Hyundai?s new beginning

In what may well be a world first, a Korean car company has unveiled an attractive, rear-wheel-drive sports coupe. Hyundai ripped the covers from its Concept Genesis Coupe at the Los Angeles Motor Show earlier this month and, like the name suggests, it's a new beginning for the company.

Looking a lot like the next Tiburon, the Genesis Coupe claims to be a two-plus-two coupe and the company is using phrases like 'high performance' and 'hard-core driving.' There's no doubting the intent of the styling.

The concept car is still in the evaluation stage before a production version going on sale in the U.S. in 2009. Hyundai says the aggressively styled Coupe signals the company's intention to appeal to 'hard-core driving enthusiasts,' with strong performance, rear-wheel-drive handling attributes and look-at-me stunning styling.

Measuring 4666mm in length, 2820mm in wheelbase, 1902mm wide and 1386mm tall, the Coupe is longer, wider and slightly taller than the current Tiburon, and it has a longer wheelbase.

And it's destined for a production line; hopefully with the styling and engine outputs intact and a chassis to match; with Hyundai suggesting it will be the most affordable performance car in the market.

Hyundai chief designer Joel Piaskowski says the most dynamic model yet from Hyundai was created as a pure performance car.

“We wanted a design that would capture the imagination of hard-core automotive enthusiasts,” he says. The concept sits on 20 inch wheels and gets a black carbon fibre bonnet, roof and spoilers. Hyundai expects the alloy 3.8-litre V6 powerplant, capable of 224kW of power, to deliver a sub-six-second zero to 100km/h time, although other engines also are under consideration.

Hyundai Australia spokesman Tiffany Junee says Hyundai's Australian arm is looking seriously at the Coupe.