2007 Hyundai Tiburon

SHARK ATTACK: 2007 TIBURON READY FOR THE STREET OR CIRCUIT

2007 Tiburon Offers Bold V6 Performance at Four-Cylinder Price

10/24/2006 Enthusiasts on a budget no longer have to sacrifice their desire for track-inspired styling and handling in a sports coupe now that Hyundai has factory tweaked the components and design of the 2007 Tiburon. Blood is in the water because the V-6 powered Tiburon will start well below the four-cylinder Mitsubishi Eclipse GS.

Tiburon has been reconfigured as a totally balanced cornering machine, available with a modified suspension from Europe, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and 12-inch, cross-drilled rotors formerly available only from the Korean domestic market on the Hyundai Tuscani.

NEW FOR 2007
· Redesigned front and rear fascia, headlights, taillights, hood, front fenders and exhaust tips
· Blue backlit gauges and gun metal accents · Standard MP3 capability
· Standard Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TMPS) · ESC with Brake Assist and Traction Control (SE model)
· Cross-drilled brake rotors with larger rotor size (SE model) · Track-tuned suspension (SE model)
· Full-size spare tire (SE model)

This striking coupe comes in three trim options for 2007: the stylish and affordable GS, the sporty performance SE and the refined performance GT and GT limited. As an added bonus, the SE model comes standard-equipped with a responsive suspension technology featuring sport-tuned European suspension calibration, Electronic Stability Control and brake assist. The sport-tuned suspension provides the Tiburon with tighter spring calibration and firmer damper control giving the car a grounded, sporty driving sensation similar to that of a European sports car.

TRACK-INSPIRED AND PASSIONATE DESIGN


Combined with the SE's new cross-drilled front brake rotors and updated wheel design, the 2007 Tiburon evokes the tarmac-hugging performance of international motorsport as it strides down the road.

SEGMENT-LEADING SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES


At Hyundai, hard driving begins with safety. That's why the 2007 Tiburon includes a wide range of both active and passive safety features. For 2007, the Tiburon SE gets Electronic Stability Control (ESC), one of the industry's most effective life-saving technologies. IIHS studies show vehicles equipped with ESC experience 56 percent fewer fatalities in single-vehicle crashes. Tiburon SE's ESC system also includes Brake Assist, which provides maximum ABS-level braking force when a panic stop is detected.

Larger front (12-in.) cross-drilled rotors are also standard on the SE. All Tiburon models feature standard four-channel ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) to optimize brake performance under various dynamic loading conditions.

In terms of passive safety, the Tiburon has strong unibody construction, along with front and rear crumple zones, body-side reinforcements, and five-mph energy-absorbing bumpers. The hood also includes buckling creases and safety stops.

Inside, you'll find driver and front passenger advanced frontal airbags, along with front seat-mounted side airbags. The front seatbelts have pretensioners and force limiters, and the outboard rear positions feature LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), which make affixing child safety seats easier.

ENHANCED CHASSIS TÚNING FOR TIBÚRON SE


For 2007, the high-performance Tiburon SE becomes an even more exciting and willing partner for enthusiastic driving. With significantly firmer suspension settings than last year, Tiburon SE goes from being a great handling coupe to a truly exceptional one. The new European-tuned suspension features 13 percent stiffer front spring rate, 10 percent stiffer rear spring rate and unique strut valving. Tiburon SE delivers a 32 percent increase in roll control over the GS. In fact, Tiburon's torsional rigidity is better than the current Infiniti G35 coupe and Tiburon's bending rigidity bests the BMW M3. This superb structural rigidity sets the foundation for precisely tuned handling performance.

All Tiburon models are superbly fun to drive and feature MacPherson strut front and multi-link independent rear suspension. The front suspension uses fade-resistant gas-filled hydraulic struts and a stabilizer bar to control body roll. The multi-link rear system precisely tunes the chassis via gas-filled hydraulic shocks and a stabilizer bar. Advantages of the multi-link rear suspension include optimized rear suspension geometry for added handling and braking stability.

Precise power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is combined with the suspension for responsive handling. Also standard are 205/55R16 performance tires on the Tiburon GS and wider 215/45R17 rubber on the GT, SE and GT Limited.

Source - Hyundai

Antoine L'Estage wins STPR; X Games field takes shape

Canadian Antoine L'Estage took his second Ú.S. win of the season this weekend at the notoriously tough Waste Management Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally.

'I'm very happy,' said L'Estage. 'We were here to try and win.'



The duo battled turbocharger problems that left their Hyundai Tiburon down on power early on Day 2, but they managed to hold onto their lead. They finished 17 seconds ahead of Rockstar Energy's Tanner Foust and co-driver Chrissie Beavis, who couldn't make up for lost time after having problems with their own turbocharger.

'Everybody suffered issues,' said a philosophical Foust. 'That's just rally racing.'



'It's great,' said Johnson. 'We're super happy to have the car in one piece at the end this weekend.'

Arriving at the finish without major damage was a notable accomplishment at the brutal contest. The course is fast and technical with hazards off the line, and the hot weather is tough on the finely tuned competition cars. Foust said early on that the name of the game was simply 'survival,' with teams forced to walk a fine line between preserving their competition cars and setting top times.

Series leaders Andrew Comrie-Picard and co-driver Marc Goldfarb batted overheating problems in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX and retired early on Saturday. Even so, they remained at the top of the series standings at the end of the day.

Kyle Sarasin and co-driver Mikael Johansson reported transmission failure in their Subaru WRX STi and also called it quits on Saturday.

And it was not an easy debut for the new Subaru Rally Team ÚSA rally cars. Ken Block retired on Day 1 with serious suspension failure in his '08 Subaru WRX STi, while Travis Pastrana rolled his '08 Subaru WRX STi early on Day 2.

With X Games invitations on the line at this event, it was a scramble to the finish for teams hoping to be among the 12 to compete in the high-profile contest. Aside from Tanner Foust, Ken Block and Travis Pastrana - the 2007 X Games medalists, who automatically secured an invitation to return - the top-six points scorers after this round are expected to get a chance to compete.

It is expected that series points leader Andrew Comrie-Picard, Matt Johnson, Antoine L'Estage, Kyle Sarasin, Pat Moro and Nathan Conley will all secure invitations to Los Angeles this summer.

Notably absent from the list is Rockstar Energy's Andy Pinker, who has been dogged by mechanical problems all season. He'll have a final chance to secure a 'wildcard' invitation at the New England Forest Rally in Bethel, Maine, July 11-12.

Rally America is also expected to issue two additional 'at large' invitations to athletes chosen from the broader community.

Rally car racing is considered the extreme sport of automobile racing and is often described simply as 'real cars, real roads, real fast.' This all-season motorsport sees drivers and their co-drivers take modified road cars to the limit as they achieve blistering speeds over courses that cover more than 100 miles of gravel, dirt or snow-covered roads.

2008 marked the 32nd running of the Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally. This year, the event debuted a new event sponsor, Waste Management, and a new two-day format that includes competition on Friday as well as Saturday. Next, the championship moves to Bethel, Maine, for the Round 6 - the New England Forest Rally.

Based in Golden Valley, Minn., Rally America sanctions the premier rally racing series in the Únited States, the Rally America National Championship Series.

Source - Rally America