Kia made a strong showing at this year’s Detroit Auto Show with its GT4 Stinger concept car that seems to hint at a possible Scion FR-S competitor in the not too distant future. The concept looks great on the show stand and with specs like 315hp from a turbo four, 6-speed manual, Brembo brakes and an aggressive 20″ wheel/tire setup the Stinger should be fun to hustle just about anywhere. We’ve never been ones to turn down affordable sports cars and Scion shouldn’t have the market all to itself so let’s keep fingers crossed that the GT4 figures into Kia’s future product plans.
If you read between the lines you’ll discover that Nissan is using its Sport Sedan Concept to give us a good look at what to expect from the next generation Nissan Maxima. The thing we like most about this concept is how nicely it sits on its wheelbase from the profile view. If that carries through to production the next Maxima could be a pretty sedan despite being front-wheel drive. We also aren’t expecting much in the way of new powertrain offerings considering the CVT and 3.5-liter apparently used in this concept. Still, we’ve always liked the lively driving character of the Maxima and won’t be disappointed to see it get a more dynamically styled body inspired by this concept.
Volvo is in the midst of rolling out a stunning range of concept cars to hint at what is coming from the Scandinavian brand in the coming years and this shooting brake style hatch is a good indication of what kind design cues will be applied to the upcoming 2015 XC 90 crossover. We’ll be expecting great things after seeing concepts like this.
Infiniti made a smart decision in rushing out a performance-tuned version of their Q50 sedan for the upcoming auto show circuit. The Eau Rouge version shown in Detroit doesn’t come with specific powertrain info other than hints that forced induction would yield more than 500 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque should it ever reach production. Turns out that’s enough to get us excited! The Q50 has damaged Infiniti’s reputation as a builder of rewarding sport sedans (The G37 of yore) due to the emphasis on drive-by-wire steering technology and other comfort-oriented technologies that dulled the car’s responses. But a seriously tuned version under the IRL subbrand could do a lot to stir up competition in the CTS-V, M5, E63 world of hot-rod sedans. An aggressive body kit and wheel/tire package along with cross drilled brake rotors are enough to set this car apart from standard Q50s even from across the show floor. We say rearrange your priorities to put driving fun back atop the list and build this car as a mea culpa to your fan base.
