We haven’t featured much from Hyundai in the magazine, but it’s been for good reason. For years, they’ve put out lackluster cars like the Tiburon and Accel, which the company probably wishes they could erase from history. Times change and so has our perception of the Korean carmaker. They produce baller luxury sedans like the Equus and a sexy sports coupe everybody now knows as the Genesis.
The car’s a stud in stock form offered in a rear-wheel drive platform with two engine options to choose from—the turbo four-cylinder or bossy V6—plus it comes with an unbeatable Hyundai warranty. But the Genesis wasn’t an overnight star in the tuning community. However, after three years in dealerships, we’ve now been starting to see more tuned models come into the spotlight such as Jon Jon Macapagal’s ’10 example.
As a member of the Air Force, Jon Jon’s lived all over the place such as Florida (hence the plates), NorCal and pretty soon he’ll be on his way to Hawaii. He needed a comfortable car that could take his family and friends around but also give him some fun on the open road. So with that in mind, he opted for the Genesis 3.8 Track Edition. The coupe came with all the bells and whistles—300+hp V6, Brembo brakes, quick-shifting six-speed auto, leather interior, upgraded sound system, etc. From there, the journey began towards creating one of the sickest Genesis in the States with the best stance and looks.
After slamming the chassis with Stance GR+ coilovers, Jon Jon
picked up a set of Lusso Forged wheels in massive 20x9.5/10.5" sizes to sit perfectly flush with the fenders. Next, he went a little wild with the exterior. While the aftermarket support for the Genesis is still in its infant stage compared to the likes of a Honda or Nissan, he was able to lock down a Cuper Styling front bumper and Sequence side skirts from Korea. He added a carbon rear diffuser to go with the Magnaflow exhaust. For some more subtleties, the headlights were switched out to HID projectors with built-in LED daytime-running lights while the tails were updated to ’13-spec. A carbon trunk and spoiler finished the job.
The color on Jon Jon’s ride isn’t any ordinary color. Originally red, he decided to change it to something fresh—hence the dark teal metallic that’s stunning. It’s also hard to believe it comes from the Saturn color palette! TNT Autobody was responsible for the flawless repaint and even executed a slick ghost paint job on the trunk—you can’t see the carbon from afar but get up close and personal and it’s revealed.
The rest of the car is basically bone stock. These 3.8-liter Genesis are awesome to drive from the factory and without going overboard Jon Jon’s put together a unique whip that catches your eye just as much as a tastefully-modified 370Z, 3-Series or any other sporty coupe. You can forget the old stereotype of Hyundai because the Genesis represents something that’s attractive, affordable and has plenty of potential for enthusiasts like Jon Jon.