CHICAGO — Rhys Millen Racing has been busy developing the Hyundai Genesis Coupe into one of the powerhouses in drift racing. The fruits of that collaboration with the Korean automaker were rolled out on Wednesday in the extreme form of the 550-horsepower RMR Red Bull Hyundai Genesis Coupe.
"We are applying everything we know about fabricating into building this car," said Millen in a statement, noting that weight saving was one of the mantras in the development of the car.
In a statement, Hyundai noted that the hood, deck lid, roof, doors, fenders, front fascia and side skirts are all built out of carbon fiber. "The carbon-fiber panels range from 50 percent to 80 percent lighter than the sheet metal they replaced," the automaker said.
Hyundai explained that the Genesis Coupe's uplevel 3.8-liter V6 engine "will be stroked to 4.1 liters and further enhanced by a Turbonetics turbocharger. An AEM engine management system will also be used. The engine will be mated to a HKS sequential transmission. The end result is a Genesis Coupe that will produce 550 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque."
The RMR Red Bull Hyundai Genesis Coupe gets a one-off paint scheme that combines blue, silver and unpainted black carbon fiber. Side skirts have functional flat rocker panels with ducts to pull air out from underneath the car. Other critical details include a rear diffuser, an APR GTC-500 rear wing and Aerocatch hood latches.
Hyundai said that Millen expects to race the 550-hp Genesis Coupe in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the Formula Drift Professional Drifting Championship and at select Redline Time Attack series events in 2009.
Inside Line says: This is about as close as you'll come to a fire-breathing Genesis Coupe. It definitely will be one of the showstoppers in the Windy City. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Video: Watch the RMR Red Bull Hyundai Genesis Coupe in Action
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