Motoring Middle East: Car news, Reviews and Buying guides

Bring it on Kia – 2+2, 300bhp, RWD, manual sports car!

By Shahzad Sheikh

Once again the Koreans pull out a suprise. And this one we really want. A low-slung agressive sports car with classic proportions but ultra-futuristic styling.

It gets better though, under the bonnet of this thing is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine that puts out 315bhp and can be tuned up to 400bhp! It drives the rear wheels through a manual six-speed transmission.

Despite it sleek looks, this is actually a reasonable practical four-seater sports car and was designed by the ‘gearheads’ as they are described at Kia’s California design studio.

It features 20-inch centre-lock wheels with carbon inserts and Brembo brakes. It’s a custom chassis with independent double wishbone suspension and weighs just 1300kg.

Kia says there are no plans to produce this as it’s merely a concept – but at the same time it says ‘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.’

By its own admission though, the GT4 Stinger is the perfect car for ‘gearheads and enthusiasts’. We reckon they should definitely build this, and if they can bring it over here and keep the price to around the AED150k mark, there’ll be a queue as long as the Burj Khalifa is tall!