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Hyundai, ARK Performance combine for SEMA-bound Legato Genesis Coupe

The latest body-kitted Hyundai Genesis Coupe scheduled to appear at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas is the ARK Performance Legato Concept. In a nod to performance fiends, Hyundai built a stroker V6 good for 400 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque to really set the coupe off.
The extra power is a very good thing when one considers how fast the Legato Coupe looks. Speaking of the Italian musical term "legato," it translates to "tied together," and it was the theme ARK adhered to when it designed the car. In ARK's words, the the Legato conveys "the seamless integration of exotic design, tuned performance and luxury coupe interior ambience."
ARK's body kit includes front and rear bumpers, side skirts, deck lid and "wide-body cues." The 3.8-liter V6 was stroked to 4.0 liters courtesy of JE pistons, connecting rods and a billet steel crankshaft. ARK supplied an intake system and headers, and bolted on a lightweight pulley kit. An ARK oil cooler keeps the engine running at the right temperature. The tuning company also bolted on one of its dual-mass flywheels and carbon clutch kit to handle the extra power.

EV battery prices to stop falling in 2020, Hyundai says

SEOUL — Hyundai believes electric vehicle battery prices will level off by 2020 due to supply constraints of key ingredients, ending years of sharp declines that have helped stimulate activity in the booming sector. Despite its cautious outlook, the South Korean carmaker and smaller affiliate Kia plan to release 38 green models using a variety of technologies by 2025, Hyundai Motor Senior Vice-President Lee Ki-sang said. "Not a single ingredient is going in a positive direction in terms of pricing," Lee, who oversees Hyundai's green car operations, said in remarks to reporters last week that were embargoed until Wednesday. "So far battery prices have been declining at a rapid pace, but the pace will moderate significantly or maintain the status quo by 2020." While rivals have announced ambitious plans for electric vehicles, some analysts say Hyundai has been late to the game. It plans to launch a long-range electric vehicle next year, well behind the likes of General Motors and Tesla. Demand for minerals such as nickel, cobalt and lithium used in electric car batteries is forecast to soar in the coming years as governments crack down on vehicle pollution and carmakers step up their investments in electric models. Batteries are the most expensive part of electric vehicles, and their affordability is key to the take-up of the technology. Lithium-ion battery cell prices fell about 60 percent in the five years to 2016 as larger-scale production made them cheaper to make. In September, Reuters reported that Volkswagen was moving to secure long-term supplies of cobalt for the group's electric vehicle plans, but its talks with cobalt producers in November ended without a supply deal. Lee said that although Hyundai saw the need to develop batteries in-house, it still relied on outside suppliers due to a lack of economies of scale to secure raw materials. It aimed to release vehicles powered by solid-state lithium batteries by about 2020, promising greater range and safety than existing lithium-ion units. Japanese rival Toyota also has announced a similar schedule for the development of vehicles powered by new, potentially revolutionary solid-state batteries. In addition to hybrids and battery-powered vehicles, Hyundai was "coordinating" with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles over hydrogen cars propelled by electricity generated from fuel cells, Lee added.

Hyundai shows off six custom creations in Vegas

Hyundai rolled in to SEMA this year with an array of six customized vehicles. And while it previewed several members of that lineup in the run up to the tuner expo, it has now brought them all together under one roof – namely that of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The fleet consists of three custom creations based on the Tucson crossover, two on the Genesis Coupe, and one on the Veloster. The Tucson lineup includes one by Bisimoto, another by John Pangilinan, and a third by Rockstar Performance Garage. In typical style, Bisimoto cranked the crossover up past 700 horsepower, thanks to a high-boost turbocharger running on flex fuel. Pangilinan crafted his JP Edition Tuscon for off-road adventure with a pop-up tent on the roof, brush guards, and a lifted suspension. And Rockstar went with a Baja-style off-road competition approach with a massive 6-inch lift kit and 32-inch tires. The Genesis Coupes include one by ARK Performance and another by TJIN. The former is dubbed the Solus edition, adopting a dual focus on performance and luxury with a wide body kit, carbon-fiber trim and a supercharged V6 stroked out to 4.0 liters to produce over 500 horsepower. The TJIN edition also ups the output past 500 horses with a supercharger from Bisimoto, plus a free-flowing exhaust, intercooler, and blow-off valve. KW coilover suspension, custom body kit, and green paint job finish it off. Finally, there's the Veloster Turbo R-Spec done up by Blood Type Racing with a black paint job, red racing stripe, carbon-fiber wide-body kit, and a 1.6-liter turbo four boosted up to – you guessed it – over 500 hp. Check out five of them together (sans the Bisimoto) in the slideshow above, or each of the six in the individual galleries at bottom for a closer look - along with the details in the press release below. Related Video: HYUNDAI'S 2015 SEMA LINEUP FEATURES SIX VEHICLES BUILT BY THE INDUSTRY'S BEST TUNERS Concepts Based on 2016 Tucson, 2015 Genesis Coupe and 2015 Veloster Turbo R-Spec FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Nov. 3, 2015 – Once again, Hyundai has teamed up with some of the best vehicle tuners in the automotive community to deliver six concept vehicles for SEMA 2015. This year's builds feature three of Hyundai's all-new 2016 Tucson crossovers, two high-powered Genesis Coupes, and a Veloster Turbo R-Spec. Hyundai will be showcasing these creations at its SEMA display in Center Hall (booth #24387) at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Nov. 3-6, 2015.