Kia considers joining Ford and General Motors on Supercars grid in 2021

A third manufacturer is set to join the Supercars fight next year against Ford and General Motors with Supercars official already involved in high-level talks.

An artist’s impression of what a Kia Stinger Carbon Edition could look like on the Supercars grid.

The Stinger could join the Camaro and the Mustang in a three-way fight with Kia considering declaring war on Ford and General Motors.

News Corp Australia can reveal Kia is the third manufacturer in line to join Ford and General Motors on the V8 grid in 2021 with the Korean giant considering turning the Stinger into a Supercar.

Having this week predicted that three manufacturers will be on the grid when the ‘Gen 3’ era is ushered in at the end of next year, Supercars officials have already held high level talks with Kia about entering the series.

It is understood the company that sells almost three million cars a year has expressed interest in granting Supercars an intellectual property deal that could see the Stinger line up against the Mustang and the Camaro.

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A V6 twin-turbo streetcar that reaches 100km/h in under five seconds, the Stinger is race-bred road car that is perfectly suited to becoming a Supercar.

The new Gen 3 platform has opened the door for the Stinger to become a Supercar that looks almost identical to the version which is sold on the showroom floor.

Called a ‘Halo’ car, a universal chassis created by the sport has opened the door for Kia and other manufacturers to easily enter the sport.

Four years in the making, the future proofing chassis will accommodate a range of makes and models including the Stinger, the BMW M5, and the Audi A5.

Kia has expressed an interest in joining Supercars next year.

General Motors last week committed the iconic Camaro to the sport after the following details of the Gen 3 program were revealed:

● Called a Halo car, the new version will be rear-wheel drive with a front-mounted engine;

● The Halo car will open the door for other manufacturers to join the series by being able to fit several “road replicas” on a universal chassis;

● Gen 3 will require the race cars to have the same key dimensions as the road car on which it is based;

● Many components, including doors, roof, windows and bonnets, will have to be interchangeable with the road car on which it is based;

● Gen 3 will slash acquisition and operating costs by up to 40 per cent;

● The Halo cars will have an aerodynamic reduction off up to 50 per cent on the current model Supercar;

● The Gen 3 chassis is described as hybrid ready and will be able to accommodate future technology;

● Supercars plans to have a prototype car on track in the middle of next year.

With only Triple Eight Racing committed to driving the Camaro and both DJR Team Penske and Tickford Racing expected to be tied to Ford, Kia could align themselves with any number of teams in what would prove a popular addition to the sport.

Kelly Racing and Garry Rogers Motorsport have both successfully introduced new manufacturers to the sport in the past. Erebus Motorsport also had an IP deal with Mercedes before switching to the Commodore.