Hyundai has just
confirmed that the successor to the Tiburon will be a rear-wheel-drive coupe, so we can now stop the speculation that the prototype seen in spy shots for the past few months is a new model completely unrelated to the next-gen Tib. While the Tibby was a fine looking coupe, its appearance couldn't change the fact that it was wrong-wheel-drive. The new car will be a proper rear-wheel-drive coupe, and as these new spy shots reveal, it's closer to production than we think. Hyundai states it could appear as soon as late 2008 or early 2009, in fact.
KGP Photography caught the new RWD Tiburon testing in Death Valley, U.S.A., and while most of the design's details are shrouded by covers, the general silhouette of the new car is true to the shape of the current car. It looks larger in all dimensions, particularly width, and the tires are fatter than anything found on a current Hyundai car. We also dig some upscale touches spotted like the turn signals mounted on the side-view mirrors and the projector beam lamps.
Since we know the new Tiburon will share its RWD platform with the upcoming Genesis luxury sedan, we can also assume that the coupe will at least be offered with a V8 like its four-door brother. Further evidence to support this assumption is the fact that KGP spotted a Ford Mustang in the Hyundai prototype's caravan, no doubt along for the ride as a benchmark.