Yeah, our fancies tend to run toward rides with four wheels instead of two, but that didn’t stop us from dropping in on Cycle World’s 2009 International Motorcycle Show. Manufacturers from all over stopped by to show off their hottest wares for 2010. What were the best? You’ll just have to hop the jump to see for yourself, but trust us when we say you won’t be disappointed.

Let’s just be honest with each other for a second. Odds are neither of us are going to have the chance to slip behind the wheel of a Porsche RSR on track anytime soon. It’s just one of those unavoidable truths of the universe. That’s a damn shame, too, because the light-weight, purpose built heathen is a testament to what can be accomplished on four wheels. Fortunately for us, the good people of Clash Productions have a salve to cool the burn of such harsh realities. Check the particularly well-executed video of what it’s like in the cockpit of an RSR after the jump. [Source: ColdTrackDays]

Audi brought the new 2011 A8 from Miami to take part in the 2009 LA Auto Show. The car has more power and is 15 percent more efficient than the 2010 car, but uses the same 4.2-liter V8. Part of that extra efficiency comes from a new eight-speed automatic gearbox, a focus on lightweight construction and the car’s slippery new sheet metal. Looks like a mighty fine alternative to the BMW 7-Series to us. Audi dropped some video of the car cruising around, so hop the jump for a better look. [Source: YouTube]

SEMA has packed up its bags for another year, but we’ve worked up a quick top 10 with the best cars from the show. What made the list? What didn’t? You’ll just have to watch the full feature to find out for yourself. Trust us when we say you won’t be disappointed. Don’t think our picks make muster? Drop us a line and let us know. Hop the jump for a look.

For the first time on American soil, Kia is going racing. The Korean automaker has decided to tackle the 2010 Koni Grand Am Challenge with a specially-built pair Forte Koups. The company’s keeping the car’s modifications to itself, but it’s clear this is a full race-spec car, complete with a rolle cage, dropped suspension and brake upgrades. Both cars will compete in the Street Tuner class and will be driven by Andy Lally and Nic Jonsson. Very cool, but how long until we can order up race-inspired parts for our front-wheel drive Fortes? [Source: Kia]

Now here’s a quandary. If you’ve hung around the WebRidesTV blog for awhile, you likely remember former managing editor Jonny Lieberman. The good doctor has since moved on to the starlit world of Autoblog, where he spends his time cruising around with Lamborghini test drivers and getting foot massages from Bentley’s booth girls. Now we can add racing about in the final leg of the 2009 Targa Trophy Rally in, get this, a 2009 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8. No shame meant to Hyundai’s wicked little two door, but in a rally where the Coupe’s MSRP looks like a monthly payment for most of the metal in competition, the Korean bruiser is a smidge out classed. That doesn’t mean it would be out driven, though. Hop over to Autoblog for the full skinny. [Source: Autoblog]

Can you believe this? Occasional WebRidesTV commenter and all around cool guy Jeff Glucker managed to talk his way behind the wheel of the very first Hurst Dodge Challenger. This wasn’t just some “take it around the block” cruise, either. The guy had the supercharged beast for an entire weekend. Even more unbelievable? The guy gave it back. If you’re wondering what all the hubbub is about, allow me to enlighten you. Every now and then Hurst gets a wild hair and decides to build a car. This time around, the go-fast guys settled on an SRT-8 Challenger. Along with a sweet Hurst shifter, the rigs all get a Vortec supercharger, Eibach suspension and unique paint/interior combos. The company’s only planning on producing a handful of the suckers – each with a price tag near $70,000. Hop over to NADAGuides for a look see at what he thought. [Source: NADAGuides]

This whole recession thing’s gotta go. There are few things on this planet quite like the notion of a factory-produced, open-wheel, street-legal track heathen. Throw in KTM’s wicked moto racing credentials and you’ve got my attention in a big way. Now it looks like demand for absolutely pointless awesome hoon machines has slumped off in a big way, and to cope, KTM’s stalling production of their X-Bow until interest picks up again. While this is no huge surprise, it still pains us to hear there are 80 unsold X-Bows sitting around somewhere without someone to abuse them. Don’t worry too much – KTM says the company will fire up production again next year once the fabulously wealthy start opening up their checkbooks again. [Source: MotorAuthority]

In 1836, between 180 and 260 Texans and United States frontiersmen stood against an army of 2,400 Mexican soldiers at the Alamo mission. Among those standing with the Texan rebels was David Crockett – a Tennessee folk hero and former United States Representative. General Santa Anna eventually took the outpost, but not before suffering an embarrassing 600 casualties. Everyone inside the Alamo died, including Crockett. I tell you this because around here – Knoxville, Tennessee – we have a name for trucks like the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Crew Cab 4×2. See, we’re still a little bitter about losing Crockett way out west, so it’s with more than a little malice we call them Texas trucks. You know, big, flashy rigs with a better interior than most Cadillacs and absolutely no intention of going anywhere but to and from the office? Maybe the lake on the weekend? Yeah, those kinds of trucks. Well, I’m starting to learn there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a vehicle that can play as hard as it works.

The big news on the 2009 Dodge Ram is its slightly revised nose. There’s a more aggressive, leaning front fascia with angled headlights and broad, upright grille. The lines bleed into the truck’s front fenders and hood, both of which give it a gnarled, muscular look from up front. The design has sharpened the Ram considerably compared to the 2008 model and given it a much-needed shot of personality. Out back, buyers can opt for new Ram Box storage solutions in the bed. Think of them as cargo pants for your truck — not incredibly attractive, but unavoidably useful. The boxes weather tight and lockable, so you can store everything from emergency equipment to power tools in there without fear of them walking off on their own. What’s more, they have built in drain plugs so you can hose them out if you need to. Or fill them with ice and frosty beverages. The feature’s damn cool and we’ve got to wonder what took the world so long to figure it out.

The optional Ram Box bed will set you back $1,895, and you lose around 4 cubic feet of cargo room compared to the standard version. Still, if you’re going for the crew cab, odds are you aren’t going to be hauling 4×8 sheets of plywood to the job site, and the addition of exterior, lockable space makes a huge difference in the vehicle’s functionality. The bed also features a helpful tie-down system to keep cargo situated, and you can opt for a bed divider/extender if you so desire.

Under the hood you’ll find Dodge’s stout 5.7-liter V8 engine with 390 horsepower and 407 lb-ft of torque. That’s plenty of gusto, and the 5-speed automatic planted behind the mill helps the two-wheel drive Ram 1500 net 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway. Those figures may send Prius drivers into conniptions, but considering this truck can pull the equivalent of up to three Toyota hybrids – 9,100 lbs – we’re impressed.

In Laramie trim, the Dodge Ram 1500 has the nicest interior of any truck I’ve been in as of late – including the Cadillac Escalade. The center stack is accented by tall, horizontal air vents with chrome bezels that help to set off the wood inlay. High-quality leather seats are heated and cooled up front, and a contrasting-stitched dash pad is made of soft-touch goodies. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is light-years better than the unit found in the Challenger and Charger – it’s handsome and has a meaty, quality feel to it. The back seats offer more leg and head room than any of the sedans we’ve had our mitts on as of late, and the automatic climate control keeps everything temperate inside. Though we like the auto open and close sunroof, the controls are somewhat hidden in the over-head panel. We’d also like to see the power rear glass have a one-touch operation. I can only hope this is a preview of what we can expect from Chrysler in the years to come.

If you’re worried all of those lux goodies make the Ram any less of a truck, fear not. On the road, expect the kind of ride that could give most buckboards a run for their money. Under all that pretty dress and frilly interior, it’s almost reassuring to feel the bumps and jerks of an honest-to-god truck. The rough ride is courtesy of rear springs built to handle massive pay-loads, and while we didn’t take the time to hook the Dodge up to a trailer, our guess is things would smooth out considerably with a few thousand pounds on the hitch. All that aside, the truck is quiet, and the 5-speed automatic shifts smoothly and sans any of the drama we experienced in the Charger. We do have to wonder about the placement of the “bump” shifter, though. Instead of the standard fore-aft configuration, Dodge has gone with a port-starboard layout. Unfortunately, the cup holders are just over the shifter, so you find yourself convincing the truck to up or down shift accidentally as you go for your big-gulp. We wound up nearly blinding ourselves with a Slushee straw on more than one occasion.

Power from the hefty V8 is more than capable of jumping the rig up to interstate speeds without going breathless, and the sonorous tone from the massive dual exhaust is a beautiful thing. Despite the light rear end, the traction control does a good job of keeping you from getting squirrely, though expect some wheel spin from the lsd on occasion. As far as handling goes, you’re piloting a massive, top-heavy hauler, so don’t expect to be clipping off lap times. Instead, focus on all you could haul with this thing and be happy.

Who says a truck has to be four-wheel drive, have massive knobby tires and spend it’s time playing in the mud? The truth is, these days I could use a rig that’s as comfortable on Friday night as it is Saturday morning when we head to the track. The copious amounts of interior room means this could actually serve duty as a family hauler, and the clever storage out back keeps tools and equipment safe and dry. The epic towing capacity is an obvious bonus, as is the Ram’s respectable fuel economy. Unfortunately, the Laramie trim package will set you back in a big way. Expect to pay $48,315 as ours was optioned with destination. If you can skip on all the fancy goodies that make the top of the line Dodge so nice to spend time with, you can find yourself in one for closer to $25,000. Sounds like a deal to us.

While the world’s been wrapped up in America’s teetering auto titans, Korea’s car makers have been quietly sharpening their game. Following the same path to greatness trod by the likes of Honda, Toyota and Subaru, both Hyundai and Kia are producing quality vehicles for thousands less than the competition. While the left-brain combination of low MSRPs and an unbeatable warranty have led to steady sales, Hyundai’s beginning to tickle buyers’ emotional response as well. The latest effort is the Genesis Sedan, a car supposedly packed with all of the power and sophistication lux buyers clamor for. How does it stack up? Hop the jump to find out.

Hyundai gets the subtle styling cues that define a luxury cruiser. The Genesis Sedan is instantly recognizable as pricier-than-thou, even if onlookers can’t quite figure out what it is. Lexus? No, not quite. Mercedes? Maybe from the front. BMW? Those tail lights do look familiar. The result is a sort of generic luxury look, kind of like the Kroger brand of Frosted Flakes. It looks the same and tastes the same, but you can tell there’s something different going on. And that’s not a bad thing. The overall effect is a handsome car with a proud prow and comfortable roof line. The only bad thing we can say about the look is that it tends to be a little forgettable. We’d love to see some sort of bold design element to give the car an identity.

Inside, the Genesis’ long wheel base translates into plenty of room in both the front and back seats. The expansive dash is pleasing enough with easy to operate controls for the entertainment, navigation and climate control systems. The console-mounted category navigation knob is a cinch once you get the hang of it, and the LCD screen is bright and clear. On the whole, material choices are better than what I’ve seen in Cadillac’s stable. Use of cheap plastics is kept to an absolute bare minimum, replaced by soft-touch goodies and plenty of high-quality leather. Though the black-on-black color scheme is a bit of a downer, brilliant LED lighting inside brightens things up in a hurry.

The Genesis is packed with all kinds of luxo-convenient tech, especially when equipped with the Premium Plus and Technology packages. Expect an electric tilt and telescoping steering wheel, infinitely adjustable heated front seats, cooling driver seat, power rear shade, navigation and my personal favorite – a 17 speaker lexicon sound system, among others. That’s right, 17. I’m almost positive my time with the car has permanently deafened me in the best way possible.

Behind the wheel, the Genesis is remarkably quiet inside. That’s thanks in part to acoustic glass throughout the car. Of course, boat loads of sound deadening doesn’t hurt anything, either. You can get the big Hyundai with a 4.6-liter V8 with 368 horsepower and 324 lb-ft of torque, but our tester was powered by the same 3.8-liter V6 found in the Genesis Coupe. That engine puts out 290 horsepower and 264 torques. Both mills are bolted to a six-speed automatic transmission that puts power to the rear wheels, and the slush box is a wonder. Beautifully smooth with quick shifts, the automatic does a great job of being in the right gear at the right time. We can’t complain.

Even in V6 guise, Hyundai’s lux-cruiser has plenty of pep. Romp on the go pedal and the rpms shoot to the end of the tach where the engine really comes alive. Interstate passes are breathlessly easy, and you’ll find yourself knocking on 100 mph’s door before you realize it. The company’s engineers stiffened the Genesis’ suspension for the US, and the result is a car that’s planted enough on the highway. Really start throwing the car around, and you’ll be immediately aware of just how much this thing weighs. There’s 3,700 lbs of leather and automatic climate control on board the Genesis, so don’t expect to be picking off any cones anytime soon.

Critics of the Genesis will instantly point to its somewhat unrefined suspension as a sore point, but the truth is the car leaves you little to complain about given its MSRP. With a $32,250 entry price, Hyundai’s offering buyers a level of quality and comfort unmatched in a new vehicle right now. Though the base car skips out on many of the electric do-dads that make uber-lux vehicles so enticing, you can easily option the car until your heart’s content and still fall under the $40,000 mark. Try finding a new, rear-wheel drive sedan with this kind of power and niceties on board for that. Throw in the company’s epic 100,000 mile warranty, and the only real stumbling block you’ll find is lackluster resale value. Not too bad.