Forget snail-slow rock-crawling, the two Santa Fe SUVs Hyundai plans to bring to the SEMA show early next month are all about performance.
The Korean carmaker has become a regular at the annual Las Vegas event, and the two Santa Fe utes are likely to be joined by several other Hyundai models to muscle up for the show – which has traditional put a premium on performance.
Hyundai first pulled the wraps off a 1,040-horsepower Santa Fe developed by tuner and frequent SEMA partner Bisimoto. Now, it is lifting the covers on a ute tuned by the Rockstar Performance Garage, and while not quite as powerful, it still had enough under the hood to muscle its way around any on- or off-road environment.
It starts out with the stock 3.3-liter Hyundai Lambda V-6. The engine gets extensively reworked, however, with a new crossover, an AEM cold air intake, a Mishimoto cooling system and, for more than just giggles, a nitrous oxide injection system. On the downstream side of the powertrain, there’s a Magnaflow exhaust to reduce backpressure.
Now, add 17-inch bead-lock wheels shod in 35-inch off-road tires, R1 heavy-duty brakes, and a modified coilover front suspension.
The package is completed with extensive bodywork makeovers, including custom bumpers and rock sliders, roof lighting, and a Warn winch. Passengers also get a new leather interior update and Kicker audio.
“Our Rockstar Santa Fe Concept is simultaneously all-show and all-go, a non-compromising concept with tremendous capabilities and a confident demeanor to match,” boasts Nick Ashby, lead developer of the Rockstar concept vehicle.
Bisimoto’s take on the popular SUV, dubbed Santa-Fast, doesn’t make any pretenses about heading off-road, though this 1,040-hp crossover is clearly designed to leave everyone else in its dust.
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Power comes from a flex-fuel 3.8-liter V8 that is definitely not stock. Among other modifications, it gets Bisimoto’s own custom twin-turbo kit and intercooler, new forged pistons, steel rods, modified camsharts and more.
The stock transmission, meanwhile, has been swapped out for reinforced six-speed manual lifted from the Hyundai Genesis R-Spec. Add a beefed-up clutch and aluminum flywheel, as well as a rear differential yanked out of the big Equus sedan.
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The suspension also gets the coilover treatment, with performance 19-inch wheels shod in Toyo R888 tires. Upgraded Buddy Club four-piston calipers are there to scrub off speed.
“Bisimoto takes pleasure in making any vehicle fun to drive, even a larger SUV,” said Bisi Ezerioha, owner of Bisimoto. “Our Santa-Fast SUV is a proof-of-concept vehicle with driving capabilities that our customers can count on every day they turn the key.”
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The annual gathering of the Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association – the SEMA show – will open its doors on November 1. Normally closed to the general public, SEMA launched a follow-up fanboy event that will be repeated this year at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
