It was only a matter of time before the Kia Stinger would attract the attention of aftermarket tuners. As it turns out, it was even sooner than we all thought. Kia’s new GT sedan is headed to the 2017 SEMA Auto Show, and it’s bringing West Coast Customs with it for the ride.

By now, it’s become the status quo to expect the extraordinary at SEMA, and it’s no surprise that the Stinger’s baptism in the event comes by way of one of the most famous tuning shops in the world. In true West Coast Customs fashion, the kit it prepared for the Stinger is nothing short of a statement on the tuning potential of the performance sedan. The aero kits are insane. The aesthetic details are just as incredible. And, let’s not forget what West Coast Customs is capable of if given a chance to go all-out on redesigning a car’s interior. There are no photos of the Stinger’s cabin at the moment, but you can be assured that it’s going to be overhauled, West Coast Customs style. Weird lighting? Perhaps. An ear-pounding audio system? Don’t sleep on it. Maybe an HDTV or two? Wouldn’t be a shock to the system either. The full story of West Coast Customs’ aftermarket build of the Kia Stinger is going to be told in all its glory at SEMA. As far as can’t-wait moments for the show, the unveiling of this project now sits high atop my list.

Continue after the jump to read the full story.

What do we know so far about West Coast Customs' program for the Kia Stinger?

Well, Kia was nice enough to show us a teaser of the Kia Stinger sporting West Coast Customs gear, and by the looks of the rear section of the performance sedan, we’re going to need to prepare ourselves for nothing less than a Decepticon-like transformation. The most noticeable change is the width of the car, largely credited to the addition of those wide body fender flares. The wheel arches are insane to look at from this angle though not shocking since this is a WCC build to begin with. We can’t see it from this angle, but according to Kia, there’s a similar treatment to the front end of the car, complemented by a gloss black front grille, and a number of other aggressive enhancements. A new set of 21-inch forged wheels has also been added to the mix and going back to the rear of the Stinger; we see a larger diffuser that’s flanked by four squared-off exhaust tips.

All the upgrades we’re seeing here in the photo are just from one section of the car. Imagine then what the whole thing is going to look like once the Stinger is unveiled at the SEMA Auto Show. We know that it’s going to be joined by a handful of other custom Kia creations, but you can be sure that we already know which of these builds are going to attract the most attention.

For those who need a refresher, the Kia Stinger is a ground-breaking car from the Korean automaker. It’s the first performance sedan that Kia’s releasing to compete against the established European elite and based on initial response to it; the Stinger looks to be up-to-the-task of going up against the likes of the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class, and Audi A4. For one, it’s bigger than most of its competitors, something that could play well into the hands of customers who value their premium sedans to look the part of one. Then there are the engine options. The Stinger features a number of different engine variants, but for now, none is more important than the range-topping 3.3-liter bi-turbo V-6 engine that’s expected to top 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque.

Talks of a more potent are also being discussed to compete against models like the BMW M3. There’s no confirmation on the kind of power it’s getting, but the early report indicates that it’s going to make use of the same 5.0-liter V-8, Tau GDi powerplant found under the hood of the Genesis G80. The unit generates up to 420 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque in output.

References

Kia Stinger

Read out full review on the 2018 Kia Stinger.

Read more SEMA Auto Show news.