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Who Knew Kia’s Stinger GT Has Some German Engineering?

3511 Views 10 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  Bumblebee, 
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Probably unknown to most, the Kia Stinger has a bit of BMW's German engineering though it didn't get it via the usual brand collaboration. Instead, the new KIA Stinger received some input from former VP of Engineering for the BMW M division.

Tired of the direction BMW's M division was headed, he now runs Hyundai's Genesis sub-brand and even Kia is getting some pointers from him. According to BMW Blog, the Kia Stinger had chassis and suspension input from Biermann, giving the sedan a leg up against German rivals like the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4.

Though the publication does think there's still room for improvement, the Kia Stinger is a well-rounded package for a performance Sedan. In fact, Randy Pobst from Tire Track likes it so much he performed a few doughnuts in the rear wheel driven Stinger GT.

Calling the Stinger a car that you buy "because of the way it makes you feel when you're driving it", Randy just couldn't keep the smile off his face while pushing the twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 to its limits. Sure, it could use a diet but the Brembo brakes and almost perfect 50/50 weight distribution makes up for it.

Hyundai knew what they were doing when they sniped Biermann back in 2014.

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G
Another bonus would be tune-ability which could do wonders for the Stinger if that's really the case with it, but first I will have to see how aftermarket parts makers respond in the initial launch months, that will tell all.
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B
Glad the designers didn't decide to go full German or it'll remind me of another Beemer out on the streets. The Stinger now looks unique and it has amazing weight distribution.
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G
I wouldn't mind if they did, probably the coolest thing would be is if they teamed up with some well established car maker, sort of like the Toyota and Subaru partnership to come out with the FR-S/BRZ. But depending on what owner reviews are like, Kia could prove themselves a lot here.
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B
Looks aside, thanks to Biermann the Stinger now drives as good as it looks and they've even added a structural ring near the rear hatch opening. Can;t wait to see what else he has in store for the brand and the next gen stinger even though it's too early to speculate about it.
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S
The next iteration will most likely cost substantially more, but for now we have an inexpensive 300+hp RWD 4door from Kia. What a time to be a shopper.
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KStingFan
As for me, that's the biggest advantage that Stinger has right now in the market. I actually have a feeling that this particular car may lead the whole Kia brand to a higher position in the automotive world.. will see
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G
KStingFan said:
As for me, that's the biggest advantage that Stinger has right now in the market. I actually have a feeling that this particular car may lead the whole Kia brand to a higher position in the automotive world.. will see
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It already has and its not even in the hands of consumers as yet so when you have that impact happening from very start, you know its on a great path.
Seen this happen with other cars in the past and it always plays out the same.
Now we're starting to see reviews of it vs the competition which should set the stage even better.
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B
The new Stinger is ushering a new era for Kia and we can expect great things from the brand here on out. They used to be known for tinny, entry level vehicles and then they moved on to stylish models like the Soul and Optima. Now they're looking to produce performance models to better compete globally, perhaps enough to disrupt the luxury market.
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KStingFan
Bumblebee said:
The new Stinger is ushering a new era for Kia and we can expect great things from the brand here on out. They used to be known for tinny, entry level vehicles and then they moved on to stylish models like the Soul and Optima. Now they're looking to produce performance models to better compete globally, perhaps enough to disrupt the luxury market.
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I guess they use the same strategy as their Korean fellow Hyundai. I find it pretty similar with Hyundai Genesis and Kia Stinger
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B
Hyundai Genesis is more a yacht on wheels to me, not so much performance but overall luxury feel. Maybe that'll change in time, but that's what their current lineup looks like.
The Kia Stinger could use better cabin materials, but the drive performance and handling more than makes up for that. Especially when thrown into curves.
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