There's a new fake 'luxury brand' invented just a couple of years ago by the automotive K-Mart of Korea. I don't mean Hyundai any sort of insult by that!
[Yeah, right. Sounds like a compliment, Cammisa.] This is a brand that built its reputation on being cheap — cheap but good. Gestures: Buzz off, peasant. That is the opposite of "prestige." Prestige comes from demonstrating quality — or at least, creating the perception of quality. Lexus was once also a fake brand. It came straight from the imagination of Toyota's marketers. But Lexus's flagship product wasn't just full of 'perceived' quality... ...it was so overflowing with actual, enduring quality that that (LS400) instantly became a legend. [A Legend? Isn't that an Acura?] Sorry, Acura. Over the last 30 years, Lexus quality has been unwavering. ...but lately, there's a little something missing. And that little something is one step up the success ladder: it's desirability. And in 2022, nobody has desirability pegged like Genesis.
[Says who? JD Power. Just one point behind first-place Porsche.] Oh, and by the way, the entire playing field is about to change. Big time! Can we get an AMEN for this opening sequence? Big Bang, Kids; Big Bang. #genesis #beginning Genesis is a sparkling-new luxury brand. A great name meaning, "start," that, itself, had a stumbly start. First, with a big sedan called the Hyundai Genesis. And then, a little coupe called the "Hyundai Genesis." Genesis was supposed to be its own brand, but the company got cold feet during the Great Recession. It would be another decade before Genesis was finally allowed to stand on its own — and when it did, all of its cars got "G-something" names with numbers that are as confusing as they are copycat. Here we are just ten years later talking about the brand Genesis on a show called "ICONS." Why now? Well, look: Hyundai has had great cars here
and there throughout the years, but lately it's all just gelling. And the entire Genesis lineup is amazing. Buyers have noticed. Year-to-date, Acura sales are down by 50%. Infiniti, down by 41%. Lexus down by 26%. Volvo down by 24%. Even Mercedes and BMW are down. In fact, all of the "top-selling" brands are down — except Genesis. And Genesis isn't up just a little bit — it's up by almost a quarter! And why, oh why, do you think that is? APPEAL! ...and that was all before the G90 came out! Hello, beautiful! There is absolutely no mistaking the Genesis G90 as anything but a luxury car. It has the elegant proportions, the intricate detailing, the imposing size, and the overall look of, well... I wanted to say a Mercedes S-Class, but it's actually a lot more Bentley. It's available, like the S-class, with a suspension that looks forward at the road ahead. [Dramatization!]
It uses a camera. If it sees a bump coming, it can raise the front end of the car by a half an inch right before impact, so you have some additional suspension travel. Or if the road is really bumpy, it just raises the whole car by an inch. (Guess that means G90s in NYC will look like Allroads, huh?) It has a 26-speaker Bang + Olufsen sound system, run by an amplifier rated at 1400 watts. Oh and then there's another amplifier that's rated at 300 watts, for 3D Sound. The sound system is used to actively cancel noise from the outside. [Random selection of Cardi B "music"] Which means this car has more than 2 hp assigned to do nothing...
but just remove people from your existence. It is stunningly quiet in this cabin. In fact, it's stunning in this cabin, all of which leads me to ask the question, "how
the hell did Hyundai get here this quickly?" aaaand why do I keep forgetting to turn the massaged-seats on? Hyundai's big differentiator has been people. In 2015, the company hired Albert Biermann, the hero who had spent 31 years making BMW's M-cars some of the best driver's cars on the planet. [Mmm E46 M3 ZCP drift] Hyundai brought in Luc Donckerwolke, the design director from Bentley. Manfred Fitzgerald became the CEO of Genesis after spending 12 years ensuring Lamborghini remained the world's wowiest brand. This wasn't a new strategy for Hyundai — it's
exactly the same thing Hyundai did when it arrived in America in the 1980s. Hyundai called on the experts. [Randy Pobst]
Oh my God, this thing is a pile of shi... [Period 1990s Viper Alarm] [Jason]
Get in. [Randy]
I'm not vaccinated.
(Yes, he is. Very much so.) [Jason]
(coughs in Randy's face)
(Good thing Randy's vaccinated, eh?) [Jason]
Nope, no no no. That door doesn't really work so much. [Randy]
Okay. Oh my God it smells like teen spirit in here! [Jason]
That is not teen spirit. [Randy]
You know what? The interior is not bad! [Jason]
Don't get caught on the guillotine belts — but look I can close the door! [Jason]
Seat belts for safety! [Randy]
I don't even have one... I'm gonna be all right. [Jason]
Hold on - just put that right there... I'll hold it. [Randy]
So, the hood's not actually on the safety catch — that's just where it is? [Jason]
Is it actually moving? [Randy]
Yeah, it's moving! Everything's moving! [Randy]
Does this door not open? So, like, if it catches fire we both have to go out that one? [Jason]
It sort of doesn't open and then also sort of doesn't close. [Randy]
This is all great — but what is it? I didn't even look. [Jason]
This is a Hyundai Excel! Remember these? [Randy]
(Gasps) Wooowwww! I thought they were all gone! [Jason]
Yeah, well, I found one! [And wow, Cammisa, what a beauty it is...] [Jason]
The 1986 Excel was the first Hyundai sold in America. [Randy]
I was alive in 1986. [Jason]
We may not be alive in 6 minutes. [Randy]
Easy! Easy there, Jason! Jeez! [4K footage of two mature gentlemen laughing in the face of their narrowly avoided death.] [Jason]
Listen — the frame is so bent you can hear the wind noise start! [Randy, scared to the point of involuntary defecation]
Oh. [Jason]
Here's the thing: in 1986, Hyundai was only 10 years old — Hyundai as a company. So, this was all proven Mitsubishi components (produced under license by Hyundai.) The original Excel was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro! [Randy]
Wow! [Jason]
And then, when Hyundai set up shop in America, they brought in all seasoned veterans from Toyota and Ford and, like, British Leyland and stuff. So the company was brand new, but all the players weren't. [Randy]
And this is the the best that they could do? [Jason Thought Bubble]
Gosh, he's hard to please. Better not tell him I bought this car. [Jason]
It got really good reviews, and here's why: because Hyundai's mission was crystal clear. They were going to make a decent car at a bargain price. And by the way, this is a second-gen this is a '94. It was even better! [Randy]
They had two generations? [Jason]
Yeah! This has fuel injection! Randy, it's fast. [Randy]
It's fast? [Jason]
Yeah. [Randy]
I'm a little skeptical. [Jason]
Well, I think it's almost as fast as the new G90. [Randy]
Are you on crack? [Jason]
In 3... 2... hold on, air-conditioning off... 2... 1... GO! [Randy]
Okay, now floor it. [Jason]
Okay, no, I am floored! Oh no, there he goes... [Randy]
Whaaaaaaatt??! [Jason]
It's ridiculous! [This is a 100% real drag race.] 2023 Genesis G90: 0-60: 8.4s (reverse), no brake-torque or weather-correction.
1994 Hyundai Excel 0-60: 15.1s (same conditions, 2 passengers.) [Randy]
Holy cow! How fast are we going? [Jason]
60, 61, 62 mph... come on! We're in third gear now... 63! I mean.. 2023 Genesis G90 1/4-mile (in reverse): 18.0 @ 66 mph
1994 Hyundai Excel (2 passengers): 19.8 @ 66 mph [Randy]
That car is amazingly fast, backwards! [Jason]
But this was almost as fast, forward! [Randy]
It still smells like teen spirit in here. Randy I bring this Excel here not to make fun of it. But today, we use Lexus and Genesis in the same sentence. In 1994, when Hyundai was making this, Lexus was making that. [EXTREME DANGER STAY BEHIND YELLOW PIT WALL] WHAT. THE. F***? [Randy]
Dang, Jason! ...an original Lexus LS400! [Jason]
I know! These are both 1994s! [Randy]
Hey, this is just like those commercials they had! They had one of these on a dyno at 150 mph, with wine glasses stacked, that didn't move! [Jason]
Exactly — this is running! [Randy]
Whuuut? [Jason]
Yeah, you want me to rev it? [Randy]
Yeah, yeah, yeah! Rev it! Can you make 150? Man! Hey, let's try that on the Hyundai! The Lexus LS400 did far more than just balance champagne glasses. This car reshuffled the entire world order of the luxury car. To wit, it made its debut in Germany on the Autobahn — but the German media was not invited. That was an all-out declaration of war against the traditional luxury brands. This car was and is spectacular. It is a better car, in almost every measure, than the (W126) Mercedes S-Class was. And since it cost only half as much, it forced Mercedes not only to make a better S-Class, but to completely change the way the company did business. No longer did the engineers have free rein over the accountants. The whole concept of cost-no-object engineering died the minute this car was born. This wasn't just a commercial. This was an actual stunt that happened. And it was responsible for Mercedes' late-1990s and early-2000s Dark Era. Mercedes eventually pulled back ahead (after the miserable W220 pictured here) and so the original LS was the only time a Lexus truly challenged the S-Class in technical superiority. But the LS400 wasn't a one-time hit. Lexus has never wavered in its, to borrow a phrase, Relentless Pursuit of Perfection. Don't forget Acura and Infiniti popped up at the same time as Lexus did. And although each of those luxury brands has had its moment, those moments have proven to be fleeting. The crazy thing about this generation of LS is just how sporty it is — and this LS500h is the hybrid! This thing genuinely hauls ass in the corners! It's got huge grip. Absolutely perfect body control. And the whole car just shrinks right around you. Man! Kudos to Lexus's engineers for doing this right! ...but that's not the purpose of this car. That's not to say the LS doesn't have its positive qualities. If not for the Genesis, you'd be wooed by its Art Deco interior. But compared to the G90 and the Mercedes S-Class, the current Lexus LS is a size smaller and a big notch less special inside than it should be. There's just something missing. That Bentley-Factor. Sex appeal. Don't forget who's been working on this car: Bentley design folks! ...and so this G90 nails that X-Factor. Look at this interior — not just the design, but the materials, the textures, and the finishes. It's spectacular — and it's not just a pretty face, so-to-speak. It's chock full of tech features that are really cool. I know those self-closing doors (that don't fall off) seem like a gimmick but trust me, once you live with them, you kind of miss them when they're gone. And it has UV-C lights over here that will automatically kill diseases on your phone, like Herpasygonasyphilaids. You just place your phone in there, close it, and you're cured! Also, it has little touches like fingerprint sensors that let you start the car without a key. All of this just tells the industry: Genesis is paying attention. But there are problems. Three major groups of them. Firstly, I would be willing to bet that Albert Biermann had absolutely nothing to do with the chassis tuning of this car, because it's kind of a mess. For example, at low speeds like in parking lots, it has rear active steering that turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to shrink the turning radius. However this happens so violently and out-of-phase that it made everyone who rode in this car sick. Not off to a good start. The second big problem: the person or people
responsible for programming the safety nannies in this car have never driven a car. Or perhaps never been in a moving vehicle. That would be pretty scary, right? Well that's exactly how this thing acts. It's constantly beeping, pulling the seat belt, slamming on the brakes. [Dramatization for TV. In the real world, this happens when you're not actually accelerating toward a slowpoke in a LS500h.] Thank you for protecting me. The third group of problems concerns the powertrain. If you drive this like a limo driver, well, it's all just fine. It's smooth and it's quiet. But the second you start to push it, the transmission gets rough and clunks. And that engine... Well it just turns into a V-6. A V-6 is not a suitable replacement for a straight-6 or a V-8 or a V-12, which is what you expect in a luxury car. This one has a 48-volt electric supercharger that is supposed to step in and mask the turbo lag (the V-6 has two turbos.) Even if you lock it into a low gear at high revs and floor it, it's still eons before the boost finally hits. That's because, to help you be a smoother driver, the V-6 is calibrated for a slow ramp in power no matter how quickly you mat the pedal. So putting that e-supercharger on it seems like a waste. Though it makes 409 hp, this thing weighs 5200 pounds. Both of these cars have high voltage Band-Aids on bullet wounds inflicted by stepping down from the V-8s that they should have had. Why not just go electric? [Yes, the GV60 is *that* much quicker.] For the majority of Automotive History, the primary differentiator has been the engine. The difference between an amazing engine and a mediocre one is, by itself, enough to turn a great car into a legend.
(Sorry, Acura.) ...or to render an entire car forgettable, no matter how good the rest of it is. That differentiator is going away. And our first taste of Genesis, post-differentiator, is the electric GV60. The biggest differentiator between one car's powertrain and another's, other than horsepower, will be what noise it plays through the stereo speakers under acceleration. This car lets you choose what you hear. That's the point. The powertrain playing field is about to be leveled. Once we go electric, there will really be no difference between a Kia and a Rolls-Royce, or a Genesis and a Bentley. So what becomes important is, style. This thing is distinctive and new and different — inside and out. Spend two seconds in a GV60, and you'll never call the Tesla Model Y a luxury car again. or, for that matter, any of the other cars it competes against. Here's what the GV60 is that no other offering, from any other traditional automaker, is: (at least, yet) A high-style, truly desirable vehicle in the body-style that people want the most. With some added X-Factor thrown in, for the win. In just a few short years, Genesis has gone from a single model to a full lineup of unexpectedly desirable cars. ...and the new G90 is Genesis' LS400 Moment. It doesn't quite unseat the Mercedes S-Class, but the G90 does brush today's Lexus LS aside. In other words, Genesis has out-Lexus'ed Lexus. [150 mph on a dyno? Ha! Child's Play!] [BONUS BLOOPER!] [DIRECTOR]
And 3-2-1.... action! [The door glass shattered here, rendering Cammisa hysterical.] [Randy]
Dang, Jason! An original LS400! [Jason, trying to contain laughter]
I know. <snort> It's a beauty. [Randy]
Look it's just like those commercials they had where they put one of these on a dyno at 150 mph [Jason gestures at the broken glass, "WTF" in Italian.] [Randy]
and it was just [Randy gestures to the glasses exactly as a wind gust knocks them over.]
Smooth as silk! [Cammisa completely loses it.] [Randy]
Ad-lib: "This one's got a few miles on it, though." [Jason]
It's running right now. (Barely understandble.) [Randy, still somehow holding it together]
It is running? [Jason, in Mickey Mouse-voice hysterics.]
I'm gonna git the gas, yeah. [Randy]
See if you can knock any more down! Aww, look. I think it was the wind. [Jason]
Yeah, whatever. [Randy]
Let's try that on the Hyundai. [Jason]
Good idea. [Jason]
Hysterical laughter in a pitch higher than the Hyundai's belt squeal. I think I'm gonna throw up. [Randy]
I don't think we're going to get a second take on this one, guys.
