When the Kia Stinger came out in 2017, it changed many people’s perceptions of the Korean brand. It also turned out to be a very quick car that responds very well to minor modifications. With this in mind, YoUTube channel Sam CarLegion has arranged for a tuned Kia Stinger GT to show up on the drag strip. However, it’s not going to run by itself, as it is joined by a ROUSH-modified Ford Mustang GT.
Kia Stinger GT
From the factory, the Kia Stinger GT’s 3.3-liter twin-turbo V-6 develops 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet (510 Nm). Thanks to a JB4 Map 3, the Korean four-door coupe now makes roughly 500 horsepower – about 430 to the wheels, according to Sam – and 435 pound-feet (590 Nm). The stock eight-speed automatic sends power to all four wheels. The car weighs a not so lightweight 4,097 pounds (1,858 kg).
Ford Mustang GT ROUSH Stage 3
The Ford Mustang is more powerful than the Stinger, but we have seen how, stock for stock, the Stinger GT is able to walk the Mustang GT at the quarter-mile. From the factory, the 5.0-liter V-8 makes 460 horsepower and 420 pound-feet (569 Nm). Thanks to a ROUSH Stage 3 package, which adds a supercharger among other things, the Coyote V-8 now makes 750 horsepower and 670 pound-feet (908 Nm). This one is also equipped with a 10-speed automatic. At 4,182 pounds (1,897 kg), the Mustang isn't much heavier than the Stinger.
The Drag Race
If you want to skip to the actual race, it’s at the 5:40 mark. After both cars show off their soundtrack, they pre for the first drag race, which is in the cars’ sportiest setting. Sam who is driving the Stinger GT seems to have left it in automatic mode (we can’t see his right hand) while the Mustang driver chooses to shift with the paddles. The ROUSH-modified Ford, however, experiences traction issues and on two of the up-shifts, the driver hits the rev limiter, failing to shift optimally. Thus Stinger takes the first win.
The second run is, again, in the sportiest setting, but this time, the Mustang driver leaves the shifting to the transmission. Kia clearly has a better launch, but this time, the substantially more powerful Mustang catches up almost immediately and takes an early lead.
Rolling Race
Once again, the cars go at it twice, in their sportiest setting. On the first run, the cars are left in automatic mode while in the second, the drivers shift the gears themselves. From 31 mph (50 km/h) both cars kicked down at about the same time. However, the more powerful Ford quickly took off and left the Kia for dead.
That said, the Kia Stinger GT held its own surprisingly well, considering the difference in power. Both cars show that they are great tuning platforms as well as capable performance cars that you can live with, on a daily basis.
