Produced by Hyundai since 1996 and affectionately known as "Tibby" the Hyundai Tiburon is a very attractive sport coupe. The Tiburon is based on the current Avante platform and features front wheel drive. The Tiburon has also been marketed as the Turbulence in South Korea, its home market. Outside of South Korea and North America, the Tiburon is marketed as the Coupe. The Tiburon is available with several different engines including a 1.6, 1.8, or 2.0 inline four cylinder Beta engine. The Tiburon engine features variable valve timing on the inlet valves, as well as a 2.7-liter V6 Delta engine. The Tiburon engines are matched with either a five or six speed manual or a four speed automatic transmission, offering something for everyone.
The first Hyundai Tiburon was produced in 1996, but it did not make it to the North American Market until 1997. All of the Tiburon models sold from 1997 until its end in 2001 were known as the RD Tiburons. Though there was no 2002 Tiburon, a few markets did sell it with just a 1.6 or 1.8 liter engine. The Tiburon could accelerate from 0-60 in just 7.1 seconds and could run the quarter mile in 16.5 seconds. Though the Tiburon was only produced for a few years, it remains a favorite of Hyundai consumers. The Tiburon had just enough power to make it fun to drive, but its handling was very smooth as well.