10:27 PM
Most striking up front is the KIA Track’ster Concept lower intake grille. Flanked by immense LED driving lights with billet aluminum surrounds, the Track’ster is capable of swallowing prodigious amounts of air to keep the engine running cool even under the most grueling conditions. The lower valance, trimmed in carbon fiber and accented with Inferno Orange, rides just inches off the ground and lends to the car’s menacing stance.
The 2013 KIA Track’ster Concept is not just another pretty face; it has a body to match. Sculpted surfaces seem to flow into each other naturally. The flanks are smooth but accented with well-defined wheel enclosures. Tucked beneath the KIA Track’ster Concept hips are custom HRE-K1 monoblock billet performance wheels that were a joint effort of Kia’s California design team and HRE. The wheels are wrapped in 245/40-19-inch front and massive 285/35-19-inch rear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 high-performance tires. The wheelbase on the concept is stretched to 101.2 inches, almost an inch longer than the production Soul. As expected on a car with the Track’ster performance intentions, large 14-inch Brembo vented and cross-drilled disc brakes are embraced by six-piston calipers in front and 13.6-inch discs are paired with four-piston calipers at the rear.
 |
| 2013 KIA Track'ster Concept |
With performance as the top priority, the Track’ster rolls into Chicago with a concept drivetrain
sure to kick start any driving enthusiast’s heart. KMA’s design team dreamed big, but also kept their vision firmly rooted in reality. A 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine pumps 250 horsepower to the pavement, a 66 percent increase over that of the production Soul. Power is routed to all four wheels via an electronically controlled four-wheel-drive system. The short-throw six-speed manual transmission is capped with a stubby spherical shift lever. The Track’ster rides on a lowered sport suspension tuned for track performance.
Opening the driver’s door reveals a light and airy interior highlighted with deeply bolstered Orange suede-covered racing seats. Granite Gray leather envelopes the interior landscape and imparts a feeling of strength and stability. Granite Gray suede wraps the sport steering wheel and door panels. Located deep within red-glowing nacelles, the primary instruments are large and easily readable. Auxiliary vehicle information such as oil temperature and battery voltage is found atop the dash panel while navigation, entertainment and HVAC controls are accessed through a large touch-screen panel located just above the engine Start/Stop push-button.
Behind the front seats is where Track’ster takes a significant step away from its Soul stable mate.
The rear seats have been removed and replaced with a fully integrated equipment tray and spare-tire well. “We saw the Track’ster as a performance-inspired concept that could spend time on the road and racetrack,” said Kearns. “The idea was to make the tools and equipment necessary to keep the car performing in top condition easily accessible.” Large paneled bins stow racing gear such as helmets, suits, gloves and tools while emergency supplies are housed within a separate and highly visible Inferno Orange container. A custom rear strut brace incorporates a quick-release handle to allow for fast wheel changes.
While there are no current plans to produce the Track’ster, Kia’s California design center team
enthusiastically took on the project. “Concept cars are icing on the cake,” said Kearns. “They allow KMA’s design team to dream about what could be. Whether that dream becomes a reality or not is a separate question.”
 |
| 2013 KIA Track'ster Concept |
 |
| 2013 KIA Track'ster Concept |
Posted in: KIA
0 comments:
Post a Comment