The Genesis of Betraying Expectations: When RXGT Meets COTW
I'm going to make one thing clear in the very first sentence of this review: I don't even feel remotely qualified to talk about Group B, its history, rallying in general, and the game's physics on dirt tracks. But, I can't exactly go around bugging people to write reviews if I start slacking off, and besides, this gorgeous HYUNDAI WRC 2019 press livery by monde_fenrir made me shoot the car before I realised it, and since I had the photos, I figure, you know... I might as well write something. Besides, the Genesis Gr. B rally car gives me a chance to bash you over the head with unsolicited, uninformed opinions about the Genesis road car, and the brand in general. What else is the internet for, if not unsolicited porn and opinions?
As the sole representative of Korean carmakers in Gran Turismo Sport, Hyundai is symbolic and indicative of how criminally underappreciated the country's automotive advancements are digitally. For some context, they've been in the game since launch, and didn't even get a single new car since then! The Genesis Gr. 4 and Gr. 3 racing cars have never been "meta", or even been bad enough to gain any notoriety. For crying out loud, there aren't even any Korean Scape locations in the game!
(Not) Pictured: An Actual Hyundai N Car
And what a shame it is, because Hyundai has been on fire in the real world, offering performance rivaling those of established German brands at a fraction of the cost, with none of the awful elitism and well earned prejudices against their drivers said brands bring. With the establishment of their "N" division, I hesitate to even consider them an underdog; they're legitimate competition to established brands, from Japanese econoboxes to German luxury, and I just find it criminal that a brand that has made such consistently big strides is so neglected in Sport, and, if I'm to be brutally honest, a little bit miffed that it got the dubious distinction of "Beater of the Year 2018" here in COTW, because I don't think the Genesis was all that bad.
While Gran Turismo Sport's numerous game updates didn't bring us any new Korean content, it has brought along many physics tweaks. And those I think have ironed out most, if not all of the faults of the Genesis, because I really struggle to find any major issues with it. The shortened silhouette of the 2 door coupé barely shrouds the top of the line 3.8L V6 engine and its burly soundtrack. Naturally aspirated and sending 343HP (256kW) to the rear wheels through a 2 door chassis via a proper 6 speed stick, it ticks all the right petrolhead boxes. Despite the concessions of sharing a platform with a 4 door sedan like the R34 GT-R and E46 M3, the Genesis I find is a similarly well balanced machine to dance with at its limits. The suspension may be way too soft for those looking for a GT3 RS-esque hardcore track experience, but it absorbs and smooths out bumps and other road imperfections astonishingly well to create a drama free drive, while clearly abstaining from being sloppy — again, just like the R34 and E46. It's wonderfully cooperative under trail braking, with strikingly linear response when called into action by either the steering wheel and brake pedal, allowing the driver to stay right at the crystal clear edges of the friction circle in this car. The rear end will rarely, if ever, peek out under braking, and on corner exits, it will similarly provide a drama free, calm, composed, and linear acceleration out of any corner, but if you want to get busy with the steering wheel without making a phone call with the wheel mounted buttons, the Genesis is also one of the most surefooted machines to powerslide and drift. It has a wonderful sense of chassis rigidity and assuredness from the linearity and immediacy of a NA engine, which by the way has a healthy powerband, and loves to be revved nonetheless.
So, why doesn't this car get more love?
It's not perfect, obviously. The softer suspension and rather heavy mass of 1,557kg (3,433lbs) create a rather muted and insulated experience from the road, and as such, you aren't going to be coaxing anyone out of their Elises or Evos with this thing. Despite "only" being a 3.8L and "only" being a V6, it's still notably nose heavy, and you'll need to brake early and heel toe aggressively to get it to take corners properly, though it's a groove that I think is easy to find and fit into. It's... also rather slow, despite being the top of the line model. Even an E46 M3 ten years older than it would run circles around this thing, while being a lot more playful and engaging, and that's not exactly the Rey Mysterio of the car world either. But I think the main problem the Genesis has is its brand image. A BMW or a Merc proclaims a level of affluence for its driver. A certain sense of class. When you buy a Japanese sports car, you're such a hardcore track aficionado. You're such a nerd. You're such a man of culture. But what does buying a Hyundai say about you? That you're cheap? That you recognise the value in value for money? That you're a hipster, perhaps? It's not exactly "swag", and I think we all want a certain level of that in our sports cars, via whichever means.
Would I buy one if I had the means to? Hell nah. To me, Korean cars are all over stylised, just like their pop. Have you seen the latest Avante? It looks like a sedan Lamborghini would design if you added its badge and their patented arrow lights at the back of it. The Veloster is as puke inducing as a Juke to look at, and even the Stinger can't escape the need for frivolous, disingenuine aesthetics like fake vents. The Genesis is a bit too loud stylistically for me. It has a shouty, "look at me! I am serious! Take me seriously!" tantrum-like aura all Korean cars seem to exude, and I don't really like that. It feels a little insecure about itself and its image. Have you seen all the different badges Kia and Hyundai have thrown around, because they know their badges have no "swag"? The Genesis badge, the Forte Koup badge. They're literally saying that a badge no one recognises has more credibility and "swag" than a Kia or a Hyundai badge. And that sucks. I don't want to be associated with that. Even if the cars might be good.
The Genesis doesn't excel in any single particular area, but what it does is perform well above average on several fronts, and the resulting package, especially for its price, makes it hard to objectively dismiss. It might not have set my heart on fire, but I'd take it over a fat and sloppy Z32 or a 2 speed Plymouth any week of the year, no hesitation. Maybe if we put more respect and validation to their name, Korean carmakers would stop trying so hard to be taken seriously, find some real confidence, and in turn, come up with something that I would genuinely want and not have to explain to others, or make excuses for.
So how does this impressive all rounder translate over a dirt surface, where you have to do everything well?
Rallying in Gran Turismo Sport is as neglected as Hyundai as a whole, also having zero updates catered to it since launch. Fittingly I guess, I'm also an expert on neither. The loud and excessively fussy styling of the road car lends itself perfectly to a spunky, fire breathing racecar design, fully enjoying the complement of bombastic flares, vents, and rear wing, all of which assuredly functional. Group B can be accused of and for many things, but one thing no one can accuse Group B of is lack of power and the excitement it brings. The burly sounding V6 in the road car now produces 499HP (447kW), while somehow retaining its natural aspiration, which is shockingly rare for a Group B car, both fictional and real. In the rally car however, it sounds a lot more frantic and peppy, while fittingly retaining and enhancing the generous powerband of the road car, no doubt helped by the 1,000rpm redline hike to 8,500 accompanied by a close ratio sequential gearbox and the constant, dramatic whining of the straight cut gears. The car retains its wonderful balance from the road car, and on the default Racing Hard tyres and 40:60 F:R torque distribution, its handling is "vice free", as someone else is wont to say on this thread. Just like the road car on which it's based, the Genesis Gr. B Rally Car is a predictable, drama free, reliable machine to drive. Thumbs up from me. Just don't put street legal road tyres on it like those crazy people over at Rallycross GT.
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