In April of 2002, Hyundai broke ground in Montgomery, Alabama for its first U.S. automobile assembly plant, a $1 billion investment that is scheduled to open in 2005 and employ nearly 2,000 people.

http://www.hmmausa.com/company.aspx?id=262

A quick history lesson - we're responsible (sort of).

Hyundai's Founding Chairman
Chung Ju-Yung - 1915 - 2001

Chung Ju-Yung was born in North Korea in 1915 as the eldest son of a poor peasant farming family. At the age of 18, he set off for good to Seoul with hopes of finding a better life.

Success was not immediate. He worked in various jobs, such as railway construction, bookkeeping and dock work. Mr. Chung's first experience as an entrepreneur came in 1938 when he started his own rice store. However, he was forced to close his business a year later because of the policies of the Japanese occupation forces.

After the liberation of Korea in World War II, Mr. Chung went into business repairing trucks for U.S. Armed Forces. He then went into the engineering and construction business, eventually building multibillion-dollar mega-projects around the world.

His venture into the shipbuilding business is legendary. Despite a lack of experience in shipbuilding, he persuaded a customer to give him an order to build a ship for tens of millions of dollars. Now the company that he started is the largest shipbuilder in the world.

By sheer force of effort and creativity, Mr. Chung built businesses that helped make Korea the economic powerhouse that it is today. From humble beginnings, he rose to great heights. But even at the peak of his success, he remained disciplined, lived simply and worked hard.

In his final years, he turned his efforts toward the reunification of Korea. This son of a farmer sought to open avenues of communication between the North and South Korean governments and between the people, north and south. In private talks with leaders, in cross-border business ventures and in grand gestures, such as driving 1000 cattle back to North Korea, he helped bring hope back to the most cherished goal of reuniting the Korean people. It may well be that this final act of kindness and concern, while acting as an ambassador of peace, may be viewed by history as Mr. Chung's greatest achievement.

Our Honorary Founding Chairman had many great philosophies that he lived by, but the one that we should all remember is: "It is failures rather than successes that teach us invaluable lessons - It is not necessary to remember one's success. That should be remembered by others instead. Rather, we should remember our losses and failures - Those who forget their failures will fail again and again."

http://www.hmmausa.com/company.aspx?id=258

Now, go back and read the first part again about how Hyundai entered the US market.

Troy

[Cooperman]

A quick history lesson - we're responsible (sort of).

Doesn't it strike you as odd that any country that gets an ass-wuppin' from the US will be rebuilt to eventually be a manufacturer of high quality goods...
Think Germany, Japan and now Korea...

Be on the look out for an Iraqi supercar in twenty years time! 

I mean no disrespect by this, but it does make you wonder what the rebuilding of infrastructure accomplishes in the longer term...

[Troy]

Well, I meant it as "we gave him a job" which helped get him started but, yeah, your interpretation works too.

Troy

[73chgrSE]

Just imagine what Iraqi made cars will be like in 50 years.

[70 Battle Horse]

"Doesn't it strike you as odd that any country that gets an ass-wuppin' from the US will be rebuilt to eventually be a manufacturer of high quality goods..."
I doubt that NORTH Korea it producing any goods that are considered high quality

[bordin34]

Doesn't that Hyundai looks like a Mercedes rip-off?

[bull]

wow. well no matter what it looks or drives like.. one thing is for sure. 369 true Hp out of a V6 is damn impressive.. regardless how far technology has come since 1969. i'm ore about looks than performance personally, and you cannot beat the looks of older mopars, your aspen included! 
trav

They're getting 369 hp out of the V8 not the V6. The "two V-6 engines will be offered — a 3.3-liter with 268 bhp and a 3.8-liter with 289." Yea, 369 hp out of a V6 would be pretty good, and I have heard some pretty big hp numbers from the six-banger Supras.

[mally69]

I would say with that cubic inch, there would probably have a turbo or supercharger to get that amount of hp, and ill be willing to bet that the hp rating is at a high rpm.  Just my   

[1969chargerrtse]

Years ago when I had my own car shop, Hyundai was a joke.  The  saying was " Wanna double the value of your Hyundai, fill the tank "  Today it's a whole different story.  They have been making great cars and actually a threat to Toyota and Honda.  It's a fact and at a good price.  Something 40 years later faster than my 4,000 lb car doesn't bother me at all.  Nor did it when I cruised around in my 454 vette conv.  To me they are representing an era and doing it with class.  My logic is, if you want to race, match years or take the SRT Charger for the run.  Either way what these classics are today are, classics.   No Hyundai will ever stroll the streets like my 69 RT/SE.  Not in my mind anyway. 

[rollingthunder]

Years ago when I had my own car shop, Hyundai was a joke.  The  saying was " Wanna double the value of your Hyundai, fill the tank "  Today it's a whole different story.  They have been making great cars and actually a threat to Toyota and Honda.  It's a fact and at a good price.  Something 40 years later faster than my 4,000 lb car doesn't bother me at all.  Nor did it when I cruised around in my 454 vette conv.  To me they are representing an era and doing it with class.  My logic is, if you want to race, match years or take the SRT Charger for the run.  Either way what these classics are today are, classics.   No Hyundai will ever stroll the streets like my 69 RT/SE.  Not in my mind anyway. 

[Silver R/T]

with gas prices nearing $4 a gallon there won't be much sales of those. Not my car of choice anyways.

[miller]

i may have to check my stats... but i believe the 369 hp is from a v8....
the v6 produces 300

i will look again just to make sure


also the ads Hyundai put out says the horsepower of the v8 is 375... maybe sae testing lowered the numbers...

[89MOPAR]

  Yup, gotta hand it to them, they are now established enough to bring in a V8 sedan to take on the low level German cars, mid-level Japanese and American sedans.

  An old friends mom bought one of the original Excels - it was a piece of junk -  but they have made serious improvement since then, I think offereing a 10 year / 100000 mile powertrain warranty for the last few years.
  Hyundai is huge in the shipping business as well, there's a whole lot of cargo containers owned by them.

Thanks Trav - Yup, it's the baddest Aspen in my county      [  can't say there is  much competition though... ]
   

 

[superduperbee]

Weather or not you like this car, has anyone thought what a sleeper something like this could be?[nitrous anyone?] Painted gunmetal gray or some other boring color, nobody would ever give the thing a second glance at a stoplight, much less expect it to be fast. Word on the street is Toyota and Honda are worried about this car. Ray