"Street performance meets street art" is how John Pangilinan describes the 2015 Hyundai Sonata JP Edition, and it's especially apt. Debuting at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, the show car is an imaginative look that tests the midsize sedan's design limits without getting too outlandish.
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We're especially fans of the contributions of street artist Mr. 44 and Flexfit | BSCMP. Walk too quickly around the JP Edition Sonata and you might not see how great the details are of the car's contrasting black exterior trim. It's a subtle look that's used on the rear spoiler, as a trim piece below the doors, and in the lower front fascia. It serves as a reminder that, when it comes to exterior trim, the possibilities are nearly endless -- beyond the chrome, smoked chrome, and high-gloss black trim to which most are accustomed.
The custom 2015 Sonata's wide-body kit really improves the car's stance, and the 19-inch RAYS Gram Lights 57Getter dark wheels fit in with the eye-catching, yet not over-the-top theme. Not much has been done to the car's interior, aside from new Recaro front seats. Performance modifications include an AEM cold air intake, MagnaFlow Exhaust (with four meaty-looking exhaust outlets), and a Bisimoto Hot Charge Pipe. Considering thatMotor Trendhas tested a 2015 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T -- that's the sporty model -- accelerating from 0-60 mph in a relatively slow 8.0 seconds, the performance enhancements are welcome additions.
What do you think of the 2015 Hyundai Sonata JP Edition?
Source: Hyundai
I’ve come a long way since I drove sugar packets across restaurant tables as a kid, pretending they were cars. With more than 17 years of experience, I'm passionate about demystifying the new car market for shoppers and enthusiasts. My expertise comes from thoughtfully reviewing countless vehicles across the automotive spectrum. The greatest thrill I get isn’t just from behind the wheel of an exotic car but from a well-executed car that’s affordable, entertaining, and well-made. Since about the time I learned to walk I’ve been fascinated by cars of all shapes and sizes, but it wasn’t until I struggled through a summer high school class at the Pasadena Art Center College of Design that I realized writing was my ticket into the automotive industry. My drive to high school was magical, taking me through a beautiful and winding canyon; I've never lost the excited feeling some 16-year-olds get when they first set out on the road. The automotive industry, singing, and writing have always been my passions, but because no one seeks a writer who sings about the automotive industry, I honed my writing and editing skills at UC Irvine (zot zot!), serving as an editor of the official campus newspaper and writing stories as a literary journalism major. At USC, I developed a much greater appreciation for broadcast journalists and became acquainted with copy editing rules such as why the Oxford comma is so important. Though my beloved 1996 Audi A4 didn’t survive my college years, my career with MotorTrend did. I started at the company in 2007 building articles for motorcycle magazines, soon transitioning to writing news posts for MotorTrend’s budding online department. I spent some valuable time in the copy editing department, as an online news director, and as a senior production editor. Today, MotorTrend keeps me busy as the Buyer's Guide Director. Not everyone has a career centered on one of their passions, and I remind myself all the time how lucky I am.
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