QUOTE
Hyundai is about to be a very hot brand, and the biggest log on the fire will be its upcoming rear-wheel-drive BH platform that will spawn the Genesis luxury sedan, a long-wheelbase Genesis model, a Kia version of the Genesis, a possible pickup, and a groundbreaking (for Hyundai) rear-wheel-drive coupe that we previewed with a rendering last month. Like all the BH variants, the RWD coupe from Hyundai will be available with Hyundai's new Tau V8 that's capable of producing well over 300 horsepower. Well kiss our grits, but somebody actually found a development mule of the rear-wheel-drive coupe being loaded (or unloaded) at port somewhere in the world.
We've found countless people out there referring to this car as the 2009 Tiburon. It certainly well could be, but we know of no hard evidence that Hyundai will actually move the Tib upmarket by transferring the name to this RWD coupe. In fact, we don't think it's a smart idea at all, as the Tiburon name doesn't have the upmarket cachet to go up against the likes of other entry-level luxury sport coupes like the Infiniti G37 and BMW 335i coupe (Wow, did we just say that?). Plus, we doubt Hyundai's myopic desire to one day be a full-line automaker would allow it to abandon the front-wheel drive coupe segment altogether.
We're actually surprised how similar this development looks to the rendering produced for Winding Road. Of course, the covering obscures the view, but one can definitely see similarities, especially in the car's C-pillar. The gallery also includes some interior shots, which reveal a snug cockpit that's definitely driver oriented in the layout of its controls.
Armed with these images, we have to ask, how is Hyundai's coupe shaping up? If it arrives on our shores as a true G37 competitor for the price of a Mustang, then Hyundai could have a big hit on its hands.
Thanks for the tip, Jung!
We've found countless people out there referring to this car as the 2009 Tiburon. It certainly well could be, but we know of no hard evidence that Hyundai will actually move the Tib upmarket by transferring the name to this RWD coupe. In fact, we don't think it's a smart idea at all, as the Tiburon name doesn't have the upmarket cachet to go up against the likes of other entry-level luxury sport coupes like the Infiniti G37 and BMW 335i coupe (Wow, did we just say that?). Plus, we doubt Hyundai's myopic desire to one day be a full-line automaker would allow it to abandon the front-wheel drive coupe segment altogether.
We're actually surprised how similar this development looks to the rendering produced for Winding Road. Of course, the covering obscures the view, but one can definitely see similarities, especially in the car's C-pillar. The gallery also includes some interior shots, which reveal a snug cockpit that's definitely driver oriented in the layout of its controls.
Armed with these images, we have to ask, how is Hyundai's coupe shaping up? If it arrives on our shores as a true G37 competitor for the price of a Mustang, then Hyundai could have a big hit on its hands.
Thanks for the tip, Jung!
