29 July 2019

KIA Stinger GT420: A one-off track special. Shame you can’t have one.

What you’re looking at here is no regular KIA Stinger GT. Meet the KIA Stinger GT420, a one-off track special created with the help, advice and engineering expertise from the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre in Russelsheim, Germany.

This car has history. It was used as a pre-production homologation car to carry out testing for KIA’s new flagship saloon, was used as a cover car for various UK automotive magazines and appeared on Top Gear and The Grand Tour. It was also used as a dealer roadshow vehicle at KIA showroom reveal events, as well as for final testing and tuning to suit local condition here in the UK.

GT420 front quater

Kia Stringer GT420 Rear Quarter

Now that the KIA Stinger has had its successful global launch, this pre-production model was due to be sent to the great junkyard in the sky last year. But KIA Motors UK decided to give it the send-off it deserved and used it as the base to create a one-off track special.

In stock form, the KIA Stinger GT’s 3.3-litre, twin-turbo V6 engine produces 365 horsepower and 510Nm of torque, but the one-off GT420 has been cranked up to 422hp and 560Nm of torque. To achieve this, KIA fitted HKS-M45il spark plugs for enhanced combustion, a K&N sports air filter and a lightweight Milltek Sport quad-exit exhaust system.

GT420 Engine

A six-row automatic transmission cooler was also fitted to prevent the automatic transmission from overheating during track driving and the software was recalibrated for quicker shifts in Sport and Sport+ modes.

Kia GT420 interior

To reduce weight, the GT420’s interior was stripped out. The seats and belts, airbags, sound system, interior trim and rear window regulators were removed, along with the engine cover, undercovers, parking sensors, boot and bonnet dampers and rear bumper beam and foam. The rear windows were also glued into place and lightweight door cards installed. The Stinger’s sunroof was removed and replaced by a steel panel. After the installation of the roll cage, racing seats, belts and fire extinguisher, the Stinger GT420 is a whole 330 pounds (150kg) lighter than the standard car.

 

GT420 Rear QuaterWider OZ Racing Leggera rims were also fitted saving around 11 pounds per wheel, which were wrapped in Pirelli Trofeo R tires. The camber angle was increased to -2.5 degrees by modifying the front cross-member, and uprated front brakes featuring Brembo six-pot calipers and racing steel flex pipes were fitted, along with high-performance discs and Endless pads. Standard Stinger V6 brakes were utilised at the rear.

Kia Stinger GT420

Cooling ducts and deflectors provide additional cooling for the brakes and the anti-lock brakes, traction control and electronic stability control were tweaked to deliver optimum performance on the track. Kia says the Stinger GT420 becomes easy to drift in Sport+ mode with the traction control and electronic stability control switched off.

To match its technical prowess, a new front splitter and rear diffuser were added, along with a racing rear spoiler. It also features an eye-catching wrap with white and graphite grey elements that blend with the HiChroma Red paintwork. The result looks like a touring car racer.

  • Tags
  • Kia
  • Saloons
  • Petrol engine

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