Kyle’s Corner (FYI) Explosive Subaru BRZ Lights the Fuse: Others to Follow!

Kia and its parent division Hyundai have really been on a tear lately. The automaker is providing drivers with reasonably priced stylish vehicles that are well equipped and fuel efficient.

As a matter of fact, Hyundai and Kia are pressing the other automakers in the industry to move forward. See my recent articles on the 2012 Hyundai Veloster.

So what is the next move on Kia's part? A sports car based on its GT Concept. The car reportedly would be built on the Hyundai Genesis' rear-wheel drive platform. As the GT is a concept, there is no guarantee that the car will make it into production. However, it is a good bet that such a four-door four-seat sports car would be built for the road since automakers do not use resources for concepts and then just drop them. If the money goes in, Kia will want the money (profits) out!

The Kia GT would reportedly be aimed at the BMW 3-Series, Lexis IS, and the 2015 Cadillac ATS. A report on the GT Concept at Frankfurt Auto Show suggested that it looked like a Maseratti. Furthermore, regarding the car's looks, Peter Schreyer, Kia Motor's Chief Design Officer was quoted in TopSpeed saying, "No matter from which perspective you look at it - this concept car is roaring with energy and ready for take-off."

The GT in concept form is powered by a 3.3-liter direct injected turbo V6 engine making 390 hp and 394 ft. lb. of torque. The transmission is an eight-speed auomatic.

This Kia is equipped with two suicide doors on each side and no pillar in the middle. When both the opposing doors are opened, the opening is large and thus the entry to the front and rear seats is impressive. From the front the car has somewhat of a Porsche 911/Panamera look.

Other features of this Kia GT Concept include a low air intake at the front, accents that go from the front bumper into the headlights, an extended hood, jet theme rear view cameras, wide rear shoulders, a short rear deck, and a rear diffuser. Furthermore, multi-piece propeller-style wheels complete the car's look.

On the inside the GT Concept has single piece seats, a glass instrument panel that contains organic LEDs that provide floating gauges with three-dimensional depth. This frees up the car's center console of controls and buttons. The screens for the rear view cameras are mounted in the doors and are ideally positioned for the driver's line-of-sight.

Expect a production version of the Kia GT Concept to have a less powerful engine with greater emphasis on fuel economy. Also, expect some of the car's extreme features to be trimmed to provide a reasonably priced production model. Look for the 2013 Subaru BRZ to be somewhat of a template for this Kia.

Given the current economic environment, look for other automakers to build exciting reasonably priced rear-wheel drive sports cars like few before!

Visit the slideshow to see the Kia GT Concept inside and out!

Kyle Busch is the author of "Drive the Best for the Price: How to Buy a Used Automobile, Sport-Utility Vehicle, or Minivan and Save Money." He welcomes your comments or car questions at his auto web site: www.cartown1.com. Follow Kyle on Facebook and Twitter.