- The Kia GT Concept, a 390-horsepower rear-wheel-drive sedan with suicide doors, was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show.
- It showcases the Korean automaker's ambitions, with Kia's chief designer declaring, "It's exactly the kind of car Kia should be making."
- Power comes from a 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 engine linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
FRANKFURT, Germany — The Kia GT Concept, a 390-horsepower rear-wheel-drive sedan with suicide doors, was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. It showcases the Korean automaker's ambitions, with Kia's chief designer declaring, "It's exactly the kind of car Kia should be making."
"This concept allows us to explore exciting new design directions, as using a rear-drive layout creates very different proportions compared to a front-wheel-drive car," said Peter Schreyer, Kia's chief design officer.
It is Kia's first rear-wheel-drive vehicle.
Power comes from a 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 engine linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Kia said that inspiration for the GT Concept comes from jet aircraft and the Kia Kee concept, which was unveiled at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show.
Aeronautical design cues on the GT Concept include propeller-style alloy and carbon-fiber wheels, "jet-themed" rearview cameras and "winglets" that curve in front of the front flanks and flow into the headlamps, noted Kia.
The cabin gets a glass instrument panel and copper-colored trim.
Schreyer said it would be a "dream to put this into production."
Inside Line says: A lot more car than you'd expect from a company that uses hamsters to sell its products.
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kkear3 says:
09:36 AM, 09/16/2011
Imagine the rodents Kia will use to sell this thing.
rayzor says:
09:15 AM, 09/16/2011
Nice! Has lots of potentials...
j2j says:
01:28 PM, 09/15/2011
@akitadog
LOL!
How could Kia "carbon copy" the air scoops from Aston when Kia's doesn't have the divider detail?
Nevermind the fact that Aston lifted the whole oversized air scoops thing from Hyundai and Kia, but Aston's air scoops are just as much of a carbon copy of those on the Veloster concept (which also has the divider).
Plus, if anything, the air scoops on the Kia GT are more like those on the Citroen GT concept than on the One-77, but that leads us back to the air scoops on the Kia Kee concept.
akitadog says:
09:07 AM, 09/15/2011
j2j, I misread your comment. You're claiming that the AM scoops are bisected by the divider, not the headlights are bisected. I'll grant you that. But that doesn't take anything away from the fact that the Kia GT CARBON-COPIED the scoops from the AM. Tel me, why would Kia copy to the last detail a scoop design from another automaker, who, you claim, copied from them? Never mind that Kia and Hyundai are technically two different car companies, but that's another argument for a different day.
akitadog says:
08:49 AM, 09/15/2011
Dear God, here we go...
to j2j and kopee35. Maybe you should actually read my posts before you respond.
The Kia GT's scopps are EXACTLY LIKE THE ONE-77's scoops, down to the angles of the planes and the bisecting headlights.
Here's a link to the Veloster Concept to show that the headlights are NOT bisected.
http://cdn7.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/img_1267.jpg
Here's another example, just for sh!ts and giggles:
http://img2.netcarshow.com/Hyundai-Veloster_Concept_2007_800x600_wallpaper_01.jpg
The Veloster concept scoop STARTS on the LOWER EDGE of the headlights (IT DOES NOT BISECT IT, no matter how much you want to tell yourself that), and swoops down and outward, then it swoops back inward. It DOES NOT BISECT THE HEADLIGHT (I have no idea how you can imagine that it does) and it does not merge into the fender perpendicular to the ground. The ONLY thing it shares with the AM is that it STARTS parallel to the ground at the top.
Hey, look, I even gave credit to H/K for starting the ugly-ass air scoops in the fender, and I know how auto designs borrow, alter and, yes, steal from other cars, but there is NO DOUBT that the way AM styled their scoop was COPIED TO THE TEE by the Kia GT. I've presented my argument, with details. But, this is like talking to a brick wall.
Couple of idiots... (See! I can name-call, too!)
kopee35 says:
03:12 AM, 09/15/2011
@akitadog if you say kia ripped off aston martin one 77's scoop, then you should also know that they (aston martin) ripped off that design cue from the hyundai veloster concept of 2007
Have a look and u'll see what i mean
http://www.tuningnews.net/news/070904a/hyundai-veloster-coupe-concept.jpg
U're just being unnecessarily bitter about kia. when they have professional designers in different design centres, why will they be ripping off other cars design's. what u're trying to insinuate doesn't even make sense.
This is a fine car nd please kia build it!
veryhrm says:
12:58 AM, 09/15/2011
from the article: "This concept allows us to explore exciting new design directions, as using a rear-drive layout creates very different proportions compared to a front-wheel-drive car,"
Have i mentioned how much i dislike this focus on "design"? Yes, ok it's nice when a car looks nice... but that's like a tertiary priority. I like things like... initial quality ... features (like neat active suspensions, adjustable ride height etc) ... performance and handling ... gas mileage ... price ... longevity ... serviceability ... good dealer network (yes i'm still indulging the fantasy that there's such a thing as a "good dealer" somewhere out there). If they had twice as many engineers and half the designers it would be fine w/ me.
Oh. i do like how this thing looks from the front. The other angles are kind of "meh".
krankshafted says:
08:47 PM, 09/14/2011
These days everything is being a rip-off of everything else. This company rips off that company, A rips off B, X rips off Y...etc etc etc...
I really don't know what to say about all this, but that car is beautiful regardless.
pathos says:
07:45 PM, 09/14/2011
akitadog says:
08:53 AM, 09/14/2011
Kia is finally getting some respect with their current design language, and they STILL can't help but steal this design from the Aston Martin One-77. Even the friggin' FRONT SCOOPS.
--------------------------------------
If you believe time moves forwards, instead of backwards, then it's the other way around.
j2j says:
07:43 PM, 09/14/2011
"Look at how the front scoops on the AM One-77 start at the top parallel to the ground and BISECT THE HEADLIGHTS (the MAJOR GIVEAWAY OF THE RIPOFF) into top and bottom parts."
@akitadog
Ooh, so the GT has that same detail as the One-77, but let's totally overlook the fact that the One-77 ripped off the whole enlarged air scoop thing.
Plus, not only does the Hyundai Veloster concept have the air scoop design integrated into the headlight casing, it also has the same DIVIDER (bisecting the air scoop design) as the One-77 (a detail that Aston Martin RIPPED off). (Didn't I already state that the One-77's air scoops were more like those on the Veloster concept? Funny how you didn't link photos to the Veloster since that would totally make your accusations asinine.)
@lions208487
Yes, the Genesis sedan looks like a BMW from the side since it has a rear window/C-pillar treatment w/ the Hofmeister kink.
The Genesis is hardly the only one - the G37 sedan, new Lexus GS, Pontiac G8, (old) Passat, Hinda Accord, Subaru Legacy, Toyota Avensis, etc. all look like BMW from the side b/c they use the Hofemeister kink.
And speaking of the GenCoupe looking like the G35 (doesn't look anything like the G35 aside from having the basic coupe shape), the GenCoupe also looks like the Tiburon which PREDATED the G35, so in essence, the G35 looks like the Tiburon.
Bunch of morons...