2014 Hyundai Elantra Limited on 2040-cars

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IED Torino students dream up the PassoCorto for Hyundai

Every year the students at the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Turin work up something new to unveil at the Geneva Motor Show. It's usually a concept for an Italian automaker (like the Alfa Romeo Gloria, the Cisitalia 202 E or the Abarth ScorpION) or at least something European (like the concepts they worked up with McLaren or the ones they did for Aston Martin). But this time they've wandered a little farther from home in designing a sports car for Hyundai.
It's called the PassoCorto - Italian for "short wheelbase" - and it was designed in collaboration between the grad students in the Master in Transportation Design program (under the supervision of Pininfarina design Luca Borgogno) and the Hyundai's European design center.
The design (theoretically) calls for a 1.6-liter twin-turbo four, mounted amidships and driving 266 horsepower to the rear wheels. It looks pretty promising, and if Hyundai were ever keen on taking on the likes of the Alfa Romeo 4C and Porsche Cayman, this strikes us as a damn good place to start.

Hyundai i30 Fastback N revealed, but still not for the U.S.

Hyundai just revealed a car that we won't get stateside, the i30 Fastback N. This four-door fastback gets the same N treatment as the i30 N hatchback, another fast Hyundai that isn't sold here. We all love a good hatchback, but the Fastback variant looks a bit more handsome and mature comparatively. It's hard not to like the lines, especially after hearing the loud, crackling exhaust that pops aggressively on the overrun. Just like the i30 N hatchback in Europe and the Veloster N we're getting here, the Fastback gets the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with two power outputs available. The base N makes 246 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, but the Performance package nets you 271 horsepower. It also has a temporary overboost feature that unleashes 279 pound-feet of torque for a limited period. It's almost the exact same power as the Veloster N, but that car is rated at 250 and 275 horsepower in its two trim levels. The Fastback N is said to get to 62 mph in 6.4 and 6.1 seconds respectively. A six-speed manual will remain as the only transmission offering for the time being. Hyundai hasn't officially mentioned it yet, but a video it released essentially confirms the presence of its electronic limited-slip differential for this car. We expect it to be offered as part of the Performance package like it is in the other N variants. The Fastback N is set to make its world debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, but Hyundai made an entertaining video of its World Rally Championship drivers racing about Denmark and released some preliminary info today. If you haven't heard the exhaust for any of Hyundai's N cars, then here's your chance; it's pretty awesome. View 26 Photos Featured video: Image Credit: Hyundai Paris Motor Show Hyundai Performance Sedan hyundai veloster n hyundai i30 n

2015 Hyundai Genesis automatically slows for speed cameras

Speed cameras are something of a foreign curiosity for many drivers in the US. Sure, there is sporadic use of red light cameras here, but the cams to catch speeders are much more popular in Europe. However, Hyundai might have created a way to end that scourge for our foreign auto enthusiast compatriots. The Korean automaker recently showed off a system on the Genesis at its headquarters in Seoul that could detect and automatically slow down for the nefarious devices. It could make many speeding tickets a thing of the past.
According to Australian website Drive, the Genesis' tech is actually a simple integration of already existing structures. It combines a navigation system programmed with the locations of speed cameras and the sedan's automatic braking. Drivers get an audible warning about a half-mile beforehand to slow down, and if they don't the car can do it for them.
Unfortunately, this potentially money-saving tech isn't leaving its domestic market anytime soon. "This is offered only in Korea and not planned for the US. In Korea, many cars with smart cruise control offer this and it is viewed as a safety feature," said Hyundai spokesperson Jim Trainor to Autoblog via email.