HYUNDAI'S stylish HCD8 supercar concept was unveiled to an impressed audience at the Detroit Auto Show. The HCD8 is the first car to come from the all-new $30 million Hyundai Design and Technical Centre in Irvine, California.

The design team used marketing research from Hyundai Motor America to design a sporty vehicle that offers more flexibility, more usable space and easier access for passengers and luggage. Joel Piaskowski, chief designer at the Hyundai Design and Technical Centre, said: "The Hyundai HCD8 sports tourer was designed to address the sporty car market and still meet the values and needs of today's consumer."

He added: "The HCD8 is designed to be a high-performance car for everyday use. We also stayed true to the core Hyundai asset of making it good value - the HCD8 offers more value within its market segment." The interior is finished with two-tone Vapor Grey leather seating surfaces complemented by wood flooring and wood and aluminium trimmed steering wheel rim and shift lever knob. The aluminium trim is trimmed with a nickel finish.

The HCD8 with its supercharged 2.7-litre V6 engine, six-speed manual transaxle and tuned dual exhaust provides performance to match its styling. The driver can adjust the ride height a total of four inches through the air suspension. The vehicle can sit low for high-speed touring or can be raised to handle poor weather, avoid speed bumps or any other situation where additional ground clearance is needed.