We visited the Philadelphia Auto Show this weekend and there were lot’s of sights to be seen. The exotics displays were as good as they’ve ever been, largely thanks to CF Charities and their friends. The hypercar game was strong, with two Bugattis and 3 very unique American offerings from SSC, Mosler and Saleen, among others. It was insane.
The rest of the show was top-notch too, with many of the latest and greatest offerings were on display. We also got to take a quick spin in the new KIA Stinger GT, and the car made a great first impression.
Enjoy the photos, some are mine and some are courtesy of my friend and co-worker Sam Chun. These are some highlights with plenty more to come.
Most people seemed to agree that the KIA Stinger GT looked enticing when it first broke cover. I also heard many people say they’d buy one and de-badge it so no one would know it’s a KIA. With its wonderful proportions, the Stinger GT looks even better in person than it does in photos, and the fact that it’s a KIA doesn’t bug me in the slightest. I’m someone who likes to give credit where credit is due, and this could well be a home run for KIA. Let them have their shine.
I’m very curious to see what pricepoint KIA will place the Stinger at. I think it’s obvious they need to go lower to compete with the likes of the BMW 4 Series, but how much lower before it’s too low to be seen as a genuine competitor?
-Nick
I saw the rear 3/4 view first, and I thought it might be an Alfa. To my surprise the headline said “KIA.” KIA, as in stupid dancing hamsters, KIA, as in obnoxious salesmen, surrounded by colorful balloons, trying to hard sell the shit out of you. KIA, as in the econo-box of econo-boxes. WTF, right?
But really, those of us who’ve been paying attention, aren’t too shocked. KIA, and parent company Hyundai, have been drastically redefining themselves in the past few years. My last memory of KIA is actually of driving the mighty K900 at Pebble Beach a few years back. I actually liked the car itself a lot, but KIA hadn’t done enough with its brand to be making a serious BMW 7 Series rival. $70,000 for a car with a KIA badge was, and is still, a bad joke, but it showed their ambition, and I definitely loved that.
Now we have the KIA Stinger, a bonafide sport sedan with some serious credentials. One thing I love about Hyundai/KIA’s approach in recent years, is they like to bring a bazooka to the gunfight. They really do their homework when developing a new model, and they aim to win.
This is Kia’s new K900, and it costs $60,000… that’s right, $60,000… for a Kia. That sounds outrageous, I know, and it may even be enough to render any of the K900’s good attributes irrelevant. But I’ve always been a fan of giving the benefit of the doubt to anyone willing to try their best, so it was with that mindset that I took the wheel of this white Kia K900.
So what do you get for your $60 grand?
Mind Over Motor 