Kia Track'ster Concept at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show
- Looks like: Soul's portlier, menacing cousin
- Defining characteristics: The body is low and long, with eye-catching Whiteout White and Inferno Orange paint colors and flared, sculpted front wheel arches
- Ridiculous features: Taillamps that appear to be set into the rear glass
- Chances of being mass-produced: Not a chance
Although most people already consider Kia's boxy Soul to be bold-looking, the automaker is ramping things up with a new Soul-based concept. The Track'ster takes the Soul's looks to new extremes with loud orange paint, exaggerated and enlarged wheel arches, a lowered stance and carbon-fiber exterior trim.
More 2012 Chicago Auto Show Coverage
"The idea was to make the Track'ster tough looking, like a bulldog. But the car had to be approachable as well. We wanted to base the car in reality so people instantly knew it was a Soul, but with a lot of attitude," said Tom Kearns, chief designer for Kia Motors America.
The orange theme carries inside the Track'ster with matching suede racing seats. The rest of the cabin is trimmed in Granite Gray leather and suede. The concept lacks rear seats. In their place are bins to store racing and performance-enhancement equipment.
The Track'ster concept marks the second time in the Soul's short history (it was new for model-year 2010) that Kia has based a concept off it. Track'ster follows the Soul'ster pickup-truck convertible concept that debuted at the 2009 Detroit auto show.
Kia has no plans to develop the Track'ster concept, but based on its history of modifying the Soul, we may soon see new iterations of the boxy subcompact.
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I could actually see this making it to production...not in it's concept form but as a two door Soul.
this looks pretty sweet! dang
IMHO, the soul is the best looking of the box cars, and this definitely builds upon that. i hope a large amount of this makes it into production.
Boy, Kia/Hyundai just loves to copy someone else...even a concept!
In case you aren't familiar with Juke-R...
please make me one without a roof.
Nothing outside looks so radical as to keep it from being produced...
perhaps it lacks a buying demographic?
Dear Kia, I have a mid-life crisis going on. MAKE THIS CAR!!
gay
I am currently very seriously considering buying a new Soul, but I REALLY want THIS one instead! I don't need 4 doors, this 2 door is much more sporty looking. Kia PLEASE make this one a reality!
This is actually a VERY good looking car. I could see it being very popular if the price point was aggressive.
Like this a lot. A much better look version of Scion's Hako concept.
Really hope they produce something like this in the near future.
Dave T. - I also pretty classless comments like Mike's above don't add to the cache of Cars.com.
I am pretty sure he isn't calling this car bright or carefree.