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Hyundai beefs up HB20 R-Spec in Brazil

If you've been following the news from the Sao Paulo Motor Show, you'll likely have seen not only a series of new concept cars, but also a whole mess of production vehicles you never knew existed because they were developed specifically for the Latin American market. One of them is the Hyundai HB20.
Hyundai Brasil makes the HB20 in Sao Paulo for local consumption in three forms: there's the HB20 hatchback, HB20S sedan and HB20X crossover. It's the former which it has transformed into the R-Spec concept you see here.
Decked out in matte blue, the HB20 R-Spec concept packs an aggressively upgraded aero kit, extra cooling ducts, 17-inch alloys, LED headlights and an interior with leather trim and striped seats. Even if we don't know what's under the hood, it all looks pretty convincing, and makes us wish Hyundai would offer it Stateside as part of the Accent family with which it shares its underpinnings.

Hyundai's Santa Fe for SEMA has 1,040 hp and rear-wheel drive

Bisimoto, working with Hyundai, will not disappoint at SEMA this year. Continuing its tradition of absurdly powerful versions of ordinary cars, the company will show off a Santa Fe with 1,040 horsepower. Not only that, but this crossover, named "Santa-Fast," also sends that power through a six-speed manual to the rear. To create this monstrous machine, Bisimoto started with a normal 3.8-liter Hyundai V6. The company then completely rebuilt the engine with forged pistons, stronger connecting rods and more aggressive cams. After that came a pair of Turbonetics turbochargers that can reach a peak pressure of 39 psi. That's a lot of boost, and in turn a lot of power, so the computer limits boost in certain gears to help with traction and, you know, not totally destroying the tires. Connected to this engine is a mix of other Hyundai parts, starting with a six-speed manual transmission from a Genesis Coupe R-Spec. The power then goes back to a differential from a Hyundai Equus. This differential resides in a completely new, custom rear subframe built by Rothfab. The rest of the crossover is fairly standard SEMA fare. It gets a flashy livery, big Buddy Club brakes, Fifteen52 wheels, KW coil-over suspension, a roll cage and Momo racing seats. It's a solid looking package, and we can't wait to see more photos of this nutso build. That being said, Bisimoto's other project, a Hyundai-powered 911, could give this Santa Fe a run for its money. Related Video: Featured Gallery Bisimoto Hyundai Sante Fe: SEMA 2016 Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Aftermarket SEMA Show Hyundai Crossover hyundai santa fe bisimoto santa fe

Hyundai Kia asked to pay $28.9M in patent infringement case

After years of litigation, Hyundai and Kia have lost their hybrid technology patent infringement case against Paice LLC. The jury ordered the South Korean automakers to pay $28.9 million, but according to Bloomberg, because the violation was allegedly intentional, the judge could triple that amount. The automakers have announced plans to appeal the ruling. Paice's patent dates from 1994 on a piece of tech called the Hyperdrive, and it was a way to seamlessly switch between power from an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. This lawsuit was first filed in 2012 and covered the systems in the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Kia Optima Hybrid. According to Bloomberg, the companies tried to argue that the patent was no longer valid, but the strategy failed. "Hyundai strongly believes its position and will appeal any remaining adverse findings to the Federal Circuit," the company said in a statement to Autoblog. Paice is certainly no stranger to litigating over the Hyperdrive patent, though. It and Toyota had a similar court battle that lasted years. Eventually, there was a settlement, and the result was Paice getting royalties for each hybrid that the Japanese automaker sold. Similarly, there's a lawsuit pending against Ford over tech in the C-Max, Fusion, and Lincoln MKZ. Hyundai Statement: Hyundai believes that the verdict returned by the jury today in the matter of Paice v. Hyundai Motor Company et al., is not supported by the evidence. Accordingly, Hyundai has requested that the presiding judge enter a judgment in its favor notwithstanding the verdict. Hyundai strongly believes its position and will appeal any remaining adverse findings to the Federal Circuit.