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Automotive design goes deeper than styling. Scoops, vents, and inlets aren’t always just styling cues; they can be functional elements to improve performance. The automotive world’s most successful designers and engineers seem to agree. Before iconic cars can take shape, they need to have a clear purpose.
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That’s why, when brand-new contemporary luxury brand Genesis was ready to launch its first true sports sedan, it turned to history for guidance. Turning a refined car like the G80 into the 365-hp twin-turbocharged G80 Sport was no small feat; matching its form to function was a similarly taxing accomplishment.
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Compared to a G80 lineup composed of sedans designed to provide effortless comfort and performance, the G80 Sport needed to stand out. These subtle but important changes would ensure the car’s exterior and interior help reinforce the performance and ability the Sport name suggests. We spoke with the folks responsible for making it happen.
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Take a Second Look
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At first glance, the G80 Sport is identifiable as a member of the greater G80 family, but set apart enough to have a key visual persona of its own. Subtlety guided the distinctive look of the G80 Sport, according to Yuval Steiman, senior group manager for Genesis product strategy.
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“The mandate to those developing the G80 Sport was to maintain the core character of the G80 while adding aggressive, performance-oriented elements from both a design and engineering standpoint,” Steiman told us. “G80 Sport design elements are easily recognizable, but at the same time they are not [designed to be] garish or over the top.”
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Understated finesse of detail defines the differences between the G80 and G80 Sport models. Where some automakers overuse chrome and shiny finishes to draw attention to styling elements, Genesis chose to use muted and dark finishes to subtly differentiate the Sport from the rest of the G80 line. Hints of black and gray dominate exterior accents, from the wing mirrors to the effects on rear and side lighting. Even the LED headlamps, despite their family resemblance, are unique to the G80 Sport.
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“We felt there was an opportunity to elevate the performance attributes of G80 while also adding distinctively sporty and aggressive styling enhancements,” Steiman said.
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Copper-Bottomed Luxury
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The hue that acts as a motif inside and out on the G80 Sport is copper: an unexpected, warm choice for a signature accent.
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“The copper elements that are found throughout the vehicle—headlamps, wheel caps, seat stitching—provide a consistent design theme that differentiates the G80 Sport,” Steiman said.
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Look closely, and you’ll see brownish-orange hints hidden in and around the G80 Sport’s honeycomb grille. Copper also makes an appearance on the aforementioned center caps of the 19-inch wheels, which feature a darker finish for effect.
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Following suit, the G80 Sport’s interior is characterized by a restrained call for attention. Copper-colored stitching lines the passenger compartment, both on the seats and the steering wheel. Whispers of aluminum and carbon fiber add more than a modicum of elegant sophistication without feeling over-the-top.
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What’s Your Function?
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To bolster the case that the G80 Sport means business as a sports sedan, designers and engineers collaborated to showcase its most powerful and prominent features. Those attributes are led by the twin-turbocharged V-6—which offers performance comparable to a V-8, but with better efficiency while cruising—and supplemented by changes to the G80’s chassis. They’re upgrades that serious drivers will feel every time they settle in behind the wheel and assess the G80 Sport’s capabilities on their favorite roads.
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Functionally, as the G80 Sport was intended to stand out as Genesis’ first performance model, the balance of styling changes to dynamic improvements is harmonious. The individual elements that comprise the G80 Sport form more than just an appearance package. It creates a different character altogether.
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