Stinger GT in Car and Driver's 2018 Lightning Lap!... didn't go great

[davebo]

Lightning Lap 2018: Winners, Lap Times, and a New Record-Setting Porsche

Welp, despite all the Nurburgring testing, this article just confirms that the Stinger GT is a Gran Turismo and in no way a track car. Came in 19th out of the 21 cars tested this year, only beating the BRZ and 2.0t Accord. Ah well, I still love mine, and I always enjoy these articles seeing the Corvettes stomp just about everyone.

If you want to skip directly to the article about the Stinger GT here's the link: 2018 Kia Stinger GT Lightning Lap Results for 2018

Edit: Oh my, the worst cut of all is going to the total 2006-2018 times. It was only a second and a half faster than the 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS

 

[DoctorStiches]

This car was never touted as being a race car. The company even said it's not about getting there first, but that it is about the drive.
Stinger Pride FTW

.. and bolt on mods for the neeeeeds

 

[MerlintheMad]

This car was never touted as being a race car. The company even said it's not about getting there first, but that it is about the drive.
Stinger Pride FTW

.. and bolt on mods for the neeeeeds

Did you leave out an "r"?

I have been having this dialogue with @CaliSting about "gran turismo" vs track car potential. After Pobst took the Stinger around Laguna and sung its praises during the Motor Trend Week, he started being more supportive of the Stinger's track potential. All it takes is a really good driver. So don't discount the Stinger based on one poor to mediocre showing.

Since I first read up on the Stinger, starting with the promo book (Kia singing its own praises), I have wanted the car for its intended purpose: to travel in complete comfort and luxury and quiet, in a gorgeous car that can stomp its way around any obstruction formed by 18 wheel rigs and morons "driving" as such. High Performance is as essential as the gran turismo luxury ride. The Stinger with its fastback hatch the size of two refrigerators (40.9 cuft), and cabin legroom for rear passengers (when you're only using the trunk's 23.3 cuft) is added utility for the money. I emphasize the gran turismo qualities. But the high performance part overlaps with the track beast potential part. I'm looking forward to more anecdotes about Stingers on the track (and even drag strip, because I have one: otherwise drag racing is a "meh" to me).

 

[Funkorea]

Welp, despite all the Nurburgring testing, this article just confirms that the Stinger GT is a Gran Turismo and in no way a track car.

As does every solid review I have seen as well as Kia themselves...it's a Stinger GT

 

[CaliSting]

Lightning Lap 2018: Winners, Lap Times, and a New Record-Setting Porsche

Welp, despite all the Nurburgring testing, this article just confirms that the Stinger GT is a Gran Turismo and in no way a track car. Came in 19th out of the 21 cars tested this year, only beating the BRZ and 2.0t Accord. Ah well, I still love mine, and I always enjoy these articles seeing the Corvettes stomp just about everyone.

If you want to skip directly to the article about the Stinger GT here's the link: 2018 Kia Stinger GT Lightning Lap Results for 2018

Edit: Oh my, the worst cut of all is going to the total 2006-2018 times. It was only a second and a half faster than the 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS

Us long term racers and track drivers are always suspect of drivers who run out of brakes on track. Think it says volumes more about C&D test drivers than the car. Interesting that a very credible Randy Pobst with MT had directly different experience on Laguna seca and turned times faster than track focused EVO and Sti with a very respectable 1:46 on skinny street tires.

Faster than this Sti on same track similar conditions with same driver. Also when you see Stinger in MT video car isn’t doing anything heroic to click off that 1:46. It’s pretty calm rather boring. With minor brake upgrade pads and fluid car should be absolutely fine and likely will blow doors off f86s, miatas, stock Sti, stock Evo and even 370z .

I will also admit it takes retraining your brain to trust Stinger at limit as it gives weird signals but once car sets it’s actually quite remarkable on track. Think as time goes on those who spend some time on track will exctract far more capability than people think. Hell I have stuck amazingly close to Stis and 350r mustangs in AX. Even 350r driver who rode with me couldn’t believe how fast Stinger was in auto.x. Is it a Porsche? No but it’s certainly very capable car on track if properly prepped and driven by somone who understands how to track drive well.

 

[CaliSting]

Did you leave out an "r"?

I have been having this dialogue with @CaliSting about "gran turismo" vs track car potential. After Pobst took the Stinger around Laguna and sung its praises during the Motor Trend Week, he started being more supportive of the Stinger's track potential. All it takes is a really good driver. So don't discount the Stinger based on one poor to mediocre showing.
.

You may have me mixed up with someone else. I have sung praises for Stingers track capability given its size since day one on this forum. Just said car needs better pads and fluid. ...hmm Kia put euro spec pads on C/D car and likely on MT car. I also have indicated Trans and rear dif would likely would need cooling. Remember I push cars pretty hard so even my Porsche’s need extra cooling , better brakes etc. hell my Cayman has GT3 ceramic brakes with huge calipers and only weighs 2100 lbs, has twice as much tire as Stinger. ....think you may have mixed up me talking about proper track prep with cars capability and potential. Randy doing 4 laps is hardly full track session at 9/10ths. My only real negative has been that car is a bit floaty and has potential to overheat. Oh and In Autocross throttle response sucks and paddle shifters are ridiculous. But I have always indicated car has track bones just as Randy discovered at Laguna. Remember he had short stint in similar car at streets of willow and walked away unimpressed. More time and he is a believer now.

I mean look what I drive on track now and can say I have just as much fun in Stinger . Although the 500 hp Cayman is a bit more dangerous to my health.

 

[eflyguy]

Anybody "disappointed" by this result might want to reconsider why they bought the Stinger. I haven't read all the responses here but I spotted the WRX vid. linked by CaliSting, and the Stinger GT did better than that at Laguna Seca (with the same pro driver). That's huge for a, well, HUGE sedan compared to an almost purpose-built rally chassis.

Want a track car? Look elsewhere. Want a car that can spank just about anything in real-world driving conditions and also in a straight line against many more "muscular" vehicles with huge followings? Look no further.

 

[MerlintheMad]

@CaliSting you've said so much negative about the car in general, while inserting the occasional "I like this car for the money", that I must have missed your earlier (pre Pobst MT) assertions that the Stinger has good "track bones". I'll try and read and remember more carefully.

 

[CaliSting]

@CaliSting you've said so much negative about the car in general, while inserting the occasional "I like this car for the money", that I must have missed your earlier (pre Pobst MT) assertions that the Stinger has good "track bones". I'll try and read and remember more carefully.

Sure defective rotors and other little bugs irritate me for mid $40k car with so few miles and floaty suspension was irritating but I haven’t changed my tune. Those things still irk me. But I have always seen potential in car beyond what others think. Car handles great and while not it’s not a Porsche It’s fun car. Guess I’m guilty of not being 100% fan boi for Kia . But don’t get me started on all negative stuff I can list about my Porsche’s ....different but equally frustrating issues.

Another note of comparison ...the 370 Z NISMO, JDM V6 track car, sports suspension, mechanical dif, with fatter tires than Stinger set same time on Laguna Seca with Randy at wheel. So when people say better off with more of a dedicated track car just wonder what they are thinking of?

Here’s a funny thought. I could load all my track gear and spare set of track tires and wheels in car . Try doing that in any other track car!

 

[MerlintheMad]

Here’s a funny thought. I could load all my track gear and spare set of track tires and wheels in car . Try doing that in any other track car!

That is one of the Stinger's gran turismo features; roomy.

 

[Wan El Guapo]

Lightning Lap 2018: Winners, Lap Times, and a New Record-Setting Porsche

Welp, despite all the Nurburgring testing, this article just confirms that the Stinger GT is a Gran Turismo and in no way a track car. Came in 19th out of the 21 cars tested this year, only beating the BRZ and 2.0t Accord. Ah well, I still love mine, and I always enjoy these articles seeing the Corvettes stomp just about everyone.

If you want to skip directly to the article about the Stinger GT here's the link: 2018 Kia Stinger GT Lightning Lap Results for 2018

Edit: Oh my, the worst cut of all is going to the total 2006-2018 times. It was only a second and a half faster than the 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS QUOTE/]

The 2008 turbo Cobalt SS was a great sport compact and a sleeper. It came with brembos, a 260 hp 2.0l, 3000 lbs curb weight and no lift shift with competition mode VSC. I had lots of fun passing 350z on track in it. I remember when they test it at LL, it posted a great time for the cost of the thing.

 

[xot1]

The list of 21 cars is mostly very good cars.
I don't know why the fuss.

 

[davebo]

Ohh I wasn't fussing. I obviously didn't expect this thing to beat a Corvette ZR1 around a track. And the Cobalt SS was a great (well, fast at least) car for its time and price. There's just something distasteful about this amazing new car being ranked #172 on any kind of list. No one likes coming in 172nd, but it's certainly in great company as they really only test cars I'd love to drive. Quick, someone make a list of trunk space just so we can put that four cylinder Camaro in it's place!

I know internet commenters elsewhere like to "lol" that the Stinger got beat by a Jeep SUV, but in addition to costing double, that thing gets 11mpg and 17 on the highway. I'd feel bad every time I started the ignition.

 

[BlaydeX15]

As a note, they were using a GT, not GT1 or 2, so it doesn't have the fancy adjusting suspension. They were basically running in comfort suspension the whole time. The thing was never designed to be a track beast, but I wonder how much the suspension affected lap times.

 

[xot1]

As a note, they were using a GT, not GT1 or 2, so it doesn't have the fancy adjusting suspension. They were basically running in comfort suspension the whole time. The thing was never designed to be a track beast, but I wonder how much the suspension affected lap times.

The throttle response is not good in comfort...

 

[BlaydeX15]

The throttle response is not good in comfort...

The throttle response changes when you change in to sport mode in the base GT, but there's no active suspension in that trim. Even though the GT2 gets knocked for it's suspension that's still too soft in sport, the GT is even worse, since the suspension doesn't have a sport mode.

 

[davebo]

It's true the base GT doesn't have adjustable suspension, but I don't know that it's fixed suspension is akin to the higher trims "comfort mode" It's probably somewhere in the middle. I recall some thread a while back where people were comparing the differences between the two. Not sure if that ended up turning into the Eibach thread or what since it was a while back.

 

[DoctorStiches]

To chime in, I have noticed that people reviewing the car, when they are not automotive minded individuals they do not use sport mode.

I blame this on the concept that a sport button dosnt do much in an average car. The sport mode in a stinger gt does a whole lot.

Changing timing, compression, even suspension dynamic and throttle response as well as stearing input.

The reviews I have seen (all of them) only about 3 people used a sport mode gt2. They loved the car. Conincidense or?

 

[DaBears4Lyfe]

What is this weird ass thread and even weirder review.... Who the hell is taking their kia stinger around a 4.1 mile race track? Not I. Ill see any of these cars at a red light lets see who finishes where...

 

[DoctorStiches]

What is this weird ass thread and even weirder review.... Who the hell is taking their kia stinger around a 4.1 mile race track? Not I. Ill see any of these cars at a red light lets see who finishes where...

Even a red light drag I know I'm willing to go faster than the other guy. I like your comment