Genesis Essentia Concept
Luc Donckerwolke once designed Lamborghinis, so you know he’s a sports car nut. Now he’s at Hyundai’s spin-off, Genesis, where he’s penned a two-plus-two-seat coupe, with design hat tips to everything from the original Ford GT40 to bubble-roofed GM concepts from the late 1950s. One thing those prior carmakers could only dream of, however, was electric propulsion. While the Essentia is just a concept, Genesis says its electric drive system would allow it to jet to 60 mph in three seconds flat. So while it’s a concept, the battery pack configuration here is still worth noting. Most brands say they’ll make all their future EVs with in-floor batteries, because that way they can ditch the central driveline tunnel. Genesis says this concept retains the tunnel, the advantage of which is roof height of barely four feet. The reason this car looks as sexy as it does is because it sits low and can cheat the wind as a result. If all future sports models sit as high as crossovers they’ll be dumpy looking and won’t handle well, no matter how low carmakers can plant the batteries. So Donckerwolke’s onto something here; here’s to hoping rivals, from his old bosses at Lamborghini to Porsche and every other carmaker, too, take note.
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