TIBURON WANTS TO EAT COMPETITORS; Any V6 pony car enthusiasts out there?(News)

Byline: MARK VAUGHN

In between the 9000-rpm ultra-whine of a Honda four and the thumping roar of a mighty domestic V8 lies the humble V6-powered Hyundai Tiburon.

Face-lifted and chassis-stiffened for 2007, the Tiburon offers a choice for those who can't decide between the Ford Mustang GT and the Honda Civic Si. Ha ha, you laugh, as if there are any cross shoppers between those groups. But wait, Hyundai sells about 20,000 or so Tiburons a year, so maybe there are a few.

With stiffer bars and springs front and rear, the Tiburon gets even more competitive this year. Roll stiffness is up 45 percent at the front end and 17 percent in back.

The engines carry over, but they're good engines. The 2.7-liter dohc 24-valve V6 still makes 172 hp at 6000 rpm and 181 lb-ft of torque at 3800. And it offers 19 mpg city and 27 highway, too.

The aging 2.0-liter four Beta engine cranks out 138 hp at 6000, 136 lb-ft at 4500, thanks to continuously variable valve timing and a few other modern amenities.

Hyundai lists Tiburon competition as the Civic Si, which has more peak horsepower at 197 but gets it way the heck up there at 7800 rpm. Not only is the V6 Tiburon's peak lower, at 6000 rpm, it also has a torque peak of 181 at 3800 rpm vs. the Civic Si's lowly 139 torque peak at 6200 rpm.