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The amazing Kia GT4 Stinger revealed in Detroit gives the Scion FR-S a run for its money

Peter Braun
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Kia GT4 Stinger front angle
Kia GT4 Stinger front
Kia GT4 Stinger rear
Kia GT4 Stinger rear angle
Kia GT4 Stinger front end angle
Kia GT4 Stinger grill macro
Kia GT4 Stinger door details
Kia GT4 Stinger rear emblem
Kia GT4 Stinger rear angle
Kia GT4 Stinger rear rim
Kia GT4 Stinger rim macro
Kia GT4 Stinger interior door
Kia GT4 Stinger interior steering wheel
Kia GT4 Stinger shifter
Kia GT4 Stinger steering wheel
Kia GT4 Stinger
Kia GT4 Stinger
Kia GT4 Stinger
Kia GT4 Stinger
Kia GT4 Stinger
Kia GT4 Stinger
Kia GT4 Stinger
Kia GT4 Stinger
Kia GT4 Stinger
Kia GT4 Stinger
Kia GT4 Stinger
Kia GT4 Stinger
Kia GT4 Stinger
Kia GT4 Stinger

Watch out Scion FR-S, there is a new kid on the block … and he looks mean. Kia just unveiled its new GT4 Stinger concept, and – wow – this is not your dad’s Kia.

As it happens, Kia has been on a bit of a roll with exciting cars. The Optima Turbo, and the brand-new K900 all suggest that Kia brass want to take the company in a more exciting, more aggressive direction. To be honest, I haven’t been completely convinced. That is, until now.

The GT4 Stinger is a true sports car front engine, rear drive and near perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Under that menacing hood, it packs a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline direct injected four-cylinder that is good for 315 horsepower. This, in a car that weighs just 2,874 pounds. It should also stop pretty briskly because it’s fitted with 15-inch Brembo Gran Turismo brakes. My face hurts at the prospect of stopping this thing.

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Still, my favorite part of this car – hands down – is the looks. The combination of the Kia’s signature grille and those vertical LED lights make the front end look downright sinister. Add in the flaring rear wheel arches and the classic 2+2 sports car silhouette, and you get one damn fine looking sports car.

There are some very cool touches, too. You get things like a carbon fiber front splitter and A-pillars that are transparent with layered slots cut in to reduce weight and add to visibility. The result is that the drive gets an unbeatable 270-degree field of vision. That should be handy when you are trying to find the apex of a corner. 

Some people are going to say that this car is bad just because of the badge, and that is just wrong. Sure, Kia is not the most storied name in automotive circles, but cars like this are how companies make their names.   

The only big worry is that Kia won’t make this car. It is, after all, still just a concept. But as the popularity of the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ has shown, there is room in the market for simple affordable sports cars. And, on paper at least, the Stinger has the FR-S beat.

The chief designer of the GT4 Stinger, Tom Kearns says, “It’s a totally selfish design. The design team at KCDA (Kia Design Center America) is full of gearheads and enthusiasts, and the GT4 Stinger is the perfect car for that kind of crowd.” Tom, if this car is selfish, then give me more where that came from. 

Looking for more Detroit news? Check out the rest of our coverage from the 2014 North American International Auto Show.

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2015 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 4Matic Coupe offers a sophisticated approach to speed
2015 mercedes benz s63 amg 4matic coupe feature

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe is a great car to look at and be coddled by, but performance isn't really its thing. Enter AMG.
Completing the Mercedes big coupe line's transition from CL-Class to S-Class, the S63 AMG 4Matic Coupe will be unveiled at the 2014 New York Auto Show next month.
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At the heart of this luxury ballistic missile is a 5.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 similar to the one used in the S63 AMG sedan. It produces 577 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque - the same as the sedan, and 41 hp and 74 lb-ft more than the CL63 AMG this car replaces.
The engine is coupled to an AMG Speedshift MCT seven-speed automatic transmission, and a performance-tuned version of Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel drive system, with a standard torque split of 33/67 percent front/rear. Amusingly, the S63 also features an "Eco" driving mode and standard engine start-stop.
Another way to save fuel (and increase performance) is to make a car lighter, and that's exactly what AMG's engineers did. While it's not a Lotus Elise, Mercedes says the S63 is up to 140 pounds lighter than the CL63, depending on equipment.
That still makes for a car that weighs around 4,400 pounds, but that fire-breathing V8 will accelerate it to 60 mph from a standstill in just 3.9 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 186 mph.
The S63 AMG Coupe also features Airmatic adaptive air suspension, so it should still have the cushy ride of its siblings should the drive desire it. With the pedal to the metal, though, Mercedes says the car will still be entertaining, thanks to model-specific tuning that includes a larger front anti-roll bar and stiffer subframe carrier for the rear axle.
Optional carbon-ceramic brakes will reign in the big coupe if things get too entertaining. They're surrounded by lightweight 20-inch AMG alloy wheels.
Other than the sporty wheels, bystander will be able to tell an AMG from a normal S-Class by its more aggressive front fascia with AMG-specific grille and front-splitter. New side skirts, rear diffuser, and twin chrome tailpipes complete the look.
AMG has done a great job of integrating these elements into the S-Class Coupe's sensuous design. The overall effect is that of a complete car rather than a hot rod or tuner version of the base model.
On the inside, the S63 AMG Coupe gets sport seats and an AMG steering wheel - in addition to all of the luxuries of a "base" S-Class Coupe.
The 2015 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 4Matic Coupe will be unveiled at the 2014 New York Auto Show, which opens April 16, and will go on sale this fall.
It will launch with a special Edition 1 model, which features Magno Alanite Grey matte paint and LED performance headlights with embedded Swarovski crystals, among other things. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date.

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2015 BMW M4 convertible adds sunshine to the M4’s resume
2015 BMW M4 convertible

BMW will follow up the highly-anticipated 2015 M3 sedan and M4 coupe with the debut of an all-new M4 convertible at the 2014 New York Auto Show.
Waiting in the wings since the sedan and coupe debuted at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, the M4 convertible is almost identical to its siblings, other than the folding roof.
That means the convertible has the same 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged inline-six as its siblings, producing 425 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. It also comes with the same choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed M-DCT transmissions.
The M4 convertible also comes with the same high-tech hardware as the fixed-roof cars - including the Active M Differential and Adaptive M Suspension - so cornering should be just as much fun with the top down.
That top, by the way, is made of metal, just like on the last M3 convertible. BMW says improvements for the M4 reduce cabin noise by 2 decibels (the better to hear that straight-six), while an upgraded wind blocker will keep occupants' toupees intact.
Retracting the top takes 20 seconds at speeds up to 11 mph, but stowing it eats up almost half of the M4's trunk space.
However, that's a minor inconvenience compared to the weight penalty for going topless.
While the 2015 M4 convertible was subject to the same diet as its siblings - and weighs about 90 pounds less than the previous M3 convertible - it still weighs about 500 pounds more than the M4 coupe.
That added bulk shows when the stopwatches come out.
The M4 convertible will do 0 to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds with the M-DCT transmission, or 4.4 seconds with the manual. That's pretty quick, but the coupe takes just 3.9 seconds with the dual-clutch and 4.1 seconds with the manual. Both cars are limited to 155 mph.
Buyers should expect to pay a bit more as well. The 2015 BMW M4 convertible will arrive in U.S. showrooms this summer, most likely at a slight premium over the M4 coupe's $65,125 base price.
In addition to the M4 convertible, BMW will unveil the 2015 X4 crossover coupe and 2015 Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe at the New York Auto Show, which begins April 16. Check back here for the latest updates.

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BMW M4 Convertible to drop its top at the 2014 New York Auto Show?
2014 BMW M4 Coupe front angle

The 2015 BMW M4 coupe and M3 sedan may have finally broken cover, but there's still one model missing from the lineup.
The 2015 BMW M4 convertible will be unveiled at the 2014 New York Auto Show next month, just in time for convertible season in the Northeast, according to BimmerToday.
Like the M3 convertible it replaces, the M4 should be identical to its hardtop coupe sibling.
It will feature the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six as the M4 coupe and M3, with 425 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. Expect the six-speed manual and seven-speed M Dual Clutch Transmission options to remain the same as well.
In addition to the optional dual-clutch gearbox, an Active M Differential and an M-tuned version of BMW's electronic power steering mean the M4 convertible won't be lacking in the gadget department.
A major focus of the 2015 M4's design was weight reduction, and this might be where the convertible parts ways with its sibling.
Convertibles - particularly ones with folding hardtops like the M4's - are almost always heavier than their fixed-roof counterparts. It will be interesting to see if BMW put the M4 convertible on a special diet to try to even that difference out.
Regardless of how much it weighs, the 2015 M4 convertible will likely get the same styling enhancements as the M4 coupe and M3. That means bolder front and rear fascias, bigger wheels and tires, and shark-like gills on the sides of the front fenders.
After its unveiling at the 2014 New York Auto Show, which opens April 16, the M4 convertible will reportedly go on sale this fall. It looks like Bimmer fans will have to wait until next summer to enjoy their maximum-attack convertibles.
BMW has a pretty full docket prepared for New York. It's already confirmed the unveiling of the 2015 X4 crossover and the 2015 Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe. The 2015 X3, 4 Series Gran Coupe, and X5 eDrive concept will make appearances as well.

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