Kia Motors America To Display Two Popular Justice League-Inspired Vehicles At Los Angeles International Auto Show

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia Motors America (KMA) and DC Entertainment will show off two of their popular Justice League-inspired machines this week at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.  On display will be the Batman-inspired Optima, previously unveiled in October at the Time Warner Center in New York City, and the Aquaman-inspired Rio 5-door, previously revealed at this year's SEMA show.  Built by RIDES magazine and West Coast Customs, respectively, both vehicles feature custom artwork by legendary comic book artist and DC Entertainment Co-Publisher Jim Lee, who also provided creative direction for the design of all of the cars involved in this partnership.  The overall goal of the program is to raise awareness for DC Entertainment's "We Can Be Heroes" giving campaign to help fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121127/LA19012)

Batman-inspired Optima SX Limited
Previously unveiled at New York's Time Warner Center, Kia, DC Entertainment and RIDES magazine worked together to design and build the Batman-inspired Optima. The exterior features a matte and piano-black paint scheme, a dramatically lowered coilover suspension and muscular ground effects kit, huge Ksport performance brakes for extreme stopping power, custom-designed 20-inch black wheels with one-of-a-kind Batman-logo center caps and a performance exhaust system. A custom front grille shaped like a batwing that took over 40 hours to create, yellow LED lighting accents throughout the vehicle and the iconic bat signal etched into the SXL's HID headlights complete the look of the Optima.

Moving beneath the cape, the Optima's seating is costumed in custom black leather and suede with bold yellow accent stitching. Gotham City's streets are full of villains, and the Batman-inspired Optima is ready for action at a moment's notice with crime-fighting elements such as utility throwing stars installed in the center console.

Aquaman-inspired Rio 5-door
Given the Kia Rio's reputation as one of the most eco-friendly vehicles on the road today – 85-percent of Rio's materials are recyclable at the end of its lifespan –  the subcompact provided a natural automotive alter-ego for Aquaman, symbolizing his role as protector of the environment, both land and sea.  The Rio 5-door received the West Coast Customs treatment with special gold, green and orange exterior paint and custom metal fins attached to the body. Other visual elements also include Oracle LED wheel rings and body lighting across the exterior and 20-inch color-matched Asanti wheels wrapped in Continental rubber.

Inside the Rio 5-door's cabin, the seats have been reupholstered with green leather featuring yellow and gold accents. The headliner has been customized using green suede, and the Aquaman logo was stitched into the back seats to complete the theme of the passenger compartment.  Pop the trunk on this Rio and notice the customized enclosure inspired by Aquaman comics featuring a unique polycast cutout, which creates an underwater scene that is lit with Oracle LED lighting. Massive 12-inch subwoofers and two coaxial component speakers enhance the ride experience. Two seven-inch Rosen Entertainment monitors play the "We Can Be Heroes" video to support this worthy cause.

KMA and DCE Partnership
The partnership between KMA and DC Entertainment was conceived to benefit "We Can Be Heroes" (www.WeCanBeHeroes.org), a giving campaign dedicated to helping fight hunger in the Horn of Africa and inspired by the heroism of the iconic Justice League characters. "We Can Be Heroes" encourages everyday people to join the fight by getting involved and donating to bring help and hope to the people most affected by the hunger crisis.  

The Kia-DC Entertainment partnership will include a total of seven vehicles inspired by the individual characters of the Justice League and will culminate with a fully-drivable, eighth custom car that encompasses all seven super heroes.  This final vehicle, a Kia Sorento, will be auctioned off to raise funds for the "We Can Be Heroes" cause.  So far, five vehicles have been shown and three more are to be unveiled over the next several months.  

About DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner.  DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.  In January 2012, DC Entertainment, in collaboration with Warner Bros. and Time Warner divisions, launched We Can Be Heroes —a giving campaign featuring the iconic Justice League super heroes—to raise awareness and funds to fight the hunger crisis in the Horn of Africa.

About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 755 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA. In 2011, KMA recorded its best-ever annual sales total and became one of the fastest growing car companies[1] in the U.S. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, advanced safety features and new technologies.

Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its website – www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.

[1]  Based on 5-year cumulative growth between 12-month retail sales for periods ending October 2007 and October 2012 of all U.S. automotive brands.

SOURCE Kia Motors America