Can't Afford the New Audi R8? Then Buy Kia's New Low-Cost R8 Lookalike!

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Hyundai and Hyundai’s sister company Kia have been setting their goals incredibly high by going after BMW, Lexus and Mercedes. Hyundai is going to go head to head with them with the new Genesis sedan and upcoming RWD coupe. Now Kia is looking at Audi with its new coupe concept.

Last week Kia released a teaser image of a new 2+2 sports coupe concept. From this photo it is apparent that there is a resemblance to Audi’s new R8 supercar. The fact that the coupe bears some resemblance to an Audi is not by chance, since Kia tasked ex-Audi designer Peter Schreyer to design it.

The car was designed at Kia’s Frankfurt studio and is the next step in Kia’s plan to become a major competitor in Europe.

The cheaper R8 will most likely be front wheel drive, although Kia could use Hyundai’s new rear wheel drive drivetrain from its upcoming Genesis sedan and the replacement for the Tiburon. The engine will be a new 2.0L turbocharged engine that is being developed with Hyundai.

Although the car shown here is only a concept, Kia officials expect the new coupe to create a big stir at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, so a production version could be released within 2 years.

Full Story: Auto Express

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