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More Kia GT4 Stinger Concept details
Kia confirms six-speed manual gearbox, bespoke platform and Brembo brakes for GT4 Stinger concept
This is the latest teaser pictures of the Kia GT4 Stinger concept. The new image reveals the car from above, showing the car's vented bonnet and darkened A-pillars - a classic design cue that's supposed to recall a racing helmet and visor.
The bird's eye view also reveals that the car's rear wheelarches are flared out more widely than the fronts, making sure there's no mistaking that the Stinger is rear-wheel drive. The firm has also confirmed that the concept is painted in a colour called Ignition Yellow.
Kia has also released more juicy details ahead of its Detroit debut. We now know it will be called the GT4 Stinger and be powered by a 311bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, driving the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. We have also learned that the Stinger will be built on its own, bespoke platform that has independent double wishbone suspension all round.
Set to debut at the Detroit Motor Show on 13 January, the GT4 Stinger has been designed at Kia's American Design Centre in California and shows a dramatic evolution of Kia's current design language. The most striking feature is a much larger floating 'Tiger Nose' grille that dominates the front end and glows white around its perimeter.
Also visible are two columns of LED strips, instead of conventional headlights, and a pair of vents in the bonnet help feed air to the turbocharged engine underneath. According to Kia's press release the concept is fitted with a carbon-fibre splitter below the front bumper to boost downforce. It's also fitted with 20-inch centre-lock alloys with carbon fibre inserts to help reduce weight.
These are shod with 275/35R20 Pirelli P-Zero tyres. The wheels cover Brembo Gran Tourismo two-piece cross-drilled brake discs clamped by four-piston calipers.
Kia is playing its cards close to its chest about the possibility of this 2+2 coupe making production, insisting its ony a styling exercise at this stage. However, Kia has never been shy about its desire to add a sports car to the line-up. Back in 2011 European CEO Paul Philpott told us: “2011 and 2012 are about establishing the brand. But for 2013 and 2014, we’re thinking about halo models that stretch the company forward.”
Kia has also confirmed that a production version of its 2011 GT concept will go on sale in 2016 - although it's still not clear whether it will use a rear or front-wheel drive layout.
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Why O why doesn't Peter Schreyer return to the Volkswagen Group and resuscitate their design language that is beginning to resemble a dirge?
Having made the mistake of having a Kia & now the proud owner of a Skoda Octavia vRS, I know which I would choose everytime. A VAG car, without question as the quality is so much better.
Your Hate Trolling at every KIA/Hyundai article & repeating your preference for Skoda is really getting boring & immature.
What was the song "It takes a worried man to sing a worried song"? Western Yeoman is clearly worried!
I like the Kia GT4 Stinger concept
Perhaps you can't handle the truth, that Kia are dire quality.
They're trying to blame fuel companies for their engines losing power without warning and stopping in the outside lanes of motorways. They bodged the DAB radio with an installation that Heath Robinson would have been proud of.
Paint of poor quality and so on & so forth. If you don't like it tough. I'd rather have any car other than a kia.
Must have a guide dog.
Worried about what? Kia have a long way to go before they catch up with the competition.
Absolutely not in a position to comment about Kia one way or another. However am underwhelmed by Skoda, except for the Yeti before it was "blandified".The late model Octavia was not a pleasure to travel in and local private hire car owners appear to have abandoned the marque in favour of, guess what, Hyundai!
because he left VW exactly because he couldn't do what he wanted? VW is set in their ways, and they are still getting the praise even though they they are making nothing remarkable or notable. they even managed to ugly up the one truly beautiful car they had (passat cc)
MG should take note!
Aha... VAG quality...
Western Yeoman probably never heard anything about T(F)SI and DSG problems...? Just to mention two BIG VAG issues.
That's shows that the taxi drivers in your area are to say the least plebs, most of them around here have Skoda, VW, Mercs & the worst is a Vauxhall.
Never had any issues with any TSi engine from VW, never had any issues with the TDi engines from VW,
Did have a glitch with a DSG box, sorted under warranty and ran sweet as anything after that.
The DSG/Dual clutch gear boxes are vastly superior to the old fashioned Torque Convertor boxes, which are prevalent on the KIa,
They're old fashioned, out dated, inefficient and should be consigned to the skip. Even the new ZF boxes are superior to them,
The main DSG issues are in foreign countries where the climate is completely different (usually hot/very hot) to the UK's temperate climate, perhaps that's why I've never had any problems with them,
Not that I care about the Kia & having seen further pictures of this new vehicle, it's a pee take of the darn awful American muscle cars of the 70's & 80's.