Kia and Antenna Magazine Are Pairing up to Make A Retro Surf-Themed Rio

Interested in checking out Sema this year? Well, we know that there is always a lot to see at Sema, and Kia is not going to let this event pass them by. Kia has decided to team up with Antenna Magazine to create a special surf-themed concept car to show off in Las Vegas at Sema. We will be seeing a 2012 5-door Kia Rio which will be customized with sun-set metallic paint, some custom gold wheels, and a wooden front splitter. This is going to make for one heck of a Kia Rio, undoubtedly. Heck, just check out the picture that is associated with this article, and you will get a little sneak peak of what you can expect to see at Sema this year.

Inside of the Kia Rio you can expect to find a 1980’s gaming console, a record player, and even shelves if you want to put away your shoes and swimsuits. However, there is definitely one flaw in this custom Rio. They forgot to put a surf rack on top of the vehicle, which would make it much easier to transport your boards to the beach.

That is not only the design flaw we can see in this special Rio. For instance, they decided to put the vinyl record player underneath the shelves which can contain your shoes and swimsuits. This is a poor decision when it comes to the design of the car, because if someone actually wanted to use the record player, sand could get on it from the shoes and swimsuits. I believe we all know that sand and record players do not typically go hand-in-hand with each other. Kia plans on showing off this custom Rio on November 1^st.

 

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SEMA Preview: Dodge Readies Hardcore Challenger SRT8 ACR

Inspired by the now-discontinued Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR that recently posted a new record lap time of 7:12.13 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife track in Germany, Chrysler Group’s Mopar Underground team decided to apply a similar treatment to the latest Challenger SRT8 392 and bring it to the upcoming 2011 SEMA Show.

The track focused but street-legal Challenger SRT8 ACR has been upgraded with a host of Mopar performance parts including, a coil-over suspension, front-and rear-strut tower braces, short-throw shifter, front splitter, cat-back exhaust, custom exhaust headers and a set of Goodyear F1 Supercar tires.

The team also made changes to the muscle car's exterior and interior. On the outside, we find similar design cues to the Viper SRT10 ACR such as a white body with a charcoal painted roof and flame red stripe that runs the length of the car, along with a carbon fiber hood, rear deck lid, rear spoiler and tail lamp surrounds.

Other exterior details include the red painted mirror caps and brake calipers, unique black five-spoke 20-inch alloy wheels and red “ACR” fender badging.

As for the interior, the Mopar Underground team tried to reduce the car's weight by removing the rear seat bench and adding carbon fiber door panels. The ACR Challenger also gets a pair of bucket sport seats with openings for a racing harness, a three-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel, SRT gauge cluster, custom bright pedal kit, Mopar Drag Pack center stack and a carbon fiber center console finish.

The roll bar and fire extinguisher complete the modifications.

From: CarScoop

Kia takes the 'slam dunk' to an entirely new level!

Spitzer is proud to announce they have teamed up with the Cleveland Food Bank to help provide for to those in need in our community. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting partnership.

Two Brooklyn men create a vegitable garden in the back of their 1986 Dodge half-ton pickup truck!

From: BabyCreative

Which KIA concept model would you most like to see produced?

The Ray?

The Pop?

The KV7?

The KND-5?

The Kue?

The Kee?

Or The Soulster?

 

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Check Out The Epic 2011 Mopar Dodge Charger R/T Limited Edition

The good ‘ol boys at Mopar stopped by our HQ today to show us their latest project – the 2011 Mopar Dodge Charger. This limited-edition black and blue Charger is gifted with Mopar bits to make it perform better on the track, while still being completely driveable on the street.

To create the Mopar Charger, Mopar first started with a stock Dodge Charger R/T with the optional “Super Trac Pack” selected, which includes performance steering, a sport suspension, heavy duty brakes, and a track-calibrated three-mode electronic stability control system. Under the hood, Mopar keeps the stock 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 intact.

Power on the Mopar Charger is unchanged, producing a healthy 370-hp and 395 lb-ft of torque, although the Mopar reps noted that this particular Charger was fitted with a Mopar cat-back exhaust. The performance modifications that Mopar made to this car include a thicker front and rear sway bar (30 mm and 20 mm, up from 27 mm and 16 mm, respectively), the addition of a front and rear strut tower brace, and most importantly a shorter final drive ratio. The Mopar Charger gets a 3.91 final drive ratio, as opposed to a stock Charger’s 3.06. Mopar says the new ratio allows the Charger to hustle to 60 mph in just over 5 seconds.

Other changes to the Mopar Charger include unique “Pitch Black” paint, with a Mopar Blue stripe on the driver’s side of the car (good for an additional 5 hp). Rounding out the exterior are unique 20-inch Envy wheels, painted Pitch Black with a Mopar logo in the center cap.

The black and blue theme carries over into the interior of the car. Mopar Chargers are outfitted with custom Katzkin leather seats with Mopar blue piping and stripes, and a matching steering wheel. Mopar Chargers also get a unique pistol grip shifter hooked up to the stock five-speed automatic transmission. When we asked a Mopar rep point-blank why they didn’t offer the manual transmission from the Challenger for the Mopar Charger, he only said he “can’t comment on future product plans.”

Customers who order one of the 1500 Mopar Chargers (131 of those earmarked for our neighbors up North, the rest for the United States) will receive a personalized owners kit including ’69 Charger artwork, a Mopar Key fob and flash drive, and a certificate with the vehicle's VIN, date of manufacture and vehicle number. While the 2011 Mopar Charger costs $39,750, Mopar reps said that those who wanted to forgo (or can’t afford) the special edition package can just as easily piece it together (short of the unique paint job) out of the Mopar catalog.

Do Mopar’s changes to the Charger actually make a difference? Stay tuned to find out.

From: MotorTrend

Kia expands racing program with Rio-based B-spec race car

Of all the things that you could call a Kia, "racy" isn't the one that jumps first to mind. But the budget-oriented Korean automaker has been competing in Grand-Am, and is stepping things up (or down) a notch with the racer you see here.

Built for the B-Spec showroom stock class, this Rio five-door has been fitted with the requisite safety features (like a stripped-out cabin and roll cage) but little else. Kinetic Motorsports did the preparation work with an eye on numerous different racing series, but we'll have to wait another couple of weeks until SEMA when the car's set to be unveiled for all the details

From: AutoBlog

Thank You to Daphnee G. For This Excellent Review!

(5) Star Customer Review

• I had a wonderful sales rep, that cared about what I thought and wanted to give me the best value for my family - Daphnee G.

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The Search for the Journey is Over!

The Kia GT Concept Takes the Rapidly Growing Automaker in a Bold New Direction

 

Congratulations to the Kia hamsters on receiving the "Rookie of the Year" award!

Kia's Music-Loving Hamsters Named First-Ever "Rookie Of The Year" in Annual Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame Public Vote

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Since bursting on the scene in 2009 to announce the arrival of the funky Soul urban passenger vehicle, Kia Motors' lovable hamsters have resonated with consumers and critics while entertaining the young and the young-at-heart in movie theaters, on television and across the web. In recognition of the public's quick embrace of the campaign, the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame honored Kia's hamsters yesterday with its first-ever "Rookie of the Year" award.

"In just two years the hamsters have become pop culture icons and driven record sales for the Soul and the Kia brand," said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. "The Soul and its advertising were designed to stand out in a sea of sameness, and this 'Rookie of the Year' honor is a tribute to the hamsters' viral success and ability to grab the attention of consumers looking for something with a unique style and personality."

Each campaign starring the hamsters was created by Kia Motors America's (KMA) advertising agency of record, David&Goliath, and received numerous accolades including Nielsen's "Automotive Ad of the Year" two years in a row and Silver and Gold Effie awards. The most recent installment, titled "Share Some Soul," finds three hamsters bringing style and flair to a dark and dreary scene with LMFAO's hit song "Party Rock Anthem" blasting from the speakers and quickly capture the attention of battling robots when they emerge from their Soul and begin performing the latest dance trend - shuffling. The Hamsters' positive energy causes the alien robots and humanoids to stop fighting, drop their weapons and shuffle and party together.

Collectively, the "A New Way to Roll," "This or That" and "Share Some Soul" campaigns have contributed to significant increases in consumer awareness, perception and consideration of the Kia brand in the U.S., attracted millions of online views and helped KMA recently surpassed its all-time best annual sales total in less than nine months.

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 745 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the "Official Automotive Partner of the NBA." In 2010, KMA recorded its best-ever U.S. sales and 16th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, safety features and new technologies.

Dude, my car has radar!