The tables were turned on me. This video was made for Genesis by Hearst’s branded content division for Road & Track and is basically an ad for the G80 Sport, starring me. Someone actually thought this was a good idea. A lot of people think the G80 Sport is a great car, too, but that doesn’t make it so.
Or maybe I’m wrong. I also don’t love the newest BMW M5, which I’ve driven quite a few more miles than I got to drive the G80 Sport. The M5 is perhaps the Elvis for all impersonator cars like this. It’s a hugely fast, shamelessly luxurious, outrageously expensive sedan with so many tiny, exact ways of being good at everything and being totally accommodating to everyone’s conceivable needs (or mean! I can be mean if you like! Please pull over and visit menu page 79) that I just don’t really care about it.
It seems Genesis is hoping people will think of the G80 Sport in the same Become-A-God-Among-Men way that people think of the M5, but for a lot less money. From that perspective, it’s a good effort. It’s comfy. It looks “upmarket”. The raw performance of the G80 Sport isn’t even in the same time zone as an M5, but most people will never need to know that. Lotta Elvis impersonators out there still paying the rent.
On a personal note it was pretty cool that they hired Douglas Sonders to direct this spot; his photography work really stood out to me back when when I was thinking about jumping into car photography. It was great to meet him. Anyway, if you dare, watch this video of me babbling/driving the G80 Sport.