With a price starting at just under $40,000, the Kia Stinger GT has been a robust and slightly rebellious surprise to automotive enthusiasts nationwide. Named as Autoguide.com's “2018 Car of the Year”, there's a lot more to the Kia Stinger GT than just the 3.3-liter, twin-turbo V6 engine, providing 365 horsepower, and 376 pound-ft of torque, but the speed stats have admittedly really been boosting curiosity as well as popularity.
Many customers have asked us after their first alluring peek at the Stinger here at Jim Butler of St Louis, “Which cars can this sedan smoke on the track?” To help us compile our list, we used the 0-60 times published by the automakers themselves, instead of a 3rd party source. We claim the Stinger GT completes the sprint in 4.7 seconds, but it has been known to complete it in even less.
The BMW 540i: Even though its the least expensive on this list, it still rings in at $20,000 more expensive than the Stinger. It is powered by a 3.0-liter TwinPower Turbo inline six, and generates 335 hp, and 332 lb-ft of torque. The standard-level 540i reaches 60 mph from a complete standstill in 4.9 seconds, while the xDrive all-wheel drive actually hails a tie with the Stinger's time, at 4.7 seconds.
Audi A7: The well-known and dastardly brisk S7 is obviously a faster machine than the Stinger GT, but the A7 is situated in a bit different of a category. It is powered by a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine, sporting 340 hp, and 325 lb-ft of torque. This results in a zero-to-60 time of 5.2 seconds, and a price tag rounding out heftily at $70,675.
The Mercedes-Benz CLS 550: If BMW and Audi are mentioned, it's almost guaranteed that Mercedes-Benz is idling in park somewhere close, with their undeniably masterful engineering, and high-grade status. There is a new CLS that is set to arrive at dealerships all over in the very near future, but the current model actually does not match the might of our Stinger GT. The CLS 550 and CLS 550 4MATIC both accelerate to 60 in 4.9 seconds, powered by a 4.7-liter bit turbo V8. This admittedly harmonious match generates 402 hp, and 443 lb-ft of torque. So even though the Stinger GT has less power total, it can accelerate quicker, and the price is quite a bit less than the CLS 550's of $76,145.
Porsche Panamera: We fully admit that late last year, we were not at all shy about comparing our beloved Stinger GT to the Porsche Panamera. Coming in at a starting price of $86,000, it will set you back more than double what the Stinger GT will out of the gate. The standard model completes the 0-60 in 5.2 seconds, and the turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 offers less performance with 330 hp, and 331 lb-ft of torque. Beautiful and undeniably compelling? Yes, but the stats don't quite cut it for the short sprint.
Jaguar F-Type: Among all of the sensational cars in existence that the Stinger GT is faster than, there is probably none more startling than the Jaguar F-Type. The Stinger GT does not beat out the high-performance of the F-type R, but it is faster than the 3.0-liter supercharged V6 Variant, that has 380 hp, and 339 lb-ft of torque. That model takes just 4.8 seconds to hit 60, which is no slouch in the least, but is double the Stinger GT's entry-level price. There are many reasons to test drive a Stinger GT this spring, but if speed is your main forte, you'll have no shortage of fun securing a lease or outright purchase of this menacing yet practical daily drive partner!
