2011 USTCC KIA Optima Hybrid Pace Car review and pictures

USTCC KIA Optima Hybrid Pace Car review:

In addition to Kia's championship winning Forte Koup motorsports program, the wildly popular Soul has been the official Safety Car of the United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC) since March 2010.Kia will return to the track with the USTCC in 2012 with the stylish and fuel-efficient Optima Hybrid replacing the Soul at the front of the pack . The USTCC Safety Car will lead the racing field during warm-up and caution flag laps to ensure a safe start and restarts of each race. With 206 combined horsepower from the gasoline and electric motor, the Optima Hybrid has plenty of power but the crew at GoGoGear.com has added a few performance enhancements, including a free-flow air intake system, Magnaflow? exhaust system, coil-over suspension kit to lower the ride height, front splitter and rear wing, lightweight wheels and performance tires that will better stick to the racing surface. The USTCC Optima Hybrid also features an eye-catching exterior with custom vinyl graphics, color scheme and array of lighting, including LED auxiliary lights and HID headlights, strobe lights and LED light bar on the roof to help direct traffic while on duty.

Moving inside, a state-of-the-art audio and video system with navigation system was installed and the booming audio system uses Infinity?6 speakers and amplifiers to crank out more than 2,400 watts of sound. The rear passengers can enjoy a DVD video system with dual seven-inch monitors mounted in the front-seat headrests with wireless headphones. Passengers will also notice the Optima Hybrid's custom leather seat upholstery with green accent stitching to match the exterior trim color when Kia's USTCC Safety Car goes into action in March at the first race of the season.