Want proof that times are changing? Here you go: This is a Hyundai that we actually want - no, strike that, that we can't wait - to drive. The Genesis coupe is based on the Korean company's rear-wheel-drive Genesis sedan, and while it won't get the sedan's 4.6-liter V-8, it still will get a healthy dose of horsepower under the hood. Buyers will have a choice between a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-banger pumping out 212 hp on regular fuel (or 223 hp on premium) and a 3.8-liter V-6 producing 306 hp (preliminary figures).

Although it boasts a curb weight of about 3500 pounds, the two-door Genesis should be able to keep up with the big boys in this segment from a technology standpoint. Four-piston brake calipers, optional nineteen-inch wheels, a track-tuned suspension, a front strut-tower brace, and a Torsen limited-slip differential will help entice performance-oriented customers into Hyundai showrooms. (Yes, that's right: "performance-oriented customers" and "Hyundai" in the same sentence.) Topping it all off is an MSRP that our sources indicate will match or undercut that of the Ford Mustang.

CHEAP, CHEERFUL, AND PUTTING THE BIG BOYS ON NOTICE: A viable Mustang competitor with an enthusiast bent and a low price? Sign us up.