Welcome to the Hooniverse News! As always, this is a weekly recap of the biggest stories in the automotive industry (or whatever wasn’t impacted by the coronavirus) without the fluff or bull. This week: Genesis reveals all on the stunning new G80, the GT350 is reportedly nearing the end of its run but will be replaced, and Mazda celebrates 100 years with special edition models, plus your automotive news for the week!

Genesis G80

Genesis revealed their all-new G80 luxury sedan in a digital world premiere this week, and as expected, it’s a looker with a lot to offer. It’s the third generation for the executive sedan and it’s probably the biggest updates it’s had yet.

The rework starts with the new family face which debuted on the GV80 SUV. Quad lamps at each end, a giant crest grille up front, and a big “Parabolic Line” down the side are the key styling features on a Genesis these days. The G80 has a long and sleek profile that’s complete with a tapered sloping decklid to give it a fastback look. It has a generous amount of chrome trim finishers all around but there’s not an unnecessary amount of it. It rides on wheels up to 20″ in size.

Genesis has also completely reworked the interior to become a true standout in the class, not least because of the blue leather option. The design of the dash is sort of split into a panoramic area and a control area down below the wood trim. Buttons have been reduced to the bare essentials and the 14.5″ infotainment screen is the only thing breaking up the upper panoramic area. The driver reads from a 12.3″ digital gauge cluster as well. Interior space grows in every dimension.

A plethora of new tech/luxury features is offered here. New safety systems include but aren’t limited to “Smart Cruise Control with Machine Learning”, enhanced Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, and an updated Highway Driving Assist. Other tech features such as Remote Smart Parking Assistant, a valet mode that hides personal information from the infotainment system, integration with your smart speaker stuff, and Genesis’s awesome augmented-reality-assisted navigation. The car is also loaded with luxury features like a driver’s seat with seven air cells for adjustments with a stretching mode to reduce fatigue and automatic posture correction functions, ambient mood lighting, and an automatic twin-filter air purification system.

Serious improvements have also been made to the powertrain and chassis. Three new (to the G80) engines will be available at launch in various markets: a 305-hp 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as the new base engine, a 380-hp 3.5-liter turbocharged V6, and a 210-hp 2.2-liter diesel four-cylinder. The 5.0-liter V8 from the last car doesn’t seem to be coming back. The platform it rides on is the latest and greatest from Genesis with a design that lowers the body and center of gravity to secure a wider cabin and improved driving stability. The body itself is also made with more aluminum, about 19% of the body in total, and reduces weight by 275 pounds over the last G80.

Prices have not been revealed yet but it’s already on sale in South Korea. European and American launches commence later this year.

[Source: Genesis]

Report: GT350 to be replaced by Mach 1

According to internal VIN decoder document obtained by Speedtwitch, the mighty Shelby GT350 won’t be returning for 2021. However, something new will be taking its place in the form of another historic comeback. The name Mach 1 is on the document instead. Some kind of GT-based sports car that has been though to be the Mach 1 has been seen running around Detroit by spy photographers whose photos are too expensive for us, so seeing it on this document now just makes it a bit more real.

It’s too early to tell what the Mach 1 will launch with, but I would expect it to build off of the GT Performance Package Level 2, not least because some spy shots have shown it rolling on the same wheels. The easy/lazy Mach 1 would be a Mustang GT PP2 with a Bullitt engine, so you’d have incredible handling that’s just a step below the GT350’s in addition to 480 hp. But I think Ford would need to do something a bit more special than that if they’re replacing the GT350 with it. They’ve worked wonders on the S550 platform though so I have faith. I’ll be following this story closely.

[Source: Speedtwitch via Autoweek]

Mazda celebrates centennial with special edition models

Mazda is celebrating their 100th anniversary as a company this year and are doing so with a special edition model for the entire lineup. The 100th Anniversary Special Edition models are fairly simple and take inspiration from their first passenger car, the 1960 R360 Coupe.

Each commemorative model is painted exclusively in Snowflake White Pearl Mica and accented by red styling features throughout the vehicle. A minimalist “100 Years 1920-2020” badge adorns the front fenders and the wheel center caps. Inside, red leather seats and red carpet perfectly complement the white paint and mimic the two-tone R360 Coupe as well. There’s also embroidery on the headrests and a special key fob and box to come with it.

Pricing and US availability details haven’t been revealed yet – Mazda cites the ongoing pandemic as the reason for the delay. We will most likely get the full range of the 100th Anniversary Special Editions here at some point this year.

What’s your automotive news?

That’s all I’ve got for you this week, so now it’s your turn. If you saw anything, fixed something, broke everything, or otherwise did anything even remotely car related that you want to share with your fellow hoon, sound off in the comments.

Have a good weekend.