Saif's 2009 Hyundai Genesis Coupé

It was after you moved to Dubai that you got into cars, wasn’t it? Yes, I was never really into cars until I moved back to Dubai from the UK, post-University. Like every other young man here, I wanted something flashy to drive. However, I had only one thing in mind — that I’d buy a car that I could easily work on as a project. What would make the perfect car for you? I’d take the finesse of BMW, the fit and finish of Audi, the heritage of Porsche, the legacy of Ferrari and the wildness of Lamborghini. Mash them all together and you might have the greatest set of wheels of all time! But do you have a dream car? From the current crop, I’d love an Aventador. It’s absolutely mega. Monstrous looks, a bomb of an engine and an interior to match. What a beauty. You’re not wrong, but you could do a lot worse than a Genesis Coupé. How long have you had this? Since late 2009 and it came fresh off the Hyundai dealership. It’s my baby. It was one of the first five sold in the UAE and was the centre of attention wherever it went, and rightfully so. You couldn’t wait to start working on it. What have you had done? It all started when I swapped out the original taillights with aftermarket LED tails. Next came a complete dual catback exhaust system from the US with dual resonators. Not only did it add a deeper tone to the car, but the quad Techno Blue tips gave it a neat touch. Next was the face. I never really liked the front of the car and I knew I had to get it changed from day one. When I first got my eyes on this aftermarket bumper, I just couldn’t wait to get it on my car. I had it shipped from the US and added my own touch with the black accents and the fogs. It looks evil. My car immediately went onto the vendor’s website as a show car advertising the bumper. Then came the spacers and the Injen Cold Air Intake, which deepened the exhaust note some more. The last bit of work done was the black foil on the roof, side mirrors and the spoiler to add to the sinister look. You’ve sure been busy with it. But, why did you remove all the badging? I’ve been asked this so many times and it always makes me smile. It was simply to keep onlookers guessing. It’s amusing to see the reaction of people trying to guess the car. Eventually, they give up and have to ask me. The new badge still says Genesis Coupé — it’s just an aftermarket matte-black badge. Have you had any problems with those wheel spacers? Any plans on going wider? No problems and I don’t plan to go any wider either, I’m happy with the current look. When getting these spacers, I was very particular to get them flush to the wheel arches and asked around a bit before settling for the 20mm spacers all around. The interior has received a bit of a makeover too — you’ve got bucket seats in there. They must keep you secure when you’re carving up those corners? Absolutely. It jumps into a corner with the utmost urgency and these seats keep me tucked in place. It’s surprising how some manufacturers tend to ignore these seats in some high-performance saloons. What plans do you have in the future for it? I have a very long wish list. I’d love to drop the suspension with adjustable coilovers, CF bonnet and CF boot, anti-roll bar kit with strut and sway bars and perhaps LEDs for the headlights. For the interior, I’d like to get a DVD sat-nav system, which I’m currently sourcing. Let’s get to the oily bits — tell us about that 3.8-litre V6 and the six-speed gearbox… The engine is very eager and there is good power delivery over the complete rpm range. However, it gives you a kick in the head past 3,000rpm, while the six-speed tiptronic is quite responsive too. Has the performance improved after all the modifications? Quite honestly, I do not feel much difference after the exhaust setup. It perhaps has around 4bhp more on the exhaust and another three or four with the cold air intake, contrary to people claiming 20bhp gains with similar set-ups. But, it’s the exhaust note that sealed the deal for me. It’s like music to my ears every time I floor the throttle. Handling is surprisingly good but I reckon if I get round to doing the suspension, it will help it further. Were there any other cars that you were considering before buying this? It was a fight between the Ford Mustang GT and the Chevrolet Camaro, but this thing is something you can take home to your parents. There are always people coming up to me starting a conversation — wanting to know what car it is, if I’d like to sell it and they are usually left pleasantly shocked when they come to know it’s a Hyundai. It’s always a thumbs up from the likes of  the Mustang, Camaro and M3 drivers. I also had a gentleman mistaking it for an Aston Martin once. From gulfnews