What is a GT car?
Let’s harken back to the 19th century – an invention called the automobile is introduced, opening up a myriad of opportunities to eplore untraveled frontiers. With an expanding geographic map thanks to the advent of automobiles, luxury and comfort had to be considered to the design of vehicles that were once nothing more than utilitarian means of transport. GT, short for Gran Turismo in Italian, is a term derived from the need for more comfortable and stylish long-distance rides. The very first GT were created by several manufacturers in the early 20th century to satisfy these new demands.
The beginning
“It [GT concept] was a dream project for me and our designers because we got the chance to make a real GT, a car where you can travel in style.” – Peter Schreyer, Chief Design Officer, Kia Motors Corp.
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As top-tier, high-performing cars, the development of a modern day Kia GT posed a complex challenge. So where do we start? The very beginning seems like a good place.
Back in 2011, the Kia GT (KED-8) Concept was first unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show, turning heads and immediately rippling into a worldwide buzz.
The GT concept was Kia’s first rear-wheel drive show car and was widely praised by the media and fans as a scene-stealing everyday car that also would be perfectly at home on the racetrack. Pure, simple, and classic, its design was unlike anything seen before from Kia Motors.
Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer commented that the GT concept is “roaring with energy, ready for take-off”. Peter Schreyer, along with Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer of Kia Design Center Europe, and Albert Biermann, Head of Vehicle Test & High Performance Development, have combined to form the driving force behind the transformation of the GT concept car into a mass production vehicle that is now ready for a worldwide take-off.
In the works: GT4 Stinger
Four and a half years later, Kia introduced yet another GT-inspired concept car, the GT4 Stinger, at the 2014 North American International Auto Show. The GT4 Stinger was designed by Kia’s U.S. design team in Irvine, California and had everyone raving about the preview of a possible “first real sports car” for the Kia brand.
This wild four-cylinder engine street rocket brought home the silver International Design Excellence Award (IDEA) in the transportation category presented by the Industrial Designers Society of America that same year. As we all can agree, the GT4 Stinger was another important step in the development of the Kia Stinger.
Ready: The production version Kia Stinger
Six years after the original GT concept was shown at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, we proudly present to you the Stinger, Kia’s first ever GT production car. With all the trademarks of a classic sports sedan, the Stinger comes with a handful of silver linings: V6 Twin Turbo Engine, Dynamic Stability Damping Control (DSDC), Mechanical Limited Slip Differential, Paddle Shifters, Launch Control, Brembo Brakes, Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Active Hood Lift System (AHLS), Driver Attention Alert (DAA), and much more.
In order to fine tune this car into a masterpiece, the Stinger was developed on the racetrack and tested to the extremes over thousands of kilometers across urban, country and outback roads.
Hard work never disappoints, and the years of perseverance by Kia’s designers and engineers have resulted in the Stinger being internationally praised by media, car enthusiasts, critics, daily drivers, and many more for excelling in all the criteria that a bona fide GT is expected to meet.
Our dream, your ride
It is a dream-come-true for us to put you behind the wheel of the Stinger. We guarantee a comfortable, safe, and exciting gran turismo experience with every kilometer you drive and promise you more thrilling adventures along the way.
So leave the “getting there” part to us and let us ask – where to next? If you can’t answer this question, stay tuned for destination recommendations in Part 2!
▶ Read more about the Stinger’s groundbreaking performance!
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