GT5 Transcripts/Hyundai Tiburon

Hyundai, Korea's biggest carmaker, offered a wide range of models, from light vehicles to large trucks and even buses in its home market. Some made their way to the U.S. Among them was the Tiburon, Hyundai's take on the sporty car. Sold as the Tuscani in Korea and as the Coupe in Japan, the car's strongest feature was its compelling design, highlighted by an aggressive front-end styling that looked like nothing else in the market.

The car was a 2+2 hatchback, making it an ideal daily commuter. The Tiburon was similar in character to the Toyota Celica, but the Hyundai offered more engine choices, including 1.8-liter and 2.0-liter inline-4 as well as 2.7-liter V-6. All the engines came mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission.

The cream of the crop was the V-6, characterized by a healthy dose of low-end torque and a smooth revving character, the suspension was tuned for more comfort than performance, so it lacked the sharp turn-in characteristic of its competitors.

That said, ride quality was supple, making it one of the more comfortable cars in its class. Although the Tiburon lacked the refinement of its Japanese and European counterparts, its low price made it a bargain difficult to ignore. And with each passing year, the quality of Hyundai's cars have shown improvement, and it seems only a matter of time before it creates a car that surpassed the best Japan and Europe have to offer.