While a massive rear wing initially steals the limelight, a set of twin orange boomerang-style taillights also offer distinctiveness, mirrored by identically shaped red lamps that span the entire width of the KCV-3's rounded derriere to join the two sides together. A thin horizontal LED strip performs backup lighting duties, complicating what would otherwise be an extremely clean design. The lower fascia incorporates rectangular tailpipes, visually connected by a separator line that creates the illusion of a rear diffuser panel.
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| Unlike many of its Korean relatives, the KCV-3 wasn't designed in Italy, but in its native country. (Photo: Kia) |
What might be most interesting about the KCV-3 is that, despite its styling influences, it wasn't designed in Italy like so many of its Korean counterparts, but rather was penned in the Asian country of its origin. This makes its final assembly in France even more interesting, Kia deciding to go with custom coach builder Huliez for this one off concept, due to its experience with retractable hardtops.
The collapsing roof is just one of the prototype roadster's standout features, another being its 2+2 practicality. Personally, I couldn't even consider a sports car that only offered driver and front passenger seats, what with two kids and another on the way. I always appreciate spending a week with Porsche's 911 because it fills my needs for fun and functionality; something that has also recently been addressed by Mazda's enticing RX-8, Infiniti's G35 Coupe, plus a raft of new sports coupe alternatives.
The retractable hardtop, a 1922 technology developed by Ben Ellerbeck and applied to an early Hudson, improved upon by French designer and engineer Georges Paulin who put them into limited production on early '30s Hotchkiss and Lancia cars and later on the more popular Peugeot, has been recently perfected by Mercedes-Benz and others. It offers the best of both convertible and coupe worlds, letting the sunshine in when the opportunity arises and then sheltering occupants from more inclement weather at the touch a button. Like the Mercedes-Benz retractable tops, the rear decklid lifts backwards clamshell-like, while the glass roof folds into the trunk.