Yesterday I went to see the new Fast and Furious and the movie features a lot of interesting cars. However, a recent report from Inside Line shows that another new hot car was suppose to make an appearance in the movie, the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. It looks like Universal Studios requested a car for the movie but several month later announced Hyundai that the car has been dropped from the list. Of course, Hyundai are not very happy with this situation, first because the car would’ve received a lot of attention and second because the vehicle they reserved for the movie was held from other activities. There was no confirmation from Universal but Hyundai suspects another car manufacturer blocked them.

“We had the car ready to go,” says Miles Johnson, spokesman for the Korean carmaker “and I think at the end of the day, another manufacturer blocked us.” According to Johnson, the Genesis Coupe was suppose to make an appearance in the opening scene, where Vin Diesel’s character hijacks a gasoline tanker (see trailer below).

So, who do you think might have blocked Hyundai? Subaru? Ford? Nissan? Our bet would be Subaru, because if there’s one car from the movie that would be a competitor for the Genesis Coupe, that’s the Impreza WRX driven by Paul Walker’s character.

Source:(rpmgo)

Today, Hyundai performed the official market launch of its new flagship sedan, the Equus VI, at an event held in Seoul, Korea that was attended by more than 1,000 VIP guests including South Korea’s Prime Minister Han Seung-Soo. Representing a total investment of 500 billion won (approximately US$337 million), the 2010 Equus will serve as a rival to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and its likes.

Based on a modified version of the Genesis sedan’s rear-wheel drive platform, the 5,160mm long Equus comes with a choice of two engines, the ‘Lambda’ 3.8-liter V6 with 290HP and 36.5kgm of torque and the ‘Tau’ 4.6-liter V8 delivering 366HP and 44.8kgm of torque. Both engines are matted to a six-speed automatic transmission. According to Hyundai, the Equus V6 has a combined fuel economy rating of 10.8 lt /100km (21.8 mpg US) and the Equus V8, 11.4 lt / 100km (20.6 mpg US).

The Equus rides on a 5-link suspension (front and rear) featuring lightweight aluminum control arms while Hyundai has worked in partnership with ZF-SACHS to develop an air-suspension that is electronically governed to minimize body roll, nose-diving and other undesirable characteristics.

Other notable highlights include the standard Vehicle Stability Management which integrates the Lane Departure Warning System, Pre-Safety System, Third Generation Smart Cruise Control (SCC) and other sub-systems, as well as the addition of a Knee Air Bag for the driver that brings the total airbag count to nine.

In Korea, the Equus will be available in four trim levels, with prices starting from 63.7 million won (approximately US$44,850) for the entry level, V6-powered VS380 model and topping out at 105 million won (approximately US$73,900) for the V8-powered VS460 Prestige. Towards the end of 2009, Hyundai will extend the range with a long wheelbase edition that will be powered by a 5.0-liter V8 ‘Tau’ engine.

Hyundai officials said that the company plans to sell around 13,000 units of the new Equus in the Korean market this year, increasing that number to 19,000 units in 2010. The new Korean flagship sedan will also make its way to selected overseas markets like China and the Middle East starting in the second half of 2009

Hyundai may not have any official plans to import the new 2010 Equus luxury sedan in the States -at least for the time being, but an example of the Korean firm’s Lexus LS-sized flagship model with California distributor licenses plates was spotted by a member of the ‘Genesis Owner’ community in the city of Diamond Bar, located 30 miles east of Los Angeles.

However, before you start the speculative rumors, the forum member claims that Diamond Bar ” is home to many South Koreans on US corporate assignments,” and that Korean domestic market cars are a common sight in the area.

The big, rear-wheel drive four-door saloon shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai Genesis and it is aimed at high-end luxury saloons such as the BMW 7-Series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Currently offered only in Korea, the Equus is available with a 290HP 3.8-liter V6 and a 4.6-liter V8 delivering 366HP.

During it official unveiling at an event in Seoul in March, Hyundai said there are currently no plans to export the Equus to the North American or European markets. However, the Korean automaker brought the saloon over for show in New York in early April.