2023 Genesis G90 & 2022 Toyota Tundra Capstone

Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We're classing up the place in a new flagship, the Genesis G90 sedan...

Followed by a restomod rundown on "Your Drive..." We'll check out a car show that's an absolute homerun... And wrap up with the rugged luxury that is the Toyota Tundra Capstone...

So, come drive with us, next!

Closed Captioning provided by Maryland Public Television.

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First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

JOHN: The Genesis G90 sedan has not been around for all that long, just five years in fact.

Though, it actually did exist well before that as the Hyundai Equus.

But no matter which nameplate it carries, the result aims for flagship status, so a new generation G90 is a very big deal.

Let's give it the attention it deserves!

♪ ♪ If it's attention you seek, just try rolling up just about anywhere in this 2023 Genesis G90 sedan.

Heads will turn, people will point, and hushed whispers of "what is that?"

could possibly be heard; as while seeing a Genesis is not exactly a rare occurrence these days, laying eyes on this G90 flagship is still an event.

It's not a secret that Genesis has been building some beautiful vehicles lately, but this G90 clearly takes it to a new level of elegance and sophistication.

Genesis' signature Crest grille sets the tone of course, and their Two-Line headlamps still seem new; but overall the graceful lines, attention to detail, and exquisite proportions speak more Rolls-Royce than Mercedes-Benz.

Naturally, it'll park itself for you, but even a Hyundai Elantra will do that these days.

But it can't do this trick; the G90 comes with hefty, power operated doors that fully close as well as partially open with just a touch of a button.

Inside, the leather, metal accents and switchgear all look and feel fantastic to the touch; though we were less enamored by the wood trim made with recycled newspapers but can appreciate its uniqueness.

There are fragrance diffusers and massaging seats; not to mention a 23 speaker B and O 3D Premium audio and Mood Curator; all in place to not only shelter you from the outside world, but straight up pamper you in a way, we're not really accustomed to here in the real world.

Both the gauge cluster and the high-mounted central infotainment screen are 12 inch widescreens; and the console features a rotary shifter and central controller made of glass and aluminum.

Dual sunroofs allow in plenty of natural light, while comprehensive ambient lighting sets the mood at night.

The back seat is its own special kind of experience with First Class accommodations, room to spread out, and individually adjustable seats; along with plenty of controls and storage options.

Good amount of storage nooks up front too, and room for 12.0 cubic-feet of luggage in the trunk.

All G90s feature a 3.5 liter twin-turbo V6 engine, but there are two levels of performance; the standard version makes 375 horsepower, while an optional 48 volt e-Supercharger boosts power to 409 hp and 405 pound-feet of torque.

All-wheel-drive is standard, as is an 8-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Just as important as power numbers in this segment is power delivery; and not only does this enhanced twin-turbo 6 deliver torque like a V8, it does so in the ultra-silky way buyers of 6-figure luxury cars expect.

In fact, at our Mason Dixon test track, it was so smooth and effortless off the line, it took us quite a few runs before we actually believed we were getting to 60 in only 4.9 seconds.

This is 5,000 pounds of opulence that gets up to speed without even feeling like you're moving.

There's virtually no engine noise seeping into the cabin, but when shifts occur in the 8-speed automatic transmission, they punch surprisingly hard.

It's really the only piece of evidence to glean that there is some serious performance taking place here.

We completed the quarter-mile in 13.5 seconds at 106 miles per hour.

You would think all that excitement would come to an end once we tackled our handling course, and you'd be wrong.

With Sport mode engaged, this big behemoth cut through our cone course with the agility of a sport sedan half its size.

Aided by the rear-wheel-steering and multi-chamber air suspension of this e-supercharged G90, we could carry quite a bit of speed through here always feeling firmly planted in the pavement.

Brakes hold up their end of the bargain too, bringing us to a halt from 60 in just 105 feet.

It does get a little light in the rear with all of the nosedive, but stops were consistently straight and true.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the e-boosted V6 turbo are 17-City, 24-Highway, and 20-Combined; our average, an exceptional 24.2 miles per gallon of Premium.

That makes a slightly below average Energy Impact Score of 14.9 barrels of yearly oil use, with 7.3 tons of CO2 emissions.

While, not inexpensive, we'd still say getting the G90's extravagance for $89,495 is a screaming bargain; $99,795 with the upgraded powertrain.

So, not only does this 2023 Genesis G90 deliver an amazing amount of luxury for the price, but an incredible amount of performance too.

It's the kind of high-speed magic carpet ride that very few vehicles can deliver.

Buyers looking out for the finer of mechanical things should get on board now.

♪ ♪ Baseball is often called "America's National Pastime."

But, it's also true that baseball has had a big role in shaping our nation's attitudes about social and economic issues, reflecting many aspects of American life.

Well, recently, a Maryland community reminded us of a major but sometimes overlooked slice of baseball history, with a vintage style game and car show combined.

So, let's join FYI reporter Stephanie Hart and head to the Bowie Baysock's Prince George's Stadium and play ball!

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: Great turnout for the Metro Vettes Car Show.

There's a lot of variety here, which I really love.

Everything from a Ford Model A to a Bentley.

Let's go check some of them out.

While, we look around, a very special baseball game is in full swing, celebrating the 1942 Negro Baseball League World Series.

DWAYNE RENAL SIMS: So, my players come dressed in uniform, east and west, and they're all colors of the rainbow because the Negro league was integrated at that time.

STEPHANIE: Dwayne Renal Sims is the Founder of the Negro League Legends Hall of Fame Incorporated and the organizer of this baseball game and car show.

He was also a long-time friend of our own Pat Goss.

DWAYNE: Give me some of that-- (engine revs) oh, yeah!

STEPHANIE: In 1942, the World Series was played at Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC.

As you can see from these old photos, vintage automobiles filled the parking lot.

Recreating that big moment in history, while raising money for community education outreach programs, is at the heart of this event.

I found a 1931 Ford Model A here, which is pretty incredible.

I'm here with the owner Marcus; tell me about this car.

MARCUS UNDERWOOD: Well, I have had it-- the car for about two years and it's a wonderful car.

STEPHANIE: You must get some crazy looks from people when they see it coming down the road?

MARCUS: All the time, I get waves and thumbs up and horns blowing all the time.

STEPHANIE: What's your favorite part about this car?

MARCUS: Just the looks itself, period.

The looks.

STEPHANIE: And we heard a very special Lamborghini before we actually saw it.

I'm here with the owner now.

It's a pretty incredible car.

Tell me a little bit about it?

ANDRA: Yeah, it's a Lamborghini Aventador Roadster V1 special build.

Tuned from hell, actually.

Hellacious goodies, you know, but about 1850 horsepower.

STEPHANIE: Andra also owns this 1970 SS Chevelle, a Jerry Bickel race car.

ANDRA: Featured in Hot Rods 6, 7 times.

Um, it's about 6,000 horsepower.

It's a 670 custom billet bullet block made by Mike Moran and with 110 twin turbos-- Garrett turbo system.

STEPHANIE: From modern opulence, back to more humble beginnings.

I personally love this 1962 Austin Healey Sebring.

I'm here with the owner; tell me a little about this vehicle and why you bought it.

LEON WASHINGTON: I always loved the body style.

I happened upon this one about 8-months ago and I jumped on it.

STEPHANIE: What's the best thing about owning this car?

LEON: Just, you know, top down...cruising.

Just enjoying the, you know, the weather.

And I have a 350 Chevy engine in it which gives it some more pop.

STEPHANIE: Yeah, a little more oomph.

LEON WASHINGTON: Yep, absolutely.

STEPHANIE: Yeah, nice ride.

At the end of the day, $7500 was raised to support community education outreach programs.

All in all, a great day filled with nostalgia, bringing everyone together like only baseball and cars can.

DWAYNE: Today, we are going to do the horns in memory of Pat Goss, one of our favorites from Maryland from MotorWeek on MPT, television.

Ready 3, 2, 1, blow!

(car horns blowing) C'mon now let me hear some noise that's what I want to hear (engines rumble) this is all dedicated to Pat Goss and his memory.

JOHN: Today's cars run, ride, and relax so much better, but it's hard to beat classic styling.

And that's where restomodding comes into play.

So, let's join Daniel Maffett as we fuse the past and present together in this week's "Your Drive."

♪ ♪ DANIEL MAFFETT: Believe it or not, the two cars behind me are the same year, make, and model.

The one over here is a concourse original 99-point car.

It has all the original drive components, options, and it drives exactly like a car from 1955.

The one on my left here is a restomod.

A restomod is the best of the looks of an old car with all the modern technology in it.

At my shop, we always get the guy that comes in, who's been success, he's grown up, and he wants that classic car he wanted in high school.

But he gets it and just finds out that it doesn't drive like his brand new BMW or his Audi.

The good thing is that the aftermarket world has us covered.

There are tons of options aftermarket to make your car drive like a modern muscle machine.

The first thing we like to start with is something like this.

This is an EFI system, an electronic fuel injection.

If you've ever driven a carbureted motor, you know, they can be finicky.

They require tweaking and jetting and rebuilds to keep them optimized.

This has jets all around the inside of these openings.

It looks just like an original carburetor; you can get it in any color you want and it is power on the fly.

Power on demand.

As soon as you hit that gas pedal, it drives fuel down inside here, shoves it down the throat of your engine, so you can keep driving.

Now, once you have all that power going to the wheels, you're going to need to be more stable.

So, you're going to have to upgrade the suspension to something like a tubular suspension, maybe even a 4-link in the rear or go all-out and do coilover suspensions.

This is going to allow you to stay planted on the road and stable in turns.

But, if you have bias ply tires like this on a 4-link, it doesn't matter what kind of power you have.

So, you want to upgrade the wheels and tires to a modern compound tire that's going to keep you on the road and out of the ditches.

But once, you're driving well and you look good, you sound good, you want to feel good, too.

So, inside the cab you want to do vintage air system or a complete overhaul of the AC/heat system, so that you can stay comfortable inside while you're cruising.

Pick the products that fit your wants and needs and you'll be riding in style.

Any questions or comments, hit us up right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: Time now to grab a key FOB and hit the road for another QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: When it comes to touring cars, Porsche knows a thing or two.

Case in point, the 911 Carrera T, now back for 2023 on the current 992 platform.

This car is all about connected driving without excessive power.

The rear-mounted, twin-turbo flat-6 conjures up a relatively modest 379 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque.

Standard is a 7-speed manual, though an 8-speed PDK automatic is available at no-cost.

Same for the rear seats; available for no extra, but deleted as standard.

The T gains some trickle-down performance goodies from the Carrera S, like a mechanical limited slip differential and Porsche's Active Suspension Management system; though rear-axle steering is an option.

And for bespoke looks: gray trim, wheels, and graphics.

After all these additions and subtractions, we hit SoCal's Angeles Crest Highway to see the sum of all the Carrera T's parts.

ALEXANDER KELLUM: You know, it's kinda funny.

I was out here with the Macan T not that long ago, and I made a comment then about how the Macan T was a little sportier without going full-bore.

And that's exactly the case with the Carrera T. It's meant to be sort of a sportier ride, a very-- almost like a purist kind of experience, without going all out.

So that, along with the lightweight glass, less sound deadening to let all the good noises in, um, and the Porsche Active Suspension-- all those things, it all culminates into yeah, exactly that: a purist, just totally fun experience.

GREG: The 2023 Porsche 911 Carrera T slots in perfectly above the base Carrera and below the Carrera S. Starting around $118,000, it's a bargain in the 911 family tree and a great option for purists.

And we'll be back around the bend with more QuickSpins, soon!

JOHN: Time now for the latest auto goings-ons, so here's Stephanie Hart with this week's MotorNews.

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: Ford's GT super car is taking one last lap before it joins the history books.

The new GT Mark IV is a track-only tribute powered by a re-engineered twin-turbo V6 making over 800 horsepower.

It rides on a unique chassis with a longer wheelbase and Multimatic adaptive suspension.

The Mark IV will be hand built at Multimatic's facility in Ontario.

Just 67 units are to be made, starting at a cool 1.7 million dollars.

The Ram 1500 TRX is stomping into showrooms with a rockin' new model.

Known as the "Havoc Edition," it builds off the TRX Level 2 Equipment group, adding 18 inch beadlock-capable wheels and an exclusive Baja Yellow paintjob.

The Havoc still uses the TRX's Hellcat-derived 6.2 liter HEMI V8, supercharged for 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque.

At dealers soon, expect the TRX Havoc to list for about $105,000.

Kia is sadly saying goodbye to one of our favorites, the Stinger.

2023 is the end of the line for this great sport sedan.

But, for the sendoff, there is a special Tribute Edition, available with a new Moonscape matte gray paintjob, and Terracotta brown interior.

Just 1,000 units will be made.

And that's it for this week's MotorNews!

JOHN: While, the Detroit Big-3 still dominate full-size pickup truck sales in North America, the Toyota Tundra has certainly earned itself a seat at the grown-ups table.

And these days that means breaking out the fine china and expensive dinnerware more than brown-bagging it.

So, let's put on our Sunday best and check out this new Toyota Tundra Capstone.

♪ ♪ The average transaction price of pickup trucks has been climbing at a rapid pace for years, as buyers are demanding more and more features.

And, since packing in extras is always great for truck-maker's bottom lines, they are more than happy to oblige, by continuously ramping up their high-end models.

That brings us to this 2022 Toyota Tundra Capstone.

We're guessing they're referring to the "crowning achievement" definition of the word, certainly not a research project, as this Capstone is Toyota's new top trim.

Think Denali, Limited, High Country, or any of the many bougie names that are now part of the automotive lexicon.

What that gets you here in the Tundra is just about every optional feature available like power running boards, BedStep, and 10 inch color Head-Up Display; plus, a few special ones like these 22 inch dark chrome wheels, the biggest ever on a Tundra.

There's also a distinct mesh grille, and naturally, lots of added chrome.

Inside there is leather seating with different color combinations, open-pore walnut wood trim, and upgraded acoustic glass to further shelter you from the outside working world.

Other highlights include a 14 inch infotainment touchscreen, 12 Speaker JBL audio, 12 inch digital gauge cluster, heated and ventilated seats, and panoramic roof.

About the only thing you can pay extra for is an adaptive variable suspension with load-leveling, which costs about a grand, so we're not sure why they didn't just throw that in as well.

The Capstone comes in CrewMax cab only with a 5.5 foot bed.

All major mechanicals remain the same as the rest of the 3rd-generation Tundra 4X4s which are fresh off a complete redesign earlier this year.

And naturally, the biggest motor available is also part of the package; and that is the Hybrid form of their i-FORCE V6.

The electric-assisted MAX version of this 3.5 liter twin-turbo outputs 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque.

The 36 kilowatt electric motor/generator is sandwiched between the engine and the 10-speed automatic transmission.

But ultimately, this hybrid is more about eliminating turbo-lag and delivering additional torque than fuel-sipping.

We were happy to see that i-FORCE MAX, as we haven't actually had a chance to fully put it to the test yet.

And at our test track, the Capstone didn't pounce off the line with quite as much urgency as expected; but once rolling, it quickly started laying down some serious power, hitting 60 in 6.4 seconds.

It's no V8, but there is a great engine roar coming from under the hood, and you can feel electric assistance helping you to hurl this thing down the track.

Shifts are smooth and quick, with no loss of power when they're triggered.

Quarter-mile completed in a very competitive 14.9 seconds at 94 miles per hour.

Big softly-sprung pickup trucks tend to lumber through our handling course more than slice through with finesse, and that's the case here.

Steering was light and vague, and it was very difficult to maintain any semblance of speed.

Sport mode did help tighten up body roll a little bit, but it was still slow and steady as she goes.

In panic braking runs, the brake pedal is a bit mushy and quickly heads towards the floor.

You can really feel the size of this beast as the calipers are doing their best to bring it to a halt; which they do quite effectively, as stops averaged a good 115 feet from 60.

Sales numbers may still fall far shy of Ford's F-150, but the Tundra has definitely proved to have staying power, since it took the place of the T100 back in 2000; and there's more than enough demand to keep Toyota's Texas assembly plant busy for some time to come.

As the crowning achievement of the Tundra lineup, the Capstone's price of $77,040 is certainly high; but not unreasonable in today's truck market where the sky seems to be the limit.

With the 2022 Tundra Capstone, Toyota has found another way to cap off their own lineup with their most feature-packed and luxurious pickup yet.

And also proved they're willing to do whatever it takes to keep chipping away at the American full-size truck leaders.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time.

We'll get down into the dirt in Nissan's Pathfinder Rock Creek, then hold on tight for our turn in the Audi RS e-tron GT.

Until next time, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

ANNOUNCER: To learn more about MotorWeek , television's original automotive magazine, visit... To order a DVD of this program, call... MotorWeek has been brought to you by... ANNOUNCER: For more than 30 years Lucas Oil products has helped people tackle mechanical problems in the automotive, marine, and industrial fields.

From our original four core products... Lucas Oil has developed over 400 custom products to help both professionals and do it yourselfers.

To learn more visit Lucasoil.com.

Lucas oil, keep that engine alive!

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper To Bumper, featuring major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast.

Learn more at AutoValue.com and BumperToBumper.com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek .

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it Tire Rack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

♪ ♪ This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(car engine revving) ♪ ♪ You're watching PBS.