2012 SEMA Show: Hyundai High-performance Takes the Stage

Along with the domestic players—recently covered in previous preview stories—Hyundai also plans to have a big presence at the 2012 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. In fact, readers may remember that Autobytel provided an early look the SEMA-bound Hyundai Veloster Velocity concept, introducing folks to a 400-hp version of the Veloster Turbo tuned by the powerplant professionals at Cosworth. But Hyundai, for all its recent success, remains in an aggressive growth mode and will be showing off a number of other products at SEMA as well—including the fantastic foursome detailed below.

2012 SEMA Show: Bisimoto Hyundai Elantra GT

The new 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT is a perfect starting point for the company’s 2012 SEMA Show efforts, with a trendy five-door body style that offers plenty of versatility and superior driving dynamics that supply plenty of fun. Yet while its 148-hp engine and sport-tuned suspension make it a strong competitor amongst it production rivals, the SEMA crowd demands a more radical approach—and the team at Bisimoto Engineering delivered.

The tuning shop lived up to its name by getting busy with the Elantra GT’s motor, adding components like Arias forged pistons, a Turbonetic turbocharger, AEM water-methanol injection, and its own proprietary connecting rods and high-pressure injectors. All that hardware helped squeeze more than 450 extra horsepower from the car’s standard engine, and Bisimoto then deployed a full brace of performance enhancers—like an ARK body kit, Bisimoto racing seats and a Progress coil-over suspension (with sway bar)—to leverage those +600 horses.

“At Bisimoto Engineering, we strive to deliver the most performance wrapped up in the most unexpected packages,” said Hedi Kim, the company's vice president of sales and marketing. “We think the final product is a great example of just what can be achieved with turbocharging and engine tuning in the present day.”

2012 SEMA Show: ARK Hyundai Veloster Alpine Concept

Designed to emphasize the Hyundai Veloster’s functional side—with an obligatory dash of SEMA-fied performance—ARK’s Alpine concept takes its cues from the world of extreme winter sports. That means a reworked interior created by JPM Coachworks that relies on durable, water-resistant materials like Alcantra, Italian leather and WeatherTek, a breathable, waterproof fabric often used by outdoors enthusiasts. The Veloster Alpine doesn’t stint when it comes to interior style, though. Those premium fabrics display bright white and cool blue hues in the car’s cabin, offering a stylish complement to its “snow-like exterior color.”

“Our Veloster Alpine concept reflects the diverse lifestyle versatility we envisioned in the original Veloster concept,” said Ted Lee, owner of ARK performance. “This extreme sports coupe concept will appeal to winter sports enthusiasts who love to carve the snow as much as a twisty canyon road.”

And just to make sure the vehicle is ready for the latter, ARK also upped its performance prowess with goodies like an in-house exhaust system and bigger brakes, along with a nitrous kit, carbon-fiber hood and decklid from Seibon, a thorough suspension upgrade, and a full body kit that includes a rally-style rear wing.

2012 SEMA Show: Cosworth Hyundai Genesis Racing Series

Backed by more than half a century's worth of experience, the legendary engine tuners at Cosworth worked their magic on the Hyundai Genesis Coupe as well as the Veloster Velocity. Of course, it wasn’t actually “magic” that made a difference, but rather a comprehensive overhaul of the Genesis Coupe’s athletic 3.8-liter V6 engine. The Cosworth crew improved the powerplant’s ability to manage unwanted heat, retuned the engine control module (ECM) and optimized breathing with new intake and high-flow exhaust systems.

The changes boost the Genesis Coupe’s output to 389 hp (+11.8 percent) and increase torque to 325 lb.-ft. (+10.1 percent). It's official moniker: The Cosworth Genesis Racing Series.

“The rear-drive Genesis Coupe is simply a great platform from which to build our ultimate Cosworth Genesis Racing Series street model,” said Nicole Armbrustmacher, director of marketing, Cosworth Americas. “The Cosworth Genesis Racing Series Coupe truly demonstrates the purpose-built performance potential of the affordable Genesis Coupe line. We’re proud to partner with Hyundai for this ultimate racing series model.”

Cosworth also deployed a full range of interior and exterior mods in the Genesis Coupe for the 2012 SEMA Show, from a carbon-fiber body kit to a race-ready cockpit, and wrapped it all up in a stunning satin-gloss blue exterior finish.

2012 SEMA Show: ARK Hyundai Genesis Coupe R-Spec

The R-Spec model of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe may be the ultimate production choice from the range, but it was merely the starting point for ARK’s track edition. And if you think the car’s exterior is wild—with a massive rear wing, eye-popping exterior paint scheme and an aero-style body kit with carbon fiber components—wait until you get a load of its powertrain upgrades.

ARK has fully prepared the car for 40 days and 40 nights of performance, bolting on an upgrade intake system, hi-po oil cooler, and lightweight pulley kit, then turning to Brian Crower to stroke out the Genesis Coupe’s 3.8-liter V6. The new tale of the tape: 395 hp and 340 lb.-ft. of torque. A similarly track-oriented approach was taken inside the car, too, where JPM Coachworks provided a complete interior makeover that now includes a Sparco steering wheel and racing seats, along with a Cusco chrome-moly eight-point roll cage.

Cusco also provided suspension bars, arms and control rods for the car’s retuned suspension—which also benefits from an ARK DTP coil-over system—and a limited-slip differential that works in tandem with ARK’s carbon-plate clutch kit and dual-mass flywheel to improve transmission performance.