Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Hyundai Velostar concept.

Hyundai's replacement for the Tiburon (aka the "Coupe" outside the U.S.) will make its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next September. As expected, the new Coupe will be inspired by the Velostar concept that debuted in Seoul last year and will be built atop the Hyundai i30/Kia Forte's front-wheel-drive platform. Hyundai insiders suggest that the Coupe will be approximately the size of the last generation Toyota Celica, smaller than the upcoming Genesis Coupe, and will feature a shooting-brake body style.

The new Coupe will go on sale abroad shortly after its unveiled in Frankfurt, and there's no word yet on when Hyundai will import the new two-door to the U.S. to replacing the aging Tiburon.


[Source: 4Car]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2008 Hyundai Tiburon.

The news came courtesy of John Krafcik, Hyundai's product development veep, who told Automotive News that the 2008 model year of the Tiburon would be its last. However, that doesn't mean the Tiburon is down for the count. Krafcik is insistent that the Genesis Coupe, which will be coming out about the same time the Tibby is euthanized, isn't a Tiburon replacement. "We are seriously looking at a small front-wheel-drive coupe to replace the Tiburon," Krafcik told AN, but he wouldn't give a time frame for its replacement. He did say that the Veloster coupe concept that debuted at the Seoul motor show last April would be the inspiration for Hyundai's new FWD, two-door offering. Hopefully, when the production version of the Veloster is unveiled, it'll carry the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-pot found in its RWD sibling.




[Source: Automotive News via Autoweek]

During an interview with BusinessCar, Hyundai UK's head Tony Whitehorn finally confirmed what's been rumored for going on a year: the automaker's new RWD coupe will replace the Tiburon. The coupe will take about 50- to 60-percent of the styling cues originally debuted on the Veloster concept and is set to make its world debut at the London Motor Show in July of 2008.

When the as-of-yet unnamed coupe goes on sale, expect power to be provided by the automaker's 260 HP 3.8-liter V6, with the possibility of a two-liter turbocharged mill finding its way underhood. Whitehorn goes on to eschew rumors of a V8 powerplant, as well as hybrid and diesel options. Doh!

[Source: BusinessCar via Motor Authority]

UPDATE: Images removed at request of original owner.

We've been cooing over the prospect of a RWD Hyundai coupe for sometime now, and although recent spy shots and a possible official rendering have given us a glimpse of what's to come, it still remains unconfirmed speculation. While a nicely done photochop might be a more conventional means of rendering sheet metal, one particularly creative individual decided to portray the new coupe in comic form. The rotoscope-style rendering overlaid atop a set of spy shots is a creative solution that we thought was worth a gallery. So check it below and tell us what you think.

We tried hard to get a podcast going last week, but it just wasn't good enough. This week, the internet gods smiled on us with solid connections that cleared the way for our incisor-sharp banter. Kicking off #72, we discuss the dual surprise from Ford and GM - profit! The US operations showed losses, but overseas branches pulled in the dough, and as Alex points out "money is money." Moving on to less dull subjects, the MINI Clubman was officially unveiled, and it seems like all of the growth is in its arse. There's more legroom in the back seat, and cargo space gets a boost, as well. In typical German fashion, they took the long way around to achieve what could have been a simple platform stretch. Speaking of Germans - Wolfgang Bernhard is officially in at Chrysler. That is, if Hades 3-headed guard dog can pull it together on the funding side. It's not much of a surprise, and we hope that he can right the good ship Chrysler.

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click above image for more spy shots of the mysterious RWD coupe from Hyundai

The Veracruz, the rear-wheel-drive Genesis luxury sedan and various other new rear-wheel-drive offerings will take Hyundai into segments it's never been, but the one vehicle about which we're most excited is this, a rear-wheel-drive coupe from Hyundai.

These new spy pics, reportedly taken in Korea, show the new coupe out on public roads. It appears to be similar to the vehicle we saw in a previous set of spy shots, right down to the same type of wheels. The problem is that there's much more we don't know about this vehicle than what we do know. Will the rear-wheel-drive coupe be branded as the next-generation Tiburon or be sold alongside the automaker's front-wheel-drive coupe? Is it based on the same rear-wheel-drive platform as the Genesis? Will it feature a supercharged or turbocharged V6, Hyundai's new Lambda V8, or both?

Thanks for the tip, Chris!

[Source: NewTiburon.com]

click above image for high-res views of this abomination

Some rich people have too much time on their hands and a sick sense of humor. Witness this, a perfectly good Bentley Continental GT adorned with Hyundai badges – HYUNDAI badges!. It's not as if the owner just stuck them on with double-sided tape, either – the hood badge, logo on the trunk lid and in the center cap of each wheel look professionally applied, as if they were meant to be there all along. (We checked with Bentley, they're not ever supposed to be there.) But hey, if you're wealthy, you may as well do it right, you know? Actually, we're thinking this guy lost a bet with his Ferrari buddies and was forced to transform his six-figure Conti into a Tiburon wannabe. Sigh... check out the rest of the pics in our gallery below. They were shot and sent us to us by Autoblog reader Michael in L.A.

Those rumors of a V8-powered, RWD coupe from Hyundai? Almost true. Winding Road talked with Hyundai Vice President John Krafcik who confirmed the RWD coupe part, but didn't stutter when he said "No V8." Winding Road's Reilly Brennan pressed Krafcik on the engine's setup, but the VP wouldn't give a straight answer on whether the coupe will be naturally aspirated or come with some kind of boost. But he did say the car's power to weight would be impressive.

Winding Road also said the Hyundai executive had a good chuckle at the illustration on the right, commissioned by WR. Krafcik said the design isn't anything like the actual car's looks, but that buyers would find it to be even better. Krafcik gave a few hints that the final design could end up looking less like an Audified Tiburon and more like the Veloster concept, which is just fine with us.

[Source: Winding Road]

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]

click above image to view 15 high-res pics of the Hyundai Genesis concept

Hyundai "officially" unveiled the rear-wheel drive Genesis concept on Tuesday by issuing a press release and high-res versions of the pics that were already floating around. The release got us thinking that Hyundai's new rear-wheel-drive platform underpinning the production version of the Genesis when it arrives Stateside in 2008 would make a killer chassis on which to build the next Hyundai Tiburon. The Tiburon has more than run its course as a value-based, front-wheel-drive sport compact coupe with an eensy-weensy V6. We have no idea when a Tiburon replacement will surface, but the arrival of Hyundai's first rear-driver gives us hope that the South Korean automaker may decide to grab a gun and stand to post in the upcoming pony car wars. Even if the intended target turns out not to be the Mustang, Camaro and Challenger, Hyundai could easily aim at the Infiniti G37 Coupe, BMW 335i and upcoming Audi A5 with a coupe powered by a 300-horsepower 4.6L V8 driving the back wheels. The mind reels at the possibility, and we hope Hyundai has the foresight to let the chassis flourish under models other than the new Genesis luxury sedan.

Check out Hyundai's official press release on the Genesis Concept after the jump, as it reveals many details that could easily apply to a coupe. Also check out the gallery of desktop wallpaper-sized pics.

[Source: Hyundai]