So, I sat in on the R-Spec discussion on the Hyundai Think Tank. Unfortunately I missed the very first of the discussion so this may not be 100% complete.

Deleted from track package
Aluminum Pedals
Aero wiper blades
Rear spoiler
HID headlights
Fog lights
Power driver's seat
Infinity premium audio
Proximity key and pushbutton start
Power sunroof
Bluetooth connectivity
Auto light control
Steering wheel audio/cruise control
Trip computer
Bright interior accents
Black/red seats from track model
Auto dim mirror/compass/HomeLink

All other track goodies included
Track tuned suspension
19" gunmetal rims
Staggered tire width
Brembo brakes
Limited slip

Unique to the R-Spec
R-Spec badging
Factory adjustable camber bolts

Other things of interest
Only offered in 3 colors, red, white, and black
White R-Specs are in port now, other colors to follow shortly
R-Spec is going to cost $23,750 ($3k less than track model)
Possible 3.8l R-Spec
Possibly adding cruise as an option
3.8l probably will stay N/A
3.8l might get GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection)

 

Very nice, i had no idea they planned on striping the R-Spec down so much but i guess it will be better for the purpose. Id still prefer to have some of the goodies i have on my track, but atleast i got some solid facts! Thanks a lot, if i hear anything ill make sure to post in here now.

 

I've been waiting to hear solid facts for months now about the R_Spec. i really want the HIDs and fog lights...can you get the added for extra? If so I may ask them to add the aero wiper blades...damn I wanted a sun roof too...UUUGGGHH////looks like I may just get a used Track model next year or something....BLAH!!!! I want most the goodies...I dont want another bare bone car...I want some class, so inovation...some minor luxury..

 

I was happy with what I saw on that list. Most of the stuff on that list can be replaced/upgraded by owners. I would prefer buying my own HIDs than paying for it from the dealer.

My only suggestion is offering the sunroof as an option. I really enjoy a sunroof - I love driving fast, listening to loud music with the windows down and sunroof open. The sunroof is the only thing that's really hard to modify by the owner. Seats, lights, interior accents, mirrors, wipers, pedals... that's not something I need. If it was, I'll buy it.

 

After seeing the specs, I would opt for a track model or if I actually wanted something as a platform the base model.

I was hoping for the quicker steering ratio and a close ratio gearbox. For the price over base it's a decent amount of equipment, but it's pretty much a combination of stuff that I don't understand. If I'm truly racing it, the factory front Brembos are inadequate. Also the entire suspension would be replaced. The Torsen LSD would be replaced with a more capable unit. The heay 19's would be replaced by lighter weight better performing 18's or even 17's if I could fit them over the new brake calipers. By that point you're down to the base model.

A factory racer really needs some race parts, and this doesn't have any. It should be superior to the other models. It's not, it's just a stripped out track model. No more power, no better suspension, just less equipment. There are very few people who would genuinely be better suited to get this car than a track model in my opinion.

 

I agree, your pretty much paying for a "R-spec" badge and fewer features than the track.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>A factory racer really needs some race parts, and this doesn't have any. It should be superior to the other models. It's not, it's just a stripped out track model. No more power, no better suspension, just less equipment. There are very few people who would genuinely be better suited to get this car than a track model in my opinion.</div>

exactly exactly exactly!! i'm thinking if Hyundai did something like Genesis STi, then we're talking. you cannot compare an R-Spec to an STi and they're the same price. lame. i'll take an STi over a Genesis anyday.

i still think thinktank is pretty useless. they just reinstate the obvious and use "us" for spreading the word like some henchmen. cheap and free marketing strategy. they have cut a lot of corners and this is one of them. what's the point of thinktank if you are limited to your thoughts? i don't think anybody should be limited because then it's all the same information recycled. i previously quoted many examples of that anywhere you look. those R-Spec specs were known long before they appeared in thinktank. I was expecting some tuner surprise like the STi or Focus RS, Clio RS, maybe something more on par with the 370Z, and all we get is a steering wheel with no audio controls and no foglights. pretty lame again. if tuners want to tune their cars, just buy the regular car. if they are so serious about racing you'd think they can handle weight issues themselves. so yes i agree $30k for a badge, why not.

 

While I agree with you on the points, there is one major flaw in your math. A new STI base price is $34,995. The R-Spec is $23,750. That's over ten grand cheaper, not the same price. Sure you can get an 05 STI used for the price of an R-Spec, but you will be able to get a 5 year old R-Spec for under $10k more than likely when that time rolls around. The 3.8 Track is $29,500 which is creeping close enough to the price of an STI that I wouldn't let the 5 grand scare me off if I was already spending that much, but they're far different cars and while there is some overlap they'll attract different buyers.

 

^thanks for catching that! i kept thinking of the V6. so it appears like the R-Spec is more or less an SI competitor. i would think they should have another version. maybe a re-flashed higher compression tuned engine with a larger turbo and a bigger engine efficiency output. something to make it noticeably tuned. i don't think enough people are going to be attracted to buying the track version when there are more promising ways to do it.

they'll probably go into that territory later in a few years to keep the business alive. Genesis frame looks to be a standard that will likely be around for as long as the previous generation taurus has. what was it, 17 years or so before it got changed? i'm not expecting extended body panels or extended wheelbase or anything that hasn't ever been done before in Hyundais. for the past 20 years they've been keeping all of the changes minimal, and internal.

 

The Equus is on a stretched wheelbase Genesis chassis, and so is the Equus limo.