The G70 came to mind because I actually replaced my G37xS sedan with a 2022 G70 3.3T AWD Sport Prestige, and it's been a fantastic vehicle so far. That said, in this trim it's about $20k over the Elantra, so not even in the same ballpark.

 

Yes, I think this will be an excellent performance value and I cannot wait to drive it and compare it to the new GTI. The Veloster N was a fun driving car too, but a little too boy racer for me. Watching the release of this car makes me think they spent even more time on refining the handling, braking, and performance. Time will tell if they got it right. I'm not a huge fan of FWD, but if it's done right, this car should put a big smile on your face.

 

Watch this race, the results between from a dig and from a roll are outrageous because of how traction limited the K5 is. I don't see adding a limited slip differential making THAT much of a difference in this package, at least not in a straight line. K5 GT vs Elantra N would be an entertaining race!

 

Sorry, can't watch that idiot. Reminds me of a child who never grew up.

 

Haha, I think Sam's enthusiasm is pretty comical. He also puts together some of the best drag races of cars that are actually attainable by most people.

 

^^There's just some youtube personalities I can't stand. He's one of them. Linus (httpx://www.youtube.com/user/LinusTechTips/videos) is another. As a techie, used to be able to tolerate him but not any more.
Lately, when it comes to cars, seems alex on autos (https://www.youtube.com/c/alexonautos/videos) has some very in-depth reviews on cars IMO.

 

Agreed, Alex is a solid resource.

 

You, sir, are spot on the money. I sold my G37xS sedan and got into a 2022 G70 3.3T AWD Sport Prestige . . . it does everything the G37 did, just a LOT better. (for 10 years newer, it better) I test drove the G70, the 2022 Kia Stinger GT2 Scorpion Edition, and a CPO 2019 Audi S5 Sportback. The Audi drove wonderfully, but it had 29k miles on it and was well behind on tech features and warranty, so it was down to the Stinger and the G70. The G70 provided a noticeably sharper diving experience and I preferred its styling, but cost was the real punch line. The fully loaded G70 came in at $53,500 after manufacturer discount, and the Stinger was a mind blowing $60,350 after dealer markup. (seriously)

Here they are together before the G37's sendoff:

 

^^What do you think attributed to the difference in handling between the g70/stinger? Tires, weight? Stinger markup seems to be a crapshoot depending on dealer. Some are adding thousands, others still selling below msrp.

Externally, the one on the right still wins. The G styling was way ahead of its time and still is IMO today.

 

200 pounds less and a shorter wheelbase are probably the primary factors, but there may also be minor differences in the sway bars or suspension tuning, as they both had the electronically controlled suspension option.

As far as the styling, boy, I couldn't disagree more. 15 years ago the styling was certainly ahead of the time, but by 2013, even Infiniti realized that it was time for a complete face lift, and I think the 2014 Q50 was a significant styling improvement. The G37 is still a handsome sedan, but side by side, it's clearly from a past decade.

 

Hmm... Here's a 2021 q50 vs 2013 g37s. Looking at both back and forth, I think it's the front end which kills it for me on the q50. G37 is just smooth flowing lines all over. The Q50 is sharper angles (and not in a good way). How did I end up with the stinger.......? Mechanically it's similar (more or less) in performance to the g37. Visually I can't wrap my head around these huge grills. In terms of infotainment tech, it's way ahead of the g37. Perfect match would be the g37 driveline with a modern infotainment system.

Re: past decade, maybe it's an age thing... I'm from the last century

 

Here's a few more drool pics for Jsolo Keep in mind I'm still planning to get a spoiler and an OEM front lip to complete my exterior mods.

Perfect proportions

Sporty stance

Muscular yet smooth curves

 

Haha, yeah, I'm from WELL back in the past century as well, thanks for the reminder.

If you can't get past big grills, your options from the past 5-8 years is pretty limited. The automotive trend in general the past 10 years has been towards big grills and clean cut lines. Personally, I like the front end of the Q50, it's well executed and rather menacing looking, particularly the Red Sport models. I would have given the Red Sport a serious look if they had improved the transmission, suspension, and technology features as much as the upgrade from the VQ37VHR to the VR30DDTT. Most of the modern twin turbo V6 engines are pretty stout off the showroom floor, and tuning potential is nothing short of outstanding, but the engine is just about all that the Q50 RS has going for it, unlike the G70 and the Stinger.

It's sad that Kia is killing off the Stinger in a few months, but considering they sell the Telluride and the Carnival at a rate of 9-1 compared to the Stinger, I understand the move. I'll be curious to see if the Lambda II 3.3 T-GDi makes it into the Telluride (perfect MDX Type-S competition) or the K5 GT gets offered with AWD after the Stinger is gone. The K5 GT with AWD would take a monster bite out of that limited market segment and punch well above its price point. Just out of curiosity, which model Stinger did you buy?

 

Say what? They're discontinuing the Stinger already? Does that mean it's going to become a rare collectible in the future?

On another note, I'm very curious how the new Acura Integra Type-S will perform. I don't think the details have emerged on it yet, but they're assuming it may inherit the CTR motor which would be really sweet. The standard Integra is getting the Civic's 1.5T though.

 

Yes, production will end during the second quarter of 2022. I heard that the Stinger factory is being converted to make the Carnival.