1,100-hp Genesis X Skorpio offers 'extreme off-road luxury

Genesis says its first ever off-road concept vehicle is inspired by a black scorpion. In fact, says the Korean luxury automaker, everything from its “tension-filled curves” (which gain their inspiration from the iconic arching tail of the dangerous arachnid) to its segmented armour-like panels (imitating “the protective nature of a scorpion’s exoskeleton”) to the sleek and functional roof-mounted air intake (for “a sense of power and resilience”) all scream “predator.” I read the press release before I even looked at the X Skorpio — not a lot of imagination there, Genesis; “X” for off-road, and, well, you know, scorpion — and I expected more of a Transformers robot than a sport-utility vehicle.What does back up the scorpion’s reputation for venom, though, is that this latest Genesis concept — and, again, its first truly off-road prototype — boasts a V8 with no less than 1,100 horsepower. Now, Genesis does not delve into any details on how the X Skorpio delivers that power. In fact, the company specifies no displacement, no rpm at which the power is developed, or even whether it has single- or double-overhead camshafts. This is all left to our imagination.