Kia at SEMA 2011
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2nd November, 2011
Kia Motors America, the fastest growing car company
in the U.S., arrives in Las Vegas (Nevada) for the 2011 SEMA Show with a roster of six outrageous
sports-themed vehicles.
This year’s show cars were inspired by Kia’s growing sports marketing portfolio that includes
basketball, golf, motor sports and more.
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Kia Optima Hybrid "Slam Dunk"
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“Kia is experiencing unprecedented growth and momentum and we’re bringing our most exciting
range of show cars ever to this year’s SEMA Show, including several variations on the stylish
all-new 2012 Rio 5-door and the fuel-efficient and technology-laden Optima Hybrid,” said
Michael Sprague, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Kia Motors America.
“Our involvement in the world of sports has dramatically increased awareness and perception
of the Kia brand, and together with some high-profile partners we have created a line-up of fun
and eye-catching vehicles with unique back stories and plenty of personality.”
“Slam Dunk” Optima Hybrid
The inspiration behind the WCC Optima Hybrid is immediately apparent with its basketball-like
custom orange paint scheme, which is accentuated by 20-inch matt black wheels and a logo on the
bonnet.
Inside, hoop fans will find basketball-court flooring in the front and rear seating areas,
custom leather seats with an autograph embroidered in the front head restraints, leather and suede
door panel inserts and headliner, and a booming audio system with custom enclosures built into the
boot lid.
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Kia Soul "Hole in One"
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Two flat-screen TVs mounted in the back of the front head restraints connect to a Microsoft®
X-Box video game console and a “Pop-A-Shot” basketball hoop is mounted in the boot for hours of
off-the-court entertainment.
“Hole-In-One” Soul
Built by West Coast Customs, the Kia Soul is the golf-themed “Hole in One”, featuring “So Blue”
exterior paint scheme and five-spoke 20-inch wheels.
Adding even more style and flair are the Soul’s “Snow White” leather head restraints, a baby
blue painted dash and pink headliner and seating accents complete the whimsical interior look.
Driver and passengers will be instantly transported to the golf course by the artificial grass
flooring throughout the Soul, and opening the rear hatch reveals a virtual driving range with a
26-inch LED TV monitor mounted into the rear hatch and a Microsoft® X-Box 360 video game console
and Microsoft® Kinect system to play golf out of the back of the vehicle. Behind the TV are
eight-inch speakers and a subwoofer.
“Retro Surf” Rio 5-Door
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Kia Rio "Retro Surf"
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When the all-new Rio went on sale in America recently it continued Kia’s design-led
transformation with its world-class styling and class-leading fuel economy and emissions levels.
Retro Surf Rio 5-door, which is outfitted with everything the modern-day surfer needs for a perfect
day and night at the beach, including an authentic grain wood surfboard mounted on the roof.
The Rio has been lowered with a modified suspension set-up for sportier handling, and the
aggressive exterior stance is accentuated by eye-grabbing 17-inch three-piece gold wheels, a
stunning sunset-metallic golden-brown paint scheme, a custom body kit with a front splitter made of
wood to match the surfboard on the roof and a redesigned rear fascia with centre-exit dual
exhaust.
The front and rear seats and door panels of the Rio are upholstered in brown and beige plaid
board shorts fabric, and the wood grain centre console brings the classic surfboard theme inside.
For even more fun in the sun, the rear centre console has been modified as a shelf to hold sunblock
and other beach and ocean accessories, and the dark brown suede headliner has a built-in towel
rack.
When night falls, surfers and their friends will gather around the Rio’s massive rear hatch
area, which has been stocked with a juicing station, a retro iCade gaming console that plays
80s-style arcade games on an iPad®, a turntable to play vinyl records, and shelves for sandals and
clothing.
“Hat Trick” Forte 5-Door
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Kia Forte (Cerato) "Hat Trick"
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Hockey players carry a lot of bulky gear to and from the rink, and the Hat Trick Forte 5-door
can handle it all with a custom hockey stick holder that stretches from the boot through the centre
of the vehicle into the cabin.
The power play continues inside as the rear bench seat has been converted to two bucket seats
with custom upholstery and there are custom-moulded sports bottle drink holders in the centre
console. Rubberised flooring in the front and rear seating areas simulates the surface found
outside the rink, and the action continues off the ice with a mini air hockey table mounted in the
rear hatch area and TVs mounted in the front seat head restraints wired to a Microsoft® X-Box video
game console featuring EA Sports NHL12 video game.
The Forte is finished with custom ice-metallic grey exterior paint, 19-inch blue alloy wheels, a
custom body kit and Forte Koup front bumper with carbon fibre accents and LED “hockey stick” fog
lights, a quad-tipped exhaust, carbon fibre roof material and a lowered suspension. The headlining
features a built-in hockey coach’s play board and the locker room-like rear cargo area features
built-in compartments that house four carbon fibre hockey sticks and two jerseys colour matched to
the exterior of the car, an ice skate rack and glove hooks to dry out sweaty game-used equipment,
and custom accent lighting.
Rio 5-Door B-Spec Racer
Fresh off Kia’s first ever GRAND-AM Team and Driver road racing championships in the Sports Car
Challenge’s Street Tuner class, the first expansion to Kia’s U.S. motor sports programme will be
entry into showroom stock (“B-Spec”) racing with the all-new 2012 Rio 5-door sub-compact.
The Rio B-Spec race car will compete against models like the Mazda 2, Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta
and others in a range of events organised by various motor sports sanctioning bodies, including
World Challenge, GRAND-AM, Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and National Auto Sport Association
(NASA).
B-Spec racing is a relatively affordable way for any car enthusiast to get into competitive
motor sports with a vehicle like the all-new 2012 Rio 5-door that offers class-leading horsepower
and fuel economy, a new six-speed manual transmission and outstanding driving dynamics.
Once potential racers purchase their Rio, a B-Spec kit is available for purchase from Kia’s
racing partner, Kinetic Motorsports. The kit supplies everything needed to transform the Rio
from street car to race car. Parts included in the package are a roll cage kit, racing seat,
quick-release steering wheel, racing harness, shocks, lightweight wheels, spec-series tyres and
oil sump pan expansion kit along with complete build instructions. If preferred, the racer can have
the team at Kinetic Motorsports assemble the Rio at their shop in Buford, Georgia for an additional
cost.
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Self-Catering Holiday
Accommodation in
Denmark, WA
..... more
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USTCC Optima Hybrid Pace Car
In addition to Kia’s championship winning Forte Koup motor sports programme, the wildly popular
Soul has been the official Safety Car of the United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC) since
March 2010.
Kia will return to the track with the USTCC in 2012 with the stylish and fuel-efficient Optima
Hybrid replacing the Soul at the front of the pack. The USTCC Safety Car will lead the racing field
during warm-up and caution flag laps to ensure a safe start and restarts of each race. With 206
combined horsepower from the petrol and electric motor, the Optima Hybrid has plenty of power but
it has added performance enhancements, including a free-flow air intake system, Magnaflow® exhaust
system, coil-over suspension kit to lower the ride height, front splitter and rear spoiler,
lightweight wheels and performance tyres that will better stick to the racing surface.
The USTCC Optima Hybrid also features an eye-catching exterior with custom vinyl graphics,
colour scheme and array of lighting, including LED auxiliary lights and HID headlights, strobe
lights and LED light bar on the roof to help direct traffic while on duty.
Moving inside, a state-of-the-art audio and video system with navigation system was installed
and the booming audio system uses Infinity® speakers and amplifiers to crank out more than 2,400
watts of sound. The rear passengers can enjoy a DVD video system with dual seven-inch monitors
mounted in the front-seat head restraints with wireless headphones. Passengers will also notice
the Optima Hybrid’s custom leather seat upholstery with green accent stitching to match the
exterior trim colour when Kia’s USTCC Safety Car goes into action in March at the first race of
the season.
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