Among the many custom creations showcased at the 2011 SEMA Show these days, visitors will also be able to check out KIA’s sports-theme cars.
The automaker has created no less than six such vehicles which in some cases meant collaborating with West Coast Customs (WCC) and Antenna magazine.
The first is called the ‘Slam Dunk’ Blake Griffin Optima Hybrid and is a basketball themed car, based on the automaker’s first hybrid which features 20 inch matt black wheels, Griffin’s personal logo, a basketball-like paint scheme and basketball-court flooring at the interior.
The second is the golf-themed ‘Hole-in-one’ Michelle Wie Soul that was inspired by Michelle Wie and which attracts attention due to its ‘So Blue’ exterior paint scheme, the unique 5-spoke design 20 inch wheels Wie’s artwork and logo incorporated into the white leather seats. This version also has a baby blue painted dash, a pink headliner and a 26 inch LED TV mounted into the rear hatch hocked up to a n X-Box 360 game console and a Kinect system.
Next up are the ‘Retro Surf’ Rio 5-door and the ‘Hat Trick’ Forte 5-door which result from KIA’s collaboration with Antenna and are outfitted with everything a surfer / hokey fan would desire in a car.
The fifth KIA present at SEMA is the Rio B Spec Racer based on the 5-door version engineered to compete against models like the Mazda 2, Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta in various events such as the World Challenge, GRAND-AM, Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and National Auto Sport Association (NASA).
This Rio B Spec Racer costs around 14,000 USD and its transformation from a street car to a race car required the addition of elements such as a roll cage, a racing seat equipped with a harness, a quick-release steering wheel or lightweight wheels wrapped in spec-series tires.
Finally, the USTCC Optima Hybrid Pace Car is a car that marks KIA’s return to the track with USTCC in 2012, and some its highlights include a free flow air intake system, a custom exhaust system, a coilover suspension kit that lowers the ride height, light wheels wrapped in performance tires and eye-catching vinyl graphics and colours.
