2007 Hyundai Tiburon Gt Limited Coupe 2-door 2.7l on 2040-cars

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Nine cars we wish were convertibles

The snow has melted, the sun is shining, and the days are getting longer. At the Autoblog Detroit office we feel like our winter hibernation is finally over. And with warmer temperatures come visions of opening up a convertible roof and cruising. You know, just turn up the bass and let the Alpine blast. There are plenty of droptops on sale in the US, and more on the way (like the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata). That said, we always want more. More! More! More! In that spirit, we cooked up a list of nine cars aren't currently sold as convertible, but ought to be. Check out our picks, below. Summer's just around the corner. Subaru BRZ / Scion FR-S In some parallel universe, this car actually happened. Toyota showed us a FT 86 Convertible concept at the Geneva Motor Show in 2013, and we immediately started licking our chops over the thought of a rear-wheel-drive convertible based on the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S twins. These days, the MX-5 Miata is our only option for affordable roadster fun. A competitor to the Mazda seems like a no-brainer to us, especially since we have naught but good to say about the BRZ/FR-S as-is. Unfortunately in our present timeline, this car is as likely for production as a BRZ STI. Which is to say, not very. Dang. Lexus RC F Unlike the FR-S, a convertible from Toyota's luxury division might actually see the light of day. The current IS convertible is about to be phased out, and the Lexus LF-C2 concept from the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show is really a thinly veiled look at a possible RC convertible. A droptop RC would be plenty good, but let's reach for the starts. What we really want is to run topless in an RC F, complete with that powerful, loud, 5.0-liter V8 engine. Lexus says the RC F is a true competitor to the BMW M4. If that's true, it only makes sense for Lexus to mimic the Germans and offer its performance coupe in a folding hardtop form. Maybach Landaulet Maybach is bach back, recast as an upper crust trim level for Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes-Maybach S600 is seriously awesome, and more luxurious than a trip to the spa. But why not go a step into the truly ridiculous levels of extravagence and bring back that open-top Landaulet? We think your local princess will love this idea, and with better S-Class bones underneath, Jeeves will have a pretty enjoyable ship to steer, too. Besides, with that slick new Mercedes design language, a Landaulet redux wouldn't be nearly as hideous as the old model, pictured here.

Hyundai's first N-performance car is hidden under the RN30 concept

Hyundai is moving ever closer to revealing their first high-performance N brand car, and the RN30 is the latest step in that direction. The concept is based on the new i30 hatchback, which was also revealed in Paris, and shares the engine that will power the i30N that comes out next year. It's obvious that the RN30 isn't a stock car, although the engine is closer to reality than the wild bodywork. The basic block will power the i30's fast sibling, but the rest of the four-cylinder has been given the racing treatment. A bigger turbo and forged internals combine to create 375 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque sent to all four wheels. It also comes with an electronic limited slip differential and a dual-clutch transmission. Don't count on this powertrain coming to market, despite how cool it would be to see a South Korean Focus RS. However, it is a sign the i30N will have a potent foundation. Draped around the powertrain is a race-ready body that is 30 mm wider and 84 mm shorter than the standard i30 and comes with all the requisite vents, wings, and diffusers. Bucking convention, this car not have carbon fiber body panels. For weight savings, Hyundai enlisted the help of BASF to craft some new lightweight plastics for the car. To save more weight, Hyundai gutted the interior down to the bare necessities. Whatever was left was then moved as low as possible, including the seats, to bring down the center of gravity. Although almost everything about the RN30 is about going faster, not all of it is. Or at least not directly. In classic concept car fashion, the RN30 still gets at least one gimmicky feature. On the interior side of each A-pillar is a camera mounted in an image-stabilizing gimbal, and in the top fin, there is another forward facing camera. Hyundai says these record the car on track and the driver, with the idea being that the driver can cut together video of a track day to share with friends. As previously mentioned, don't expect to see the production i30N to pack this much power when it hits the road next year. However, if it comes even remotely close to the performance of this concept, it should be a very entertaining hot hatch. Odds are good that it will come to the US as well, since the i30 will arrive here next spring as the Elantra GT. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Hyundai i20 shows what brown can do for you [w/video]

With the latest generation of the i20 at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, Hyundai continues to shake off its old image in Europe as a maker of cheap, unstylish little penalty boxes. This five-door hatch has to fit into the crowded, compact hatch market over there against popular entries like the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo - a high bar for success. But the Korean automaker claims that its latest vehicle is up to the task because it's designed in Europe specifically with European buyers in mind.
The new i20 takes a small step a bit more upmarket with features like LED front and rear lighting and a rearview camera. However, the biggest change is the jump in interior room, though. The wheelbase is two-inches longer than before, and the growth gives the hatch best-in-class legroom and cargo capacity with the rear seats up, according to Hyundai. Rounding out the improvements is an available panoramic sunroof that the company also believes is unique for the segment.
For the Paris show, Hyundai made the i20 extra sweet by covering it in a chocolaty shade of brown to look like a little French confection on the show floor. Scroll down for all of the details about it, and for the impossibly epic launch video.