Autoblog

Wonder Woman Kia Sportage is anything but invisible

Seyth Miersma — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Budget, Crossover, Kia, Specialty

The spectacular partnering of Kia and DC Entertainment (the company we grew up loving as DC Comics) continues here at the New York Auto Show, with this Wonder Woman-inspired 2013 Kia Sportage. Ardent Autoblog readers will undoubtedly remember the fruits of earlier Kia/DC efforts: Batman Optima, Flash Forte Koup, Green Lantern Soul, Cyborg Forte, Aquaman Rio and Superman Optima Hybrid. (We're still trying to figure out who Cyborg is, too.)

The Wonder Woman Sportage, sporting the Amazing Amazon's particularly patriotic livery, is perhaps the most, eh, eye-catching super-Kia to date. (Actually, no, none of the superhero rides seared our eyeballs like Supe's hybrid.) Red, white and blue paint with spangled sides, an aggressively low body kit and a WW logo grille really sell the theme. Of course, The Lasso of Truth is represented too, showing up in the design as a subtle gold line that wraps around the bodywork.

As with the earlier DC concept cars, the Wonder Woman Sportage's real goal - aside from entertaining the kid-contingent of auto show goers - is to raise awareness for the We Can Be Heroes charity. The DC charitable program seeks to raise money and awareness about the hunger crisis in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. Get a better look at Wonder Woman's crossover in our attached galleries and find the Kia press release below.

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Wonder Woman Kia Sportage is anything but invisible originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Superman-themed Kia Optima Hybrid definitely not faster than a speeding bullet

John Neff — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:43:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Etc., Kia

The Justice League of America's garage is filling up quickly, with Kia and DC Entertainment unveiling its sixth of eight super hero-inspired vehicles at the Chicago Auto Show today. The vehicles are being used to raise awareness for DC Entertainment's "We Can Be Heroes" giving campaign.

The latest Kia to get the super hero treatment is the Optima Hybrid, which draws on the almighty Superman for inspiration. We're not sure what to make of this thing, honestly, as neither Clark Kent nor Kal-El would be caught dead in it (unless it's got the optional Kryptonite seatbelts, of course). Rather, this looks like what we imagine a Superman fanboy would construct if given carte blanche to ruin an Optima Hybrid. The actual design and construction were handled jointly by Kia, DC Entertainment and Super Street magazine.

We'll let the pictures do the talking in terms of what modifications were made since they're all cosmetic. That is, no mechanical mods were done to make the Kia Optima either faster than a speeding bullet or more powerful than a locomotive (shame).

We mentioned this is the sixth of eight super-hero inspired Kias. The first five were Batman (Optima SX), Flash (Forte Koup), Green Lanter (Soul), Cyborg (Forte Five-Door) and Aquaman (Rio Five-door). That means the seventh car will be for Wonder Woman, and we can't wait to see how tastefully her costume can be converted into a car design. The eighth and final car, meanwhile, will be a mash up of all the super heroes in one car.

Continue reading Superman-themed Kia Optima Hybrid definitely not faster than a speeding bullet

Superman-themed Kia Optima Hybrid definitely not faster than a speeding bullet originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Superman joining Kia's Justice League-themed fleet of vehicles

Jeffrey N. Ross — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Concept Cars, Hybrid, Sedan, Kia, Toys/Games, TV/Movies

Kia is teaming up with the Justice League once again to create another show car that will be on display at the Chicago Auto Show. At the 2012 SEMA Show, Kia showed off various models inspired by DC Entertainment characters Batman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern and Cyborg, but a Superman-themed Kia Optima Hybrid will roll into the Windy City for next week's show.

In the above drawing, we only get to see a small portion of this car inspired by the Man of Steel, but it will have the requisite red-and-blue paint scheme with Superman's shield on the hood (subtle, it is not).

The previous cars include the Batman Optima, Aquaman Rio, Flash Forte Koup, Green Lantern Soul and Cyborg Forte. All six cars were created to raise awareness for the "We Can Be Heroes" campaign, which helps families in eastern Africa affected by drought and famine.

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Superman joining Kia's Justice League-themed fleet of vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Batmobile lawsuit may have ramifications for customizing industry

Zach Bowman — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Classics, Government/Legal, Celebrities

While George Barris is preparing to sell his original 1966 Batmobile at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, another custom builder is attempting to stave off a copyright lawsuit. Mark Towle has been building Batmobile replicas through his business, Gotham Garage, for years, and has sold off two versions of the famous '66 TV car and at least one recreation of Bruce Wayne's ride from the 1989 film. His efforts have earned him a two-year legal battle with Warner Brothers subsidiary DC Comics, with the publisher claiming its copyright protection extends to "the overall look and feel" of the Batmobile and that Towle has violated those copyrights.

Towle's attorney, meanwhile, argues that DC Comics is attempting to rewrite copyright law by applying the protections to automobiles, which "do not qualify as sculptural works and are thus not eligible for copyright protection." If a judge decides the design elements found on the Batmobile are useful, the case will likely go Towle's way, as functional elements cannot be protected under US copyright law. But DC Comics contends the Batmobile is intellectual property and that Towle has profited from the company's efforts.

The custom builder says that a victory for DC Comics could "completely upend existing copyright law," and open the door for manufacturers to copyright any number of useful elements found on their products. What's more, anyone building a tribute to famous cars from the television or movie industries could find themselves in legal hot water.

Batmobile lawsuit may have ramifications for customizing industry originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 05 Jan 2013 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia transforms five Justice League inspired models for Heroes charity

Seyth Miersma — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, SEMA Show, Kia, Design/Style

Following up on the dark and sinister Batman Optima that we saw revealed in New York City a while back, Kia has come to SEMA with a selection of super hero-inspired cars for your viewing pleasure.

DC Entertainment has offered up its well known Justice League cast of characters for Kia-fication. Flash has lent his livery to a Kia Forte Koup, Green Lantern gets a Soul, Cyborg a Forte Five-Door and the much-lampooned Aquaman (he talks to fish) has inspired a Rio Five-Door.

The cars are sure to get the comic community at least a little fired up, which is great, because all will be auctioned off for charity at the conclusion of this year's show. The charity in question, We Can Be Heroes, dedicated to fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa.

Have a look at all of the cars in our live gallery, or scroll down to read the full press release from Kia.

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Kia transforms five Justice League inspired models for Heroes charity originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Batman-inspired Kia Optima concept headed for Gotham reveal

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Kia, Toys/Games, Celebrities, Design/Style, TV/Movies

DC Entertainment is leading a charity campaign called "We Can Be Heroes" to raise awareness of hunger in The Horn of Africa. With help from artist Jim Lee and Rides magazine, Kia has joined the Justice League with a Batman-themed Optima SX apparently inspired by the Dark Knight's darkest nights.

Looking like Batman went to SEMA, a set of coilovers gets the Optima SX hunkered down over an intense bodykit and 20-inch wheels. The exterior is done in matte black and piano black, but a carpet of yellow LEDs will make sure it never gets lost in the night - they even shine from behind the massive brakes, the Batwing-shaped grille and the HID headlights etched with the Bat-Signal. The interior gets lots of black leather with Batman logos, "utility throwing stars" in the console and a Batsuit and cowl in the trunk.

The one-off Kia will be unveiled in Gotham City, and it's the first of eight custom Kias playing doppelgangers to DC characters. There's more about it in the press release below, and NYC's Time Warner Center is where you want to be to see it in person.

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Batman-inspired Kia Optima concept headed for Gotham reveal originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Batmobile's 70-year history in pictures

Zach Bowman — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Design/Style

The history of the Batmobile - Click above to see full image

In the world of superheroes, Batman is a bit of an anomaly. While the rest of the comic world's crime fighters are imbued with special powers derived from radiation, mutation or celestial birth, Batman's je ne sais quoi is sourced up from nothing more than being filthy rich and a little bit crazy. Maybe that's why we like him. Of course, his penchant for amazing automobiles, motorcycles, boats and jets never exactly hurt our feelings either. We fancied ourselves at least quasi-familiar with the Caped Crusader's history of transportation, but according to researchers at CarInsurance.org and the designers at BatmobileHistory.com, our knowledge was more than a little lacking.

For example, did you know Bruce Wayne's secret identity spent some time behind the wheel of a gussied up Ford GT90 Concept? Neither did we. How about an Opel Speedster, Dodge Viper, several Chevrolet Corvettes, and a Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR? Yep, we had not a clue. Call us crazy, but we still have a soft spot for the Batmobile dreamed up for the Tim Burton Batman by Anton Furst. Check out all of his cars in the gallery.

[Source: CarInsurance.Org]

The Batmobile's 70-year history in pictures originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Winner of Batman Forever Batmobile auction can't drive car in public

John Neff — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:02:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

Our friends over at Hemmings who follow the auction scene like crack-addled chipmunks came across the mobile bane of the Batman franchise. The Batman Forever iteration of the Batmobile is one of the worst ever devised. Universally panned along with the film in which it appeared, it was forced to do sit-com work after it was retired, appearing on The Drew Carey Show (some say the Batmobile's appearance on the show was when it officially jumped the shark). The car was recently up for auction with no reserve and sold for $297,000, less than half its estimated worth. Aside from being an abomination and afront to Bruce Wayne groupies everywhere, the car sold so low because it came with many conditions set by Warner Bros. and DC Comics, including one barring the owner from driving the car in view of the public! This car's a runner too, with a small-block Chevy V8 that can whisk it away from laughing crowds at super hero speeds. But its new owner will apparently never get the chance to be laughed at in public, because doing so would mean driving the car in public, and that would violate the contract he (or she) signed. On second thought, perhaps Warner Bros. and DC Comics was doing this guy a favor.

Check out the Batmobile's appearance on The Drew Carey Show after the jump.

[Source: Hemmings]

Continue reading Winner of Batman Forever Batmobile auction can't drive car in public

Winner of Batman Forever Batmobile auction can't drive car in public originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Dec 2007 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HEMI Power comes to the big screen in Fastastic Four sequel

Chris Shunk — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:06:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler, Daimler, Dodge

The Fantastic Four will be counting on Hemi power in their fight against evil this June 15th. That's right, the crime-fighting quartet will be battling the Silver Surfer on movie screens around the globe with a 550 MPH Dodge with some serious Hemi horsepower. Chrysler designer Trevor Creed helped out with the design of the super duper supercar, and you can see Dodge emblems on the seat-backs and front grille. The crazy cool Fantastic Four mobile will also be able to reach 30,000 feet and split into three sections. We looked around, and there is no SRT badging anywhere to be found, but there's a rumor that Stow-N-Go seating is standard. In an unusual twist, the "Fantasticar" is rumored to be on eBay, with Dr. Doom as the highest bidder.

We'd read an article recently in the Detroit News that stated that Chrysler needed a home run vehicle to pull the company through their latest rough patch. We think this will do just fine. We just hope they get rid of the gold paint job in time for production.

[Source: The Car Connection]

HEMI Power comes to the big screen in Fastastic Four sequel originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pontiac product placement targets pulp fiction

Erin Mays — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 19:56:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Marketing/Advertising, Pontiac

Pontiac is breaking new ground with product placement next month with "Rush City," a DC Comics production heavily funded by General Motors in an attempt to hock its Pontiac brand to men in their 20s and 30s. The six-issue series will debut on July 19.

The Pontiac Solstice a chick car? Not when a New York action hero tricks out his GXP with guns and other superhero gear. "Rush City" is about an ordinary guy -- good job as a firefighter, fantastic fiancee with a daughter who's crazy about her soon-to-be stepdad, and a Pontiac Solstice GXP. Then he loses it all, except the car of course. After losing his job, his fiancee and her daughter die in a fire. It's so traumatic for him that he has nothing else to do but become a superhero.

General Motors isn't the only one going after comic book product placement -- DaimlerChrysler and Nike are going there too.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Pontiac product placement targets pulp fiction originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jun 2006 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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