Hyundai steps in the ring for Porsche, ready to take on Mini

Sorry Porsche, you had your chance, now it’s Hyundai’s turn. The Korean automaker has just stepped up to stand in for Porsche, offering to take on Mini at Road Atlanta.

Hyundai has released a trash-talking video to Mini USA head Jim McDowell that says they are eager to bring the Genesis Coupe to Atlanta raceway next month. The race won’t take place in June like Mini planned because Hyundai racing driver Rhys Millen is getting ready to climb a mountain, so the Korean automaker is proposing a race in July.

As Hyundai spokesman Dan Bedore tells Autoblog, "Since we launched the Genesis Coupe, we’ve always said that we’ll take on all-comers when it comes to comparison tests. And we’ve had some experience on the racetrack at Road Atlanta. We’d be happy to meet Mini on the race track."

This is an interesting move by Hyundai, who is taking the blow for Porsche and that takes some serious…you know. Having driven the Genesis Coupe we have to hope it’s the manual because the automatic is seriously flawed.

So, will Mini step up to the challenge? An all out race between a Mini Cooper S and the Hyundai Genesis Coupe sounds pretty good to us.

Video after the jump.