Auto News 5

In case you've missed the reports from, well, everywhere, Hyundai has been quite successful of late. Since 2008 -- about the time industry-wide auto sales jumped off a cliff - the Korean automaker has more than doubled its market share in the United States. Sales continue to set company records every month, inventories are low, and resale values are climbing. All very nice, but why does any of it matter to enthusiasts? Here's why: rising automakers with cash to burn have historically produced some fun cars. The 1964 Pontiac GTO, the 1974 Volkswagen Scirocco, the 1989 Mazda Miata, the 1990 Acura NSX, and even the 1998 Toyota Prius (for those willing to broaden their interpretation of "enthusiast's car") emerged from companies with enough money and confidence to roll the dice on something that just seemed interesting. That's why our eyes widened when we spotted the Veloster at this year's Detroit auto show. Eclectic but attractive, weird but not off-putting, efficient yet sporty. And although it has a lock on the growing premium-compact segment, it's not like anything on the market -- a first for the conservative automaker. Could this three-door, 40-mpg runabout be Hyundai's breakthrough enthusiast's car? We traveled to Portland, Oregon, to find out.