South Korean automaker Kia just introduced the hot-to-trot Stinger GT five-door earlier this year at the 2017 North American International Auto Show, with sales slated to kick off in December of this year. When it was introduced, enthusiasts just about wet their pants with delight, and for good reason. Not only does it look fantastic, but it’s got the performance credentials to back the aesthetic. And that makes the speedy mid-size luxury machine a fantastic fit for the customized glitz and gloss of the annual SEMA show. As such, Kia is introducing a variety of bespoke examples, including this tasteful rendition you see before you. Upgrades include a few body mods, new paint, minor engine enhancements, and complementary suspension pieces.

SEMA attendees will have a chance to experience the Kia Stinger’s cornering prowess first hand on an autocross course, as Kia will be offering ride-alongs with professional drifters at the show. Meanwhile, those of us admiring from afar can gaze upon customized offerings like the GT Federation and anticipate a forthcoming deluge of parts and accessories, which Kia acknowledges as confirmation of its move towards further performance offerings. In fact, Kia says interested buyers will be able to pick up these performance parts via specific suppliers following the car’s launch. Read on for the details.

Continue reading to learn more about the Kia Stinger GT Federation.

What Makes The Kia Stinger GT Federation Special

When we first saw the Kia Stinger GT, we were impressed. We liked the sporty body style, with its wide, low stance, aggressive fascia, large wheels and low-profile tires, and copious cuts and vents spread tip to tail. To this solid foundation, the GT Federation manages to make improvements without any radical changes.

As you can see, the aesthetic differences are few but effective. New body pieces include a new rear spoiler, a new rear diffuser, and new hood vents, all from the California-based parts supplier Air Design USA. There’s also a new front lip spoiler, and the whole thing is slathered in an eye-catching shade of Cream Orange paint. Just in time for Halloween, too.

Lest it gain the ignominious title of “all show, no go,” the GT Federation also delves under the hood for its list of upgrades, adding a new intake from K&N, and a new high-flow exhaust from Borla. Making its appearance in the rear, the Borla pipes terminate in a quartet of tips in the new diffuser.

All told, the new breathing mods help to liberate approximately 15 horses from the otherwise stock twin-turbo 3.3-liter V-6 powerplant, with peak output coming to around 380 horsepower total. And yeah, we would have loved it if the stock snails got tossed for bigger boost makers, but that would mean it would need the supporting mods to go with it.

As is, this is a mild build, down to the suspension parts, which include new lowering springs from Eibach, as well as larger anti-roll bars. Rounding it off are impressive 20-inch wheels from TSW, with Falken providing the tires.

All in all, it’s a good-looking piece of kit, and should provide anyone interesting in buying and modifying a Stinger of their own with a good idea where to start.

References

Kia Stinger

Read our full review on the 2018 Kia Stinger.

Read more news on the 2017 SEMA Show.