Kia Motors will forever remember 2014 Detroit Motor Show, because it was the venue where they introduced their first-ever sports car. It is the Kia GT4 Stinger concept we are talking about; a rear-wheel-drive, 300 horsepower, 6-speed manual low and wide fun machine, introducing the Korean car maker to a whole new segment.
We’ve already know what there is to know about the Stinger, but there are some interesting tidbits in the press materials Kia has released, including a comment by one of Kia’s chief designers who says: “GT4 Stinger is a throwback to days when driving a car was a visceral experience that wasn’t muted by electronic gimmickry.” Sounds fantastic!
Kia also says they’ve used their experiences in the Pirelli World Challenge racing series with the Optima and Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car with Forte in terms of weight reduction, functionality and pure driving enjoyment. And the Stinger does benefit from that big time.
The concept car weighs about 2,874 pounds and has almost bang on weight distribution of 52 percent up front and 48 percent at the rear. This, and the low center of gravity brought on by a low and wide profile, makes the car handle brilliantly. Meanwhile 315 horsepower coming from a 2.0 liter turbo engine, fed through a six-speed manual gearbox to the rear wheels, provides more than enough oomph to make that sweet handling doubly enjoyable.
Kia GT4 Stinger is a brilliant effort by the Korean car maker; the best concept car they’ve made in years, nay, ever. The only question is if they are going to make it. Kia officials at NAIAS are making all the right noises about it, but do not expect to see the Stinger on the road any time soon.