One of the highlights of this year's Los Angeles auto show is Kia's ever-expanding range of Justice League-inspired cars,which have been created with guidance from famous comic book artist and DC Entertainment co-publisher Jim Lee.
The two new cars,the Batman-inspired Optima and the Aquaman-inspired Rio five-door were a big hit with the crowd and certainly showcase what could happen if you let a bunch of car and comic enthusiasts come together.
Bruce Wayne's Optima rides on 20-inch black wheels that feature a batman logo in the centre caps.The low coilover suspension and"muscular ground effects kit"add to its stealthy appearance,as does the sporty-looking exhaust system.Kia says it took over 40 hours just to make the custom front grille look like a batwing.
The Aquaman Rio is a little more colourful,and is designed to showcase the Rio's environmentally friendly credentials(the car is 85 per cent recyclable).It gets a unique paint for the exterior and a heavily modified interior with Aquaman branding.
Kia's involvement with the DC Entertainment world of comics is designed to appeal to younger buyers(as well as the young at heart)that form the brand's core audience.The unique cars support DC's'We Can Be Heroes'campaign,which helps raise funds to fight hunger in the Horn of Africa.
Seven individual superhero-inspired cars will be made,with an eighth to bring all the hero themes together in a fully-drivable Kia Sorento package that will be auctioned for the charity.To date,five vehicles have been shown with three more coming.
