5. Kia Rio 5-Door Antenna Retro Surf
Kia focused on regional sports at this year’s SEMA show. Repping the West Coast is the Kia Rio 5-Door Antenna Retro Surf (my, is that a mouthful). The Rio5 Surf was designed for what Kia calls, “The original hipster,” surfers. As such, the Rio5 Surf features a West Coast take on the Rio. It gets a woody-themed exterior complete with a surfboard rack, and gold wheels. Inside, the surfer themed Rio gets awesome-looking plaid upholstery, and yes, even suntan lotion and sex wax holders.
4. ARK Hyundai Veloster
The ARK Hyundai Veloster is cool because it takes off-road rally racing style, to the street. ARK Performance starts with the already aggressive looking Veloster and adds an aggressive body kit, and performance decals that make it look as if this Veloster could eat you alive. Backing up the aggressive looks is a twin-scroll turbocharger bolted to the direct-injected 1.6-liter four-banger. While power is modest, at 210-hp, there’s no denying that the only thing that could make this Veloster more intimidating is a velociraptor paint job.
3. Hyundai RM500 Genesis Coupe
When Rhys Millen asks Hyundai to jump, they ask, “How high?” Two years ago Rhys Millen and his racing team, Rhys Millen Racing built a mid-engined Genesis Coupe. This year, they followed up with the RM500 Genesis Coupe. Though a bit more conservative than the mid-engined Genesis Coupe of SEMA shows past, the RM500 packs a 450-hp 5.0-liter “Tau” V-8 where one normally finds a 3.8-liter V-6. Being a race team, RMR knew it best to fit massive (15.5-inch front, 15.0-inch rear) carbon ceramic Brembo brakes to haul all that power down. To shed weight, the RMR500 also gets RMR built carbon fiber accents, trim, and diffuser.
2. Hyundai RMR 2WD Global Rally Cross Veloster
It’s hard not to love a rally car. Insanely fast, tossable, and built from a real stock car, rally cars hold a special place in an enthusiast’s heart. The Hyundai RMR 2WD Global Rally Cross Veloster is no different, even if its front wheels are tasked with turning and dragging the rest of the car along. While identical looking to the 500-hp all-wheel drive RMR Rally Cross Veloster that Hyundai debuted at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show, the 2WD Veloster shown here produces a more modest 300-hp and 300 lb-ft of torque from its turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4. Rather interestingly, the RMR 2WD Global Rally Cross Veloster features a six-speed automatic transmission, instead of a sequential box normally found in a rally car. Never the less, there’s no denying the RMR 2WD Global Rally Cross Veloster is a cool ride, and one we’d love to drive.
1. Kia Forte 5-Door Antenna Hockey Hatch
The Kia Forte 5-Door Antenna Hockey Hatch might not be the fastest, or badest ride on this list, but without a doubt it’s the most original, and the coolest. The polar opposite of the Kia Rio5 Surf, the Forte Hockey Hatch reps the Beast coast and one of its most loved sports, hockey. Having both grown up on the East Coast, and played hockey for most of my life, this was an easy choice for the number one slot. The Forte Hockey Hatch sports features that any hockey player could appreciate. For starters, inside the trunk area, the Forte Hockey Hatch gets its own locker room, with space for all your pads (save hockey pants, shoulder pads, and jock; those were conspicuously absent). The trunk also has a special pass-through for hockey sticks. Inside the cabin, the Forte Hockey hatch has water bottle, and puck holders, as well as a dry erase board, and rubber flooring so hockey dads can coach their already-dressed sons or daughters on the way to a 6 am practice. Outside, the Forte Hockey Hatch gets an aviator grey paint job, and ice blue wheels. And just in case other drivers didn’t know you were expressing your love for the world’s greatest winter sport, the Forte Hockey Hatch has hockey stick-shaped LED lights so there’s no doubt.
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