Kia UK unveils Stinger GT420 one-off track car

Most off the cuff remarks or pie-in-the-sky ideas are dismissed as soon as they are talked about. The good thing about having big plans is that you have the time and usually the budget to execute them. This is where big, bold concepts usually fall by the wayside, or are parked for another day, or usually indefinitely....

But this is Kia Motors UK, and they're known for doing things a little differently, and so when it came to ordering a truck to deliver the UK's very first Stinger to the crusher at the end of 2018, there was an unfortunate and mysterious delay in creating the necessary paperwork. In the background, while he was in the showroom at Kia HQ, the product and press relations team leaders were gathered together to discuss ways of secretly storing the HiChroma Red «GT S». After all, it had an interesting story to tell, as it was delivered to the UK in early 2017, as it was a homologation prototype car that was then subjected to countless tests to prove its integrity as Kia's new flagship.

Wearing plate number LA66 HTG and registered on Wednesday February 22, 2017, it has been the cover car for many British publications, photographed at the Longcross Proving Grounds in Surrey. Its fame was secured through its appearance on the BBC television programs «Top Gear» and Amazon's «The Grand Tour». Members of the public were also able to climb this early car as it was used as a dealer showroom at the Kia Motor Show, where events around the country could be seen. Typically, prototype cars travel a couple thousand miles, but this well-used example clocked an impressive 10,000 miles.

Most importantly, this was the car used for final testing and tuning in the UK, with the engineering output here performed by none other than Albert Biermann, head of R&D at Hyundai Motor Group.

Today, Kia reveals the behind-the-scenes work from a company full of enthusiastic petrolheads who created a compelling proposal and had it approved by senior management at Kia Motors in the UK. This 50:50 project was created in collaboration with the UK product, press relations, UK newsroom and technical team. This project was completed with the help, advice and technical know-how of the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center in Rüsselsheim, Germany. The team, led by Head of Vehicle Testing and Development Tyrone Johnson, who is renowned for his work on fast blue oval hatchbacks until he joined Hyundai Motor Europe in August 2018.

Muscle fastback for the track.
All the components to create the eye-catching «Stinger GT420» were already in the DNA of the car, created by Kia engineers at the Namyang development center in Korea. The meaty 3,342cc twin-turbocharged V6 gasoline engine with direct injection develops 365bhp and 510Nm from the box, and that's before it's even attacked.

The HMETC drivetrain team was involved in the Stinger GT S track car setup from the start, and they recommended HKS M45il spark plugs for improved combustion. The factory element was replaced with a K & N Sport air filter and a lightweight Milltek Sport four-stage exhaust system with the catalytic converters removed. A six-row automatic transmission cooler was installed in place of the four-row element, ensuring that the automatic transmission doesn't overheat and works on the fly. The transmission software has been calibrated to have faster shifting characteristics in Sport and Sport + modes. These measures bring vital stats to a whopping 422 hp and 560 Nm of torque, but any racer knows that lightness is the key to maximizing this extra performance.

Kia's Press Garage in Chippenham stripped the Stinger's interior, removing the seats and belts, airbags, audio system, interior trim and rear window regulators. The engine cover, fenders, parking sensors, trunk and hood dampers, rear bumper beam and foam were also removed, and the rear windows were glued in place and lightweight door cards installed. The Stinger's sunroof was removed and replaced with a steel panel, shedding a few more vital kilograms, even after Hyundai Motor Europe grafted a honeycomb panel to add significant reinforcement to the panel. Once the frame, seats, belts and fire extinguisher are installed, the total weight is reduced by about 150 kilograms.

A custom cage was installed and painted, and the protective panel and necessary electronics were reassembled. The underbody stiffener consists of a crossmember in the front and a pair of beams in the rear. Once the cage was in place, a pair of Sparco racing seats were attached along with racing belts and the all-important fire extinguisher mounted in the cockpit in case the worst should happen. In addition to the weight saving measures, a Lite Blox LiPo battery was installed to replace the original cell, saving 22 kg.

Glued to the track
Weight reduction continues with the installation of wider OZ Racing Leggera rims saving approximately 5 kg per wheel, and Pirelli Trofeo R tires were chosen for maximum adhesion on the track - 235/35 / R19 front and 265/30 / R19 rear , Camber angle was increased to -2,5 degrees by modifying the front crossmember, and uprated front brakes allowed the installation of Brembo six-cylinder calipers and racing steel flex pipes, as well as high-performance 380 x 34 mm disks and endless pads. At the rear, standard Stinger V6 brakes were used. Cooling ducts and deflectors ensure maximum brake cooling capacity on the racetrack, and tuned anti-lock brakes, anti-skid and electronic stability control provide optimum performance for track use. In Sport + mode and with traction control and electronic stability control fully disabled, the Stinger GT420 is easy to drive.

Standard shock absorbers were used for the race setup, with Eibach Pro lowering springs and 25mm front cross stabilizers. At the rear, a 17mm internal cross stabilizer was installed. Continuous damping control was done in favor of a conventional damper tuned with some fine tuning.

Adding final flourishes
Once the mechanical upgrades were signed off, Kia Press Garage got to work giving the Stinger GT420 some extra visual power. A Stillen front splitter and rear diffuser were added, along with a rear spoiler from Air Design. But the final version is an eye-catching package that blends beautifully with the existing HiChroma Red paintwork, adding elements of white and graphite gray, advertising updates to the racing specs and revealing the «GT420» name. Every inch the racer, it looks sensational from every angle.

How much will it cost?
With a project that is completed outside of normal business, and with the involvement of Hyundai Motor Europe's technical team, it is difficult to say exactly how much time and money was spent on the «Stinger GT420». The amount of blood, sweat and tears spent on this project cannot be quantified in a monetary sense and therefore it is difficult to determine a final price for a project as unique as the «Stinger GT420». Kia's current slogan could only have been created for this project - The Power to Surprise - and you bet it does.