Hyundai Channels 90s Nostalgia With Potential New Tiburon
On 15 October 2024, Hyundai Motor Group’s official social media accounts posted a video featuring the first generation Hyundai Tiburon. The video features scenes of the Tiburon and makes reference the lasting impression it had on that generation, calling it, “the dream car of the 90s youth.”
What wasn’t to love about a two-door sports car with a fifteen thousand dollar starting cost? The memory of the Tiburon still endures today with modders adding their own twist to them. The Tiburon was eventually replaced by the very popular Genesis Coupe platform, which had success in racing and is still a popular drift platform.
Featured image: Rendering of Tiburon N / Facebook@Camshaft
How The Tiburon Laid The Foundation For Hyundai N
These two cars led the way for the current N division which has brought us cars like the Veloster N, Elantra N, and Kona N. These rowdy cars are known to be comparable and perform similarly to cars priced thousands above their price point. Additionally, the N division has seen huge success in touring car and rally racing.
The video, which is in Korean with English subtitles, says: “We live our everyday lives, but sometimes we look back and remember the fire in us from the past. And sometimes, with the right passion and effort, those dreams become reality. The Tiburon, the dream car of the 90s youth. Now it’s time to hit the road in the reborn Tiburon.” Along with the video, the post from Facebook said: “What reminds you of your heritage? For Hyundai, there is Tiburon that laid foundation of our N brand and motorsports. Let the reborn Tiburon take you back in time!” Is Hyundai hinting at bringing back the Tiburon badge with the phrase, “it’s time to hit the road in the reborn Tiburon?”
What A New Tiburon Could Be Like
Perhaps we could see a base production model along with a more powerful and capable N version like Hyundai did with the Veloster and Elantra. As of the time of writing, there is no official announcement or even rumors of a new production model for the Tiburon.
Recently AI images of a 2025 model year Tiburon N have been floating around the internet with strong styling cues from the current Hyundai Design language. What could a new Tiburon look like. Hyundai has the 2.0 turbo inline four from the Elantra N they could put in. This could replace the Elantra N as the model racing in FIA, IMSA, and SRO as a touring car. They also have access to the twin-turbo 3.3L V6 from the Genesis G70.
This would put the car in direct competition with the new Nissan Z and Toyota Supra, and potentially be an entry into grand touring racing. However, since ending production of the Veloster N and announcing the end of the I30 and I20 for international market, Hyundai’s focus has been on Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV), with the Ioniq 5 N and upcoming Ioniq 6 N. Maybe a future Tiburon could be fully electric or potentially some type of hybrid system.
About The Original Tiburon
The Hyundai Tiburon was a coupe introduced in 1996 as a prototype with a 1997 production year. It was powered by either a 2.0L four-cylinder engine or a 2.7L V6. It was later replaced by the Genesis Coupe in 2010, which was powered by either a 2.0 turbo inline four-cylinder or a 3.8L V6 pushing 348 horsepower.
