Hyundai Needs To Get Street Cred from World Rally Car
02-21-2014, 07:08 AM
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Hyundai Needs To Get Street Cred from World Rally Car
http://www.torquenews.com/108/hyunda...orld-rally-car
Hyundai Needs To Get Street Cred from World Rally Car
Ford and Volkswagen are seeing some competition for street cred with the return of Hyundai to World Rally Car racing after being absent for more than a decade. It's a smart move for the Korean automaker.
And it's one that needs to be marketed like crazy in the United States. We'll let Steve Shannon, Hyundai's marketing guru in U.S., work out all the details but the message needs to get out that Hyundai builds world-class racing machines.
It's an extension of the old NASCAR saying (which is seeing a Renaissance): "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday." Basically, if a Chevy won the Daytona 500 on a Sunday sales would spike the following day as buyers stampeded into the local Chevy dealer to buy an Impala. As pointed out in this article from the International Business Times, "Fans want to drive a car that looks an awful lot like what they watch race, [said Robin] Pemberton, [vice president of competition for NASCAR], adding that it was good for dealership networks to show a car the manufacturer is racing on the weekend."
According to RallySportMag.com, "Hyundai representatives and drivers are calling this a development season, and a new car is in the midst for 2015." We know it would be cool if it was the Genesis Coupe or even a souped up Veloster but it's a performance enhanced i20, which is equivalent to the Accent.
Maybe that's what Hyundai can do for us. Build a kick-ass Accent based on the World Rally Car and bring it to our shores. It could totally destroy the Toyota FR-S and Subaru BRZ. The only bad news? WRC doesn't race in the United States but Hyundai should still be able to exploit some of that racing vibe here in this country.
Hyundai Needs To Get Street Cred from World Rally Car
Ford and Volkswagen are seeing some competition for street cred with the return of Hyundai to World Rally Car racing after being absent for more than a decade. It's a smart move for the Korean automaker.
And it's one that needs to be marketed like crazy in the United States. We'll let Steve Shannon, Hyundai's marketing guru in U.S., work out all the details but the message needs to get out that Hyundai builds world-class racing machines.
It's an extension of the old NASCAR saying (which is seeing a Renaissance): "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday." Basically, if a Chevy won the Daytona 500 on a Sunday sales would spike the following day as buyers stampeded into the local Chevy dealer to buy an Impala. As pointed out in this article from the International Business Times, "Fans want to drive a car that looks an awful lot like what they watch race, [said Robin] Pemberton, [vice president of competition for NASCAR], adding that it was good for dealership networks to show a car the manufacturer is racing on the weekend."
According to RallySportMag.com, "Hyundai representatives and drivers are calling this a development season, and a new car is in the midst for 2015." We know it would be cool if it was the Genesis Coupe or even a souped up Veloster but it's a performance enhanced i20, which is equivalent to the Accent.
Maybe that's what Hyundai can do for us. Build a kick-ass Accent based on the World Rally Car and bring it to our shores. It could totally destroy the Toyota FR-S and Subaru BRZ. The only bad news? WRC doesn't race in the United States but Hyundai should still be able to exploit some of that racing vibe here in this country.
02-21-2014, 10:32 PM
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All they need to do is send a mod up car on tours and spread the word, that's worked well for Don Panzo with the DeltaWing. People just want to see a car looking cool and will naturally accept that it functions. Welcome to the world of concept cars for that matter.
Personally I think its great that Hyundai has taken on so many challenges in the world of motors ports. Plus knowing where it can't and taking on partners as well, it's all been phenomenal. The only way to really become mainstream in the mind of Americans as a motor sport is sadly to infiltrate NASCAR.
As cool as a pony car competitive V8 powered GC would be, I'm not sure that the good ole boys would like that very much nor would they "take too kindly" to one in their sport of circle driving champions. (Even though it'll use the same chassis, engine and body work as all the others, it's the fake light stickers and the badge painted on the hood that make the difference.) Though that would be a hell of an offering to the US market. Give us the "bulletproof" 5.5L Tau that powers the SK Govt limos, but put it in a modified GC shell and market it as a rustang killing NASCAR model. THAT will get some attention. Personally I long for the days "win on Sunday, sell on Monday." When it was actual stock car racing. Sadly, that nor the GC dream are bound to happen any time soon.
Personally I think its great that Hyundai has taken on so many challenges in the world of motors ports. Plus knowing where it can't and taking on partners as well, it's all been phenomenal. The only way to really become mainstream in the mind of Americans as a motor sport is sadly to infiltrate NASCAR.
As cool as a pony car competitive V8 powered GC would be, I'm not sure that the good ole boys would like that very much nor would they "take too kindly" to one in their sport of circle driving champions. (Even though it'll use the same chassis, engine and body work as all the others, it's the fake light stickers and the badge painted on the hood that make the difference.) Though that would be a hell of an offering to the US market. Give us the "bulletproof" 5.5L Tau that powers the SK Govt limos, but put it in a modified GC shell and market it as a rustang killing NASCAR model. THAT will get some attention. Personally I long for the days "win on Sunday, sell on Monday." When it was actual stock car racing. Sadly, that nor the GC dream are bound to happen any time soon.
02-24-2014, 12:47 PM
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Americans as a motor sport is sadly to infiltrate NASCAR.
As cool as a pony car competitive V8 powered GC would be, I'm not sure that the good ole boys would like that very much nor would they "take too kindly" to one in their sport of circle driving champions. (Even though it'll use the same chassis, engine and body work as all the others, it's the fake light stickers and the badge painted on the hood that make the difference.)
As cool as a pony car competitive V8 powered GC would be, I'm not sure that the good ole boys would like that very much nor would they "take too kindly" to one in their sport of circle driving champions. (Even though it'll use the same chassis, engine and body work as all the others, it's the fake light stickers and the badge painted on the hood that make the difference.)
Give us the "bulletproof" 5.5L Tau that powers the SK Govt limos, but put it in a modified GC shell and market it as a rustang killing NASCAR model. THAT will get some attention. Personally I long for the days "win on Sunday, sell on Monday." When it was actual stock car racing. Sadly, that nor the GC dream are bound to happen any time soon.
03-12-2014, 04:43 AM
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A little late to respond here, but yes. Exactly! Toyota is very much a case in point scenario.
They had a serious up hill battle in NASCAR but today they are a top contender for auto sale and definitely seen as a power house not just in the tuner community.
They had a serious up hill battle in NASCAR but today they are a top contender for auto sale and definitely seen as a power house not just in the tuner community.
