Callum
1000 Posts Club!
I pay for my Stinger, I'm not paid to drive it. So take this little review as a un-paid review that doesn't come from a guy driving the car and making money off the review.
I ran my 2018 GT2 AWD at the track yesterday for an entire day. I really learned a lot about the vehicle, AWD system, and brakes.
I ran my 2018 GT2 AWD at the track yesterday for an entire day. I really learned a lot about the vehicle, AWD system, and brakes.
- Skid Pad - 2+ Tons on a skid pad? lol, see below
- AWD - It's a bit all over the place. Sport mode is way to twitchy, and the throttle is useless unless you drive with your pinky toe. The Stinger was shifting power from 100% RWD to 100% FWD according to spectators. It never stuck in 80/20 like advertised. Comfort mode was much more manageable and more predictable
- Tires - Pilot Sport P4S did a fantastic job with communication. Predictable break away and allowed for quick recovery (within reason).
- Brakes - It's hard to really describe, but on the skid pad the Stinger did not engage ABS at steep angles (45*+) which I loved. Brake pedal did not kick back as much as I'd like, it felt more like a small kick every few seconds. So brake modulation was difficult to find the threshold (see more in "tracK"
- Thoughts? Well, it's 2+tons on a skid pad. I wasn't really expecting much, it delivered what I expected but did it with pride and the fact that I was in a KIA and everybody else a Ferrari or Porsche.
- Thoughts? Well, it's 2+tons on a skid pad. I wasn't really expecting much, it delivered what I expected but did it with pride and the fact that I was in a KIA and everybody else a Ferrari or Porsche.
- AWD - It's a bit all over the place. Sport mode is way to twitchy, and the throttle is useless unless you drive with your pinky toe. The Stinger was shifting power from 100% RWD to 100% FWD according to spectators. It never stuck in 80/20 like advertised. Comfort mode was much more manageable and more predictable
- Track Work - What you see, is what you get.
- Engine - It's a 3.3TT, 365HP KIA that has a lot of mass. Despite being 100% stock other than the K&N Intake I did not encounter heat soak (50-55*F outside) and was very impressed. The low end grund got you out of the corners, and kept you going. I don't have a single thing bad to say about the engine. It's truly a gem, I can't imagine needing more power. The only complaint, is this engine needs more coolant capacity. I was having to manage engine temps for a good bit of the day. The gauge was 3/4 up and at the base of the red portion. I could manage 4 hot laps and 1 cool down.
- Transmission - No, it's not "ZF" fast, but it can move through the gears quickly, smoothly and with no delay. I beat the thing up, most transmissions slow down when they get hot. This thing speeds up. It was banging into 2nd and 3rd after a few sessions and just felt brilliant. Downshifts as well, quick and accurate rev-matching. First gear could be a little easier to get into, the rev limiter isn't aggressive enough for me but it's there for a reason...I can work around that for longevity.
- AWD - I genuinely thought the AWD was going to take a lot of the fun out. Let me tell you, the AWD is ridiculous. It will find grip anywhere when you ask it to, and when you ask it to go sideways and kick the rear end out it will. It takes a good "flick" to scoot the rear out but it stays there until you straighten the wheel. Several occasions where I was sideways and straightened the wheel, it seemed to throw a load of torque to the front and pull the Stinger out of the corner. It desperately needs an LSD to really take advantage of the AWD system, it wanted to burn the inside tires more than drift, but if you flick the car and stand on it she will drift with no problem. I loved it.
- Braking - They are great, fantastic initial bite but they fade. The OE Pads are not up to the task of track work. Mountain roads, sure, drag strips, go for it. Hard braking and reports that the front rotors are glowing no. I was shocked to hear on the radio that the rotors were glowing. The OE US Spec compound is too soft and outgasses to quickly. I ran through about 60% of my pad life in one day. ABS doesn't have much feedback, I wish it did. I found myself only noticing I'm into ABS by the car's rear end rotating and feeling the entire vehicle "chirping". I went in with spotless wheels, came out with black wheels. This needs two piece rotors with proper pads to do track work. It's too heavy for how it is equipped.
- Handling - It's got shoes, PS 4S have some serious pedigree. The suspension is soft, but really, and I mean seriously has excellent grip. I went into turned at 60MPH thinking "I'm going to have to explain this one to her" and towards the end of the day was hitting the same corners at 80-85MPH. The body roll is there, but the car just sticks to the ground. It communicates, and I know this probably won't make sense as your reading it, but this thing just figures the shit out.
- Engine - It's a 3.3TT, 365HP KIA that has a lot of mass. Despite being 100% stock other than the K&N Intake I did not encounter heat soak (50-55*F outside) and was very impressed. The low end grund got you out of the corners, and kept you going. I don't have a single thing bad to say about the engine. It's truly a gem, I can't imagine needing more power. The only complaint, is this engine needs more coolant capacity. I was having to manage engine temps for a good bit of the day. The gauge was 3/4 up and at the base of the red portion. I could manage 4 hot laps and 1 cool down.
Thoughts? Well, I was the underdog. A KIA at the track amongst F12's, 911's, and many other track oriented cars. Mine was out of place. It was the heaviest, tallest, narrowest tires, smallest HP. Everything was against the Stinger. It rocked out hard. It's not a track day car, no way Jose. It doesn't wear the shoes with grace, but it will seriously kick some ass. I felt like I was eating a Sloppy Joe in a all white suite out there. It was a blast. Turn off the ESC and Stability and you have yourself a wonderful vehicle that you can drive to the track, beat the bajesus out of it, and cruise home all in superior comfort.
**This is one of the heaviest, trickiest, and most cumbersome vehicle I've tracked. Please stay within your comfort zone, and within reason. My driver skill level should not be used as a baseline for yours, nor my vehicle's performance. Each car is different. I have yet to drive a vehicle that likes to slide and act up like this one. It's very lively, and you need to be aware of that. It can, and will hurt you if you do not learn it at your pace**
Last edited:
