Detroit Show: KIA GT4 Stinger Concept
Go on Kia, take a bow. You did good.
We’re talking about the Kia GT4 Stinger Concept, which is, as you might’ve already noticed, quite a handsome beast.
KIA GT4 STINGER CONCEPT REVEALED
Kia likes a good concept and since former Audi man Peter Schreyer stepped into the designer slippers in Seoul, we’ve liked a Kia concept.
From the Trackster to the Provo, there’s just nothing like a Schreyer show car but there is a problem – they won’t make them. Will the GT4 Stinger break the curse?
Inside & Out
The design is simple, but effective with a more than a hint of retro cool. The lines are smooth, the almost Mercedes SLS-esque face is bold and the proportions are bang-on.
Heavily sculpted wheelarches complete the look giving the car real presence and, well, just plain and simple sex appeal, really.
See those funny looking A-pillars? They’re transparent to provide the driver with greater visibility, although, we can’t imagine anything like this featuring on a production car.
The Technical Bits
The Stinger is not all show and no go, this small rear wheel drive coupe is powered by a 2.0 litre turbo engine which produces a stout 234kw. A six-speed manual gearbox sends power, thankfully, to the rear wheels.
Stopping power is supplied by Brembo Gran Turismo cross drilled rotors with four-piston calipers. The car wears 235 section Pirelli P-Zero tyres at the front and larger 275s at the rear.
The pretty little Kia coupe weighs in at just over 1300kg and does away with unnecessary interior luxuries such as carpets, a stereo and even door handles to save weight.
Kia says there’s no need for a stereo because “the GT4 Stinger’s free-flow exhaust burbles and blurts unabashedly and is music to the ears of driving enthusiasts everywhere” – sounds very promising indeed.
“[The GT4 Stinger] is about purity, simplicity and timelessness. The GT4 Stinger is a throwback to days when driving a car was a visceral experience that wasn’t muted by electronic gimmickry.”
– Tom Kearns, Chief Designer, Kia Design Centre America
Unfortunately Kia has no plans to put a car like this into production any time soon (insert sad face). Instead we can expect to see some design elements from the GT4 Stinger in future Kia models.
Man up and build the damn car, Kia. We’ll all buy it.
Read all of our 2014 Detroit Motor Show coverage here.
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