Kia tested the waters for a performance oriented Korean car in the pro_cee'd, but it may be about to launch a full attack on the segment if the GT4 Stinger is anything to go by. Unveiled at NAIAS in Detroit the Stinger is a 315hp rear-wheel drive coupé that Kia says harks "back to the glory days of purebred, affordable sports cars."
Exterior
Longer than a cee'd, wider than a Kia Optima and substantially lower than a Rio, the GT4 Stinger is a classic sports car in its layout with a long bonnet and a cabin seemingly slung out over the custom made 20-inch rear wheels at the back. There is also more than a hint of muscle car, what with the short rear overhang and clamshell bonnet that may point towards what Kia sees as the Stinger's biggest market.
The front end could also give us a look into Kia's future with a reimagining of the 'Tiger Nose' grille and vertical LED lights both featuring. Transparent A-pillars lead to the roof looking like it floats from the C-pillar while also providing an uninterrupted 270-degree view. The pillars themselves feature layered slots cut into them.
Interior
Inside the Stinger is devoid of carpets in a bid to save weight. Only a rubberised mat separates the occupants from the chassis below. Billet-aluminium is used extensively; from the door handles to the pedals and there isn't even a radio - chief designer Tom Kearns says that "The audio system starts under the hood and the speakers are the exhaust pipes." There is also a rear strut brace inside the boot as this 2+2 is meant to be as at home on the track as it is on the road.
Mechanicals
To that end Kia has taken inspiration from its successful motorsport team - yes it exists, stop that sniggering. Kia Racing and partner Kinetic Motorsports won both the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Drivers and Team Championships in 2012 with the Forte Koup and are busy preparing for a third season of the Pirelli World Challenge, in which it took second place in the Manufacturer's Championship last year.
The race Optimas are powered by a tuned version of Kia's turbocharged 2.0-litre GDI engine that are good for 400hp. For the concept this engine has been detuned, but only down to 315hp, and all of that power goes to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.
Despite being inspired by the racers the Stinger actually features a completely bespoke chassis with independent double wishbone suspension. It also has a quick-ratio steering rack, 15-inch Brembo brakes and, thanks to the lack of carpets and such, it tips the scales at 1,304kg - or a shade more than the Toyota GT86. This weight is distributed 52/48 (front/rear) over the chassis, which leads us to believe the designer's assertion that "driving enjoyment was the number one priority in designing the GT4 Stinger."
Anything else?
While there are currently no plans to put the GT4 Stinger into production Kia does says that the car "provides a possible and highly provocative glimpse into Kia's future." Please keep the drivetrain Kia!