So How Fast Is It?
After ripping off more than a few heel-and-toe downshifts on Glendora Mountain Road (GMR), we arrive at our test track, where the 2013 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 R-Spec hits 60 mph in 5.3 seconds (or 5.0 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) and completes the quarter-mile in 13.6 seconds at 104.1 mph.
Compare that to the last 3.8 R-Spec Coupe we tested, which ran a 5.9-second 0-60 (5.6 seconds with rollout) and a 14.3-second quarter-mile at 98.0 mph and cost $2 grand less.
Our 3.8 Genesis Coupe is also quicker than the V6 Mustang, which does zero to 60 in 5.6 seconds on its way to a 13.9-second quarter-mile at 101.2 mph, as well as the G37 coupe (5.7 seconds zero to 60, 13.9-second quarter-mile at 101.4 mph) and the IPL G coupe (5.8 seconds zero to 60, 14.0-second quarter-mile at 102.1 mph). And it's right in line with our long-term 370Z (5.3 seconds zero to 60, 13.6-second quarter-mile at 103.2 mph) and the Genesis 5.0 R-Spec sedan (5.3 seconds to 60, 13.5 at 105.2 mph).
Yet our 2013 3.8 R-Spec tester probably would have been even quicker if it weren't for the drivetrain protection measure that Hyundai continues to program into all manual-shift Genesis Coupes. Upshift at the marked 6,750-rpm redline and you get a momentary cut in power in the next gear. As in the past, the tachometer seems to lag behind the actual engine speed, so upshifting just before the redline will sometimes still trigger the power reduction. You can drive around this, but it's certainly an annoyance, and more demanding drivers won't put up with it.