German Car Zone

While we were digitally thumbing through the latest virtual issue of Winding Road (subscribe here for free if you haven't already), we were struck by a particularly well done article on the forthcoming Genesis sedan from Hyundai. The WR folk dug deep and unearthed a lot of info about the sedan, and what its new BH platform means for the Korean automaker. For one, the BH platform will spawn four vehicles in total: the Gensis, a long-wheelbase Genesis Plus, a Genesis-esque Kia model, and (drum roll, please) a sporty rear-wheel-drive, V8-powered coupe that may look like the rendering above. Now, no one knows what this coupe will look like or even how far along in development it is, but kudos go to the WR-commissioned artist who created this image, because it looks great.

Assuming a heavy dose of parts sharing will go on between the BH platform mates, we should expect this RWD coupe to be offered with either a V6 or the new "Tau" V8 that will power the Genesis. The "Tau" is said to be capable of "well over" 300 horsepower and we already know the company's 3.8L V6 is a gem, so Hyundai's forthcoming coupe has plenty of powerplant potential. Reportedly, however, none of the BH cars will be offered with a true manual transmission. Instead, we should expect some sort of manually controlled automatics.

Considering that a Genesis equipped with a V6 is rumored to carry a price tag below $30,000, we're curious to know which other RWD coupes you think will be the biggest competition for this car. Would its combination of a low price tag and powerful engine make it attractive to the Mustang crowd, or is Hyundai staring down the grille of Infiniti's new G37? Time will tell, and we can't wait.

[Source: Winding Road - illustration used with permission]

Yep. Bring it on, can't hurt.

M

RWD Tiburon replacement? That would be cool!

V8+RWD & a coupe, not a game for Hyundai ...!

This car has come up again, from AutoBlog:










Spy Shots: Hyundai's rear-wheel-drive coupe - Autoblog


I think we're going to see a Korean star born at Hyundai very soon.

M

Hyundai RWD Sports Coupe Tail Lights Uncovered

In a brief moment of vulnerability, the Hyundai engineer removed some of the rear camouflage in order to access the trunk space. The spy photographer was at the right place at the right time and captured the tail light design.

Codenamed BK, but often referred to as the Hyundai Mustang by Hyundai insiders, the rear-wheel-drive coupe shown here will eventually replace the front-wheel-drive Tiburon. We’re not sure if Hyundai will carry over the Tiburon name, but we do know that this will first arrive in Asia in late 2008 or 2009, and arrive in the U.S. for the 2010 model year. A convertible version will follow. Based on the BH/Genesis platform, the new coupe is expected to offer an optional 4.6-liter V8 for its performance version.

Hyundai RWD Sports Coupe Tail Lights Uncovered

Love the shape of this car, and the rear lights look promising too!

I would definately buy that over the competition. Over a Infiniti G37 as well depending on the looks.

I hope it drives well too because RWD is only one of many ingredients needed to bake a good sports car.

damn it looked very sporty and nice under the camo..before they lifted to show the lights..
so sad

Speaking of looks - Don't forget that Michael Fink, designer of the Mercedes CLS, was poached as Hyundai's chief designer about 3 years ago. This car is definitely the culmination of Hyundai's march twoards "design credibility" that began with his hire. This is a definitely a big one for him and his staff and I can't wait to see if the result delivers.

At best the Tiburon will smash our preconceptions of Hyundai and will be the halo car that changes the "social caste" of the brand - from "untouchable budget" to "respectable value."

At worst, the Tiburon will prove that Hyundai is perfectly capable of pulling together a decent-looking sports coupe that gives a good entertainment bang for your buck and won't be a source of embarassment in your driveway.

Right now I feel that the final product will be somewhere in between. Let's wait and see. This could get really interesting... the Tiburon has the potential to kick-start Hyundai into a new era of success (especially with strom cloulds looming on the economic horizon).