Kia Stinger GT420 is an Exercise in Building a Fun Racer
Kia has been building a new character for some time. Long gone are the buy one get one free deal that plagued our radio stations in between Usher and Avril Lavigne songs.
The Stinger is Coming
The Korean automakers are really making moves as of late by positioning themselves to consumers with outstanding products. Kia's are quickly becoming the best value brand on the market and with good reason. The Kia Stinger was an interesting addition to the brand and brings some legitimacy to the automaker's lineup.
Photos: Kia
The Mods
First, the boys and girls from the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center in Rüsselsheim, Germany were called to the scene to begin work. They proceded to completely strip the interior, add K&N high-flow intake, HKS Sparks, and Milltek Sport exhaust, tossing out the cats. They also fitted the car with a trans go for quicker shifts and added a cooler to keep temperatures at a reasonable level. After all of the work, the mods produced 422 horsepower from the 3.3 liter twin-turbo V6. Not a bad power boost from the standard 365.
>>Join the conversation about the Stinger GT420 right here in the 6SpeedOnline Forum!
Suspension
The adaptive suspension was removed, and in its place is a stiffer fixed system sitting on Eibach Pro springs. The engineers modified the front cross member for more aggressive camber. Thicker 25mm and 17mm roll bars were fitted front and back, and the entire car rolls on OZ Racing lightweight wheels and Pirelli Trofeo R wheels. Cosmetically, a Stillen front splitter and rear diffuser were added for a more aggressive look and aero.
>>Join the conversation about the Stinger GT420 right here in the 6SpeedOnline Forum!
Stripped Interior
The interior has been completely stripped of almost all non-essentials just as any race car would be. Rear seats, trunk lining, sunroof, and trim have been ripped out and replaced with a roll cag, racing seats, and a fire suppression system. Oddly, the steering wheel, with radio and cruise control buttons still on it, has remained. As has much of the dash, including the climate controls, trim pieces, and surprisingly the screen. The shifter-with plastic silver trim still on it-adorns the center of the trans tunnel like an ancient reminiscent from the past. All in all, 331 pounds were shed from the Stinger.
>>Join the conversation about the Stinger GT420 right here in the 6SpeedOnline Forum!
The Concept
While this isn’t a competition car the concept itself is great fun for fans. For one, it shows that Kia is willing to play around when it comes to their cars and push things to unexpected places. Hopefully, Kia gets into the game a bit and pushes some factory, warranty-backed performance parts. To be fair, it probably isn’t even all that precise on track, but I bet it is simply a ton of long wheel-base fun.
>>Join the conversation about the Stinger GT420 right here in the 6SpeedOnline Forum!
