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Kia preparing a range of sporting models

Kia is quietly readying a string of sportier models to pep up its humdrum image, CAR has learned. The burgeoning sports car plan is likely to sire everything from hot hatches to standalone sports cars. On our trip to Korea this week, sources at Kia HQ confirmed a range of performance models, designed to mix some excitement into a brand that now commands respect from mainstream buyers after its crawl upmarket to the volume market alongside Europe's mass-market brands.

Crafting the Ferrari LaFerrari

Ferrari's limited-edition supercars are special. They appear about once a decade, cost a small fortune -- which has never hurt sales -- and often become the benchmark for next-generation supercars at Ferrari and in the industry. Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo says the new LaFerrari is no exception because of features such as the supercar's gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain, its Formula One-inspired carbon fiber cockpit and its state-of-the-art active aerodynamics.

Italdesign Tex concept

The second concept from Volkswagen's recently acquired Italdesign was the Tex. A research study into the potential future design language of the German brand, the Tex also draws on existing technologies from Wolfsburg.  Utilizing the 'twin drive' plug-in hybrid system, the Tex is capable of a range of 35 kilometers in electric mode, a range Giugiaro claims is ample enough for day-to-day commuting. Adopting a sporting pretense, the Tex is low slung, sitting atop large 19-inch diameter wheels and sports an aggressive DRG.