We’ve seen convertible conversions of the Dodge Challenger and Acura NSX, but chopping the roof off the Kia Stinger is a different affair altogether. City Kia in Orlando, Florida, is responsible for the soft-topped sedan in the following video and photographs, which serves as a testbed for 12 convertible conversions that will include a factory warranty.
“I was at a car show today [the 2021 Festivals of Speed] and saw this,” wrote u/Agentlongwood on Reddit. “The representative I talked to said they just informed Kia about what they were doing, and they loved it. Blows my mind that this is being done by an actual dealer,” added the original poster.
The Kia Stinger GTC, as City Kia calls it, features a relocated antenna, black badges, new exhaust tips, and a different valance for the rear bumper. A Borla cat-back exhaust and Ultimate Performance downpipes help the engine breathe out better, the stock wheels have been swapped for forged alloys, and gloss-finish carbon fiber was used for the vented hood and the side skirts.
A modded twin-turbo V6 with 3.3 liters of displacement is hiding in the engine bay. City Kia intends to upgrade the powerplant some more in the coming weeks, and the target set by the dealership is 500-ish horsepower.
Improving the engine also means a little more torque, which is why the Stinger GTC may need stronger transmission components. The most the eight-speed automatic can take is 383 pound-feet (520 Nm) of torque, while the 3.3-liter V6 is rated from the factory at 376 pound-feet (510 Nm).
City Kia doesn’t mention how and if they reinforced the car, which is something you really want to know before putting down a deposit on this fellow. Removing the roof exacerbates chassis flex, but the Stinger GTC's biggest problem would be passenger protection in the event of a rollover.
The Kia Stinger GTC, as City Kia calls it, features a relocated antenna, black badges, new exhaust tips, and a different valance for the rear bumper. A Borla cat-back exhaust and Ultimate Performance downpipes help the engine breathe out better, the stock wheels have been swapped for forged alloys, and gloss-finish carbon fiber was used for the vented hood and the side skirts.
A modded twin-turbo V6 with 3.3 liters of displacement is hiding in the engine bay. City Kia intends to upgrade the powerplant some more in the coming weeks, and the target set by the dealership is 500-ish horsepower.
Improving the engine also means a little more torque, which is why the Stinger GTC may need stronger transmission components. The most the eight-speed automatic can take is 383 pound-feet (520 Nm) of torque, while the 3.3-liter V6 is rated from the factory at 376 pound-feet (510 Nm).
City Kia doesn’t mention how and if they reinforced the car, which is something you really want to know before putting down a deposit on this fellow. Removing the roof exacerbates chassis flex, but the Stinger GTC's biggest problem would be passenger protection in the event of a rollover.