Kia Sidewinder electric concept Drift-Racer
7-24-2006
Kia Sidewinder - for Drift Racing - Los Angeles and Toyko - (see movie: Toyko Drift)
Hyundai - Kia Motors Design & Technical Center in Irvine, Calif. click on all images to see posters
Designed at the Kia America Design Center by Marc Mainville, the Kia Sidewinder concept is intended as an environmentally friendly vehicle for drift-racing, a California adventure because Los Angeles was the scene of the first officially sanctioned American Drifting Event. 
The Kia Sidewinder was one of the entrants into the 2006 Los Angeles Auto show's 'LA Adventure' design competition. A competition in which the participants chose an activity available in the southern California area, and then designed a vehicle for that purpose.
The KIA Sidewinder is a venomous drift racing competitor. One of the hottest new forms of motor sport in the U.S., the first officially sanctioned drift racing events took place in Los Angeles making KIA's choice of "adventure" for the 2006 Design Challenge a tribute to the city.
The Sidewinder is powered by a hydrogen turbine that feeds current to a series of in-wheel, high torque electric motors, enabling the car to achieve and hold the ultimate slip angle. Whether performing a power over drift or a clutch kick, this environmentally responsible drifting vehicle provides optimum performance and proves too fast and too lethal for its competitors. This environmentally-responsible vehicle would surely grab the most attention while carving lines sideways through the race course.
Lots of torque (as would be delivered by this powertrain) is ideal for getting a car into a slide and holding it there, as required by the competition. Usually accompanied by wailing exhausts and turbo whistle, the Sidewinder should only be audible by its tyres screaming for mercy.
Submitted in design competition at the L.A. Auto Show, Jan. 6-15, 2006
PS See the movie "The fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift"
FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., February 12, 2003 - Mong-Koo Chung, chairman and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corp., gathered with elected officials in Irvine, Calif. today to celebrate the grand opening of the Hyundai - Kia Motors Design & Technical Center. The $30 million state-of-the-art facility houses 100 auto designers, engineers, model makers and technicians, many who were responsible for design successes such as Hyundai`s Santa Fe sport-utility vehicle and its HCD 6 and HCD 7 concept vehicles, as well as Kia`s KCD-1/Slice concept vehicle.
The Hyundai and Kia design teams moved from Hyundai`s Fountain Valley headquarters to their new 90,000 square foot design and technical center in January 2003. The new facility is fitted with an advanced visualization system from Blue Water Technologies housed in a presentation room with three projection screens and two turntables. Designers and math modelers operate from the latest Alias / Silicon Graphic work stations while clay modelers sculpt new design proposals on six surface plates and operate a 5-axis milling machine with state-of-the-art shop facilities.
Hyundai and Kia selected the City of Irvine for the home of its design and technical center because of both companies` rich history in Orange County, Calif. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in neighboring Fountain Valley, Calif. and Kia Motors America is headquartered in Irvine.
"Kia Motors America was, in essence, born and raised in Irvine, and we look forward to continuing that tradition," said Peter M. Butterfield, president and CEO, Kia Motors America. "The major benefit of this design center is having a California-based design staff that understands how to take automotive trends and make them appealing to U.S. consumers on a bigger scale."
"This new design facility reaffirms Hyundai`s commitment toward investing in the U.S. economy as well as its commitment toward the creation of stylish car designs for our U.S. consumers," said Finbarr O`Neill, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. "Hyundai and Kia continue to exceed expectations when it comes to car design and our newest design center will echo both companies` innovative spirits."
Also joining the Hyundai and Kia design teams will be Hyundai America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI) which is responsible for all engineering activities in the U.S. for both Hyundai and Kia.
"Housing HATCI with the Hyundai and Kia design teams guarantees modern design and expertise in automotive engineering," said S.K. Kim, president, Hyundai Motor Company. "This unique type of collaboration will secure Hyundai`s and Kia`s continued quest for excellence in car design."
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