Kia GT4 Stinger concept: OFFICIAL – Detroit Auto Show

The Kia GT4 Stinger concept (pictured) has been revaled in Detroit

Kia say the GT4 Stinger Concept – revealed at Detroit after a series of teasers ahead of the reveal – is their take on a purebred, affordable sports car. And it looks very promising. Under the bonnet of the striking GT4 Stinger sits a modified version of Kia’s 2.0 litre turbo petrol engine, which is good for 311bhp and drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual ‘box, with a set of 20″ alloys with centre locking and carbon fibre inserts covering 15″ cross-drilled discs and four piston callipers for stopping power.

The GT4′s custom chassis gets independent double wishbone suspension with a shorter wheelbase than a cee’d, is wider than an Optima and has a dramatic swooping roofline that is 9 inches lower than a Rio. It’s a dramatic looking car.

Kia say the GT4 has been designed to look ‘shrink-wrapped’ round the wheels and gets a long bonnet, Kia’s family grill, vertical LED headlights, a carbon fibre front splitter, transparent pillars and a ‘floating’ roof.

Inside, the GT4 looks pared down with bucket seats and moulded leather, rubber mats, pull straps for the doors and no sign of any sort of sound system.

Tom Kearns, Chief Designer at the Kia Design Centre America, said:

Driving enjoyment was the number one priority in designing the GT4 Stinger

It’s a 2+2 sports car that can turn heads as a daily driver while also being right at home on the track.  It’s 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.

Although the Kia GT4 Stinger is billed as a concept, Kearns went on to say:

While there are currently no plans to bring the concept to production, Kia has a history of delivering production vehicles that bear a strong resemblance to the concept that preceded them, and the GT4 Stinger provides a possible and highly provocative glimpse into Kia’s future.

Which sounds like a plan to us.

By Cars UK