Hyundai details 700hp Sonata

And the SEMA silliness begins again!

Just as Europe prepares for a Paris show (probably) full of facelifts and diesels, so America is also getting set for a big motor expo. Except the Speciality Equipment Market Association Show isn't really like any other motor show. It's not open to the general public for a start.

And here's what it was. Once

But it's also become infamous for increasingly wild concepts. See last year's 700hp Supra-engined Lexus IS and the quintet of Fiesta STs, for example. Hyundai is always good for a mental SEMA car and 2014 is no different. Following 2013's 1,000hp Genesis, it has now revealed a 700hp Sonata.

At the moment there's just the one rather uninspiring pic you see above to preview the car's appearance but the mechanical spec has been confirmed. And it's absurd. Bisimoto Engineering took charge of the build again and have engineered 18 new products just to make this concept. It uses the same 2.4-litre 'Theta-II' engine as found in a regular Sonata, just with another 518hp.

So how to get from 190 to 708hp? A huge Turbonetics TNX 82/64 turbocharger for a start. Imagine the lag... There are new cams, forged pistons, uprated injectors, custom heads and a new AEM ECU to manage everything. And perhaps best of all is the Sonata's flex fuel compatibility, allowing you to access 708hp on E85.

What was that about dull Hyundais?

Though we can't see the extent of them yet, there are a host of chassis tweaks also. A Bisimoto cage, coilovers and new wheels are added but, rather worryingly, there is no mention of brake modifications. Best do the harnesses up tight.

Of course nothing even close to resembling the Bisimoto Sonata will make it to Hyundai dealers, but you can't help but smile at the craziness of it all. Expect a few more mega horsepower SEMA concepts to follow in the coming weeks.