Kia absolutely crushes it at SEMA with stunning DUB custom Stinger, K900

2019 DUB Kia Stinger custom build at SEMA 2018.
Photo by Bill Hayward

At their opening-day press conferences at SEMA 2018 yesterday, some of the other major automakers drew bigger crowds than Kia did, and had more to boast about in terms of new developments like performance upgrades.

But Kia stole the show when it comes to customizations that can surprise and delight a crowd by bringing out hidden potential, provoking a fresh reassessment of strengths in their production lineup that could be easy to overlook.

This was especially true of two of Kia’s eight reveals at SEMA: a 2019 Kia Stinger and a 2019 Kia K900, both reinterpreted by DUB, the southern-California-based magazine publisher and customizer.

Kia Launches All-New 2019 Optima at New York International Auto Show

Kia made great waves among us car guys and car gals earlier this year when they unveiled the stunning Kia Stinger, a high-performance, rear-wheel-drive sedan clearly aimed straightaway at the enthusiast driver.

But let's face it: most people who are drooling over a stinger are probably pretty unlikely to buy one. More practical choices, like the Optima, are much more probable.

So is any of that exciting vibe trickling down the lineup from the Stinger, the presumptive flagship of the marque, to spice up the models your average Joe or Jane might buy?

Kia Motors Invites Consumers to a Unique Test Drive Experience for the 2018 Kia Stinger

If  all the recent hype about the new Kia Stinger has captivated you, and if you  happen to live near Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, or Washington, D.C., you just might have a chance to experience the new flagship model from Kia Motors in a unique test drive on a track with a professional driving instructor.

The Kia Stinger has been named "Vehicle of the Year" by CNET's Roadshow and "Best of the Year" by MotorWeek. Now, Kia Motors says they are ready to show consumers and enthusiasts what all the hype is about with the performance-oriented "Stinger Experience" test drive events in select cities.

Stinger Experience participants will take on several dynamic challenges in the Stinger GT, as well as in the Audi A5, BMW 640i Gran Coupe and Porsche Panamera, through various dynamic exercises, including a 0-60 MPH acceleration run, cornering tests and a slalom course.