Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Hyundai
Spy Shots: Hyundai's RWD Coupe!
click above image to view more spy pics of Hyundai's RWD coupe!
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!
[Source: Bobaedream.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
felipe 9:04AM (5/10/2007)
oh holy crap please please please.
and should be under 20k.
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Kabayo 9:11AM (5/10/2007)
If that's a V8 coupe, why is the engine bay already filled up with only an
inline 4? Looks like the next Tiburon to me.
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sk 9:13AM (5/10/2007)
Another sole less POS from Korea. Please please Hyundai build just low cost entry cars and don't bother with this.
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bmoredlj 9:16AM (5/10/2007)
After the frumpy Elantra, Accent, Azera, and Veracruz, I have my doubts about whether Hyundai will ever build something as good-looking as the rendering. But I've been surprised before.
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ClutchCargo 9:17AM (5/10/2007)
Is that a 4 or 6?
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sammy z 9:18AM (5/10/2007)
booo, the grill is mounted higher. POS.
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christopher 9:19AM (5/10/2007)
Juicy!
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Jeff 9:26AM (5/10/2007)
Hey, looky there, there's a turbo under all that heat shielding. Very nice!
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Adam 9:27AM (5/10/2007)
I would be very excited if this car is reality. An affordable V8 coupe would be cool and Hyundai keeps getting better with every car that they release. However, I would love to see a rwd 4 CYL to compete w. the GTI, Mazdaseed 3, etc. Although, if you could get the V8 for mustang money (aprox 25K), that might be something to take sales away from the pocket rockets as well.
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MikeUF 9:32AM (5/10/2007)
This looks fairly preproduction. Its much more refined then the development mules were used to seeing. Its sporting a full interior. Im thinking this is the 2009 Tiburon and not the RWD coupe. Nothing in these photos prove its a RWD car unless im missing something. No shots of of the drive train from below or even the rear seats where we could see the tunnel for the drive train. If they can get shots of the engine, why not get underneath and show the drive train.
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ruggels 9:34AM (5/10/2007)
I've never seen interiors so obviously cloned from a five series like those door pulls and grab bars. Which isn't a bad thing, typical Hyundai. What is bad is that speedo. 160? come on, if this is the new tib, ok, if this has a 300+ hp V8 then wtf is wrong with hyundai.
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Brillo 9:36AM (5/10/2007)
That is not a transverse mounted engine, which implies RWD IMO
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Aetius 9:38AM (5/10/2007)
And the steering wheel and shifter are from the Si. The center stack has a G35 look to it.
I think it's the next Tiburon. It doesn't have the...stance...of a V8 coupe.
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MikeUF 9:41AM (5/10/2007)
I may be wrong but Audi has used longitudally mounted engines. The wikipedia entry on FWD even states: "Torque steer can be addressed by using a longitudal layout, equal length drive shafts, half shafts, a multilink suspension or centre-point steering geometry." Its possible Hyundai wants to actually be able to handle a high horse power engine in a FWD application without having the engine try to stear the car off the road.
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Jeff Gilleran 9:41AM (5/10/2007)
Kabayo,
Yeah, I totally agree its likely the new Tiburon.
I have a 2004 Tiburon, and the new one seems to have a couple styling cues left from the current generation car, although subtlely different its still similar.
(the C pillar, rear quarter window, use of the door character lines as well as the shifter and its position in the interior and the rear buttress are still following some Tiburon features.
People have been bitching about the Tiburon not having enough "bite" in the Hp department.
I personally am very happy with mine and love the average 32 Mpg in mixed driving.
I have the 2.0L engine with the 5 speed and absolutely have no complaints about power.
Being slightly lighter than a GT V6, and getting better mileage i really dont mind the 138 Hp.
It still does low 8 second 0-60s. :)
The C pillar, and buttress really give the car away as the Next Gen Tiburon.
Im not sure Id like the Tiburon being RWD.
Sure, there are some performance advantages to RWD, but once winter hits it also takes a practicality hit the current FWD platform doesnt.
I try to put the car up in the winter to prevent rock chips anyway. :)
I also have an 88 Isuzu Impulse that is RWD and I like the driving dynamic with the Lotus suspension however, again, when the weather gets bad, forget driving it.
If the Tiburon is equipped with something over 300 HP, its going to be a handful in any crappy weather.
Sure, put studded snows on it.. But what people dont seem to understand is cars with a low 5 inches of ground clearance get stuck very easy when you get heavier snowfalls.
I live in the Pacific Northwest so a RWD car could only be driven about 8 months out of the year.
Unless you have a death wish.
Otherwise, the car looks promising and ill be sure to look it over when it comes out.
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MikeUF 9:43AM (5/10/2007)
Sorry intended to say that Audi uses longitudally mounted engines in FWD applications. Mostly for ease of use to have the AWD system available but it is done.
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KillerB 9:58AM (5/10/2007)
So do you people at Autoblog actually look at the pictures before posting? I don't think you have a "G37 competitor" when it's clearly sporting a four-cylinder engine.
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Bill 10:01AM (5/10/2007)
Another company that is going to take market share away from Big 2.5, making them Big 1.9 soon.
Way to go! The company that steadily progresses up in every way - engineering, design, and quality, unlike GM or Ford who make hideous crap to "keep America rolling".
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Slippery Pete 10:04AM (5/10/2007)
The Tiburon doesn't "have the cachet" to take on the 3-series and Infiniti G because it hasn't taken on the 3-series and Infiniti G yet! If they gave the car a new name, it still wouldn't have any cachet.
To get cachet you have to earn it. Call it a Tiburon or a Murgatroid or anything else - if it's good, and they invest in it over a period of several years, it will have cachet.
This is a lesson GM refuses to learn year after year. Unless they're truly crazy, names don't really matter. Product does.
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George M. 10:12AM (5/10/2007)
I'd take one. I'm getting very exited about some of the products hyundai is about to release. I'm seriously considering trading in my gs400 for a new genesis. A great car is a great car, so why pay more than you have to? Lexus came out of nowhere and so can hyundai. Also, its very hip to be an early adopter...
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