Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

FRANKFURT, Germany — The Kia GT Concept, was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, a 390-horsepower rear-wheel-drive sedan with suicide doors. It showcases the Korean automaker's ambitions, with Kia's chief designer declaring, "It's exactly the kind of car Kia should be making." It has certainly taken the company too long to get around to designing a sports car, but Kia's first rear-wheel drive car is a beauty, and it's packing a V-6 turbo, too. Kia has been changing what people think about Korean cars for well over a year now thanks to some impressive designs, and now the automaker is looking to add some performance to its lineup with the new GT Concept – the first ever rear-drive vehicle by Kia.

Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

This is the Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. Kia has appeared to step out of their zone of bland economy cars and into the arena of sleek custom cars. The Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show apparently gives a hint to the company's new design direction inspired by "the iconic 1970s GT cars, capable of whisking passengers from Paris to the South of France in effortless style and at high speed. It would be a dream to put this into production" says Peter Schreyer, Kia design chief. "It's exactly the kind of car Kia should be making."

Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

Set to be unveiled tomorrow at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, the Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show is a rear-drive coupe-styled sedan that we can now confirm is powered by a turbocharged and direct-injection 3.3-liter V6 making 395-hp and 394 lb-ft of torque. Helping get power to the ground in a smooth and fuel efficient manner is an 8-speed automatic transmission. This four-seat concept, introduced at the Frankfurt auto show, hints at the expected rear-wheel-drive sports sedan from Kia—which would be a first for the brand. It’s looking like a pretty sure thing, while also looking pretty darn good and unlike anything we’ve seen yet from Korea.

Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

It’s Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show a turbocharged version of the direct-injected 3.3-liter V-6 engine the conglomerate sells in other markets. In this application, it’s tied to the new eight-speed automatic seen in the Genesis and Equus, and delivers 390 hp and 394 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. The engine makes sense as the downsized replacement for the Koreans’ current 4.6-liter V-8. When the GT—or some semblance thereof—goes into production, either a turbocharged four-cylinder or a naturally aspirated V-6 will likely power the base model.

Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

“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,” says Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Design Officer. ”The classic front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout of a performance saloon has distinct appeal not just for the domestic Korean audience, but also for the European and American markets.”

Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

Ignore the carbon-fiber wheel fins and sills, the glass-panel OLED interior controls, and the suicide doors, and you still end up with an attractive and eye-catching design. Kia design chief Peter Schreyer has gone on record saying he wants to build more interesting and fun-to-drive cars, and this is one about which he’s clearly excited. The GT’s silhouette reminds somewhat of the Porsche Panamera and Audi A7, which is no bad thing. At least when it comes to styling, where it has in the past diverged most from its Hyundai sibling, Kia seems to be heading in the right direction.

Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show New vehicle platforms being the expensive, engineering-intensive undertakings that they are, we fully expect the production version of this Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show to ride on underpinnings shared with Hyundai. Kia even supplied dimensions for the GT (more evidence of an imminent if not already lit green light), quoting a wheelbase of 112.6 inches, which is three inches shy of the Hyundai Genesis sedan’s and 1.6 greater than the Genesis Coupe’s. In other words, it’s doable with the company’s current rear-drive parts.
Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show the 4.690 mm long and 1.890 mm wide concept car, which signals Kia’s distinctive new design direction, has the classic front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout of a high performance sedan sport which ensures very different proportions from a front-wheel drive car.

Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

The new Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show allowed Kia to explore exciting new visual paths – with an extended bonnet, the front wheels pushed to the very front of the Kia GT Concept Car At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, the cab-rearward stance with powerful rear shoulders and a truncated rear end. The front doors and rear-hinged back doors open at a slight upward angle ensuring easy access to the spacious and airy interior which provides generous, uncluttered cabin accommodation for four – thanks in part to the Kia GT’s unusually long wheelbase (2.860 mm) and despite its low stance, overall height is just 1.380 mm.