It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s the Superman Kia Optima Hybrid at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show. This is the sixth in a series of eight Kia vehicles that are getting a Justice League makeover to benefit DC Entertainment’s “We Can Be Heroes” campaign. It’s the result of the combined efforts of Kia, Super Street magazine and DC Entertainment Co-Publisher and artist Jim Lee who turned the car into a four-wheeled representation of The Man of Steel.
The transformation starts not in a phone booth, but with custom fenders to reflect Superman’s muscle and an adjustable suspension system that will have it hugging the ground at the push of a button. The red and blue color scheme and Superman’s chest emblem are featured on the hood, trunk and throughout the interior.
There was a lot of thought behind how the colors were applied to the Superman Kia Optima Hybrid with the red swooping back over the trunk like a cape. It’s also on the front grille to mimic Superman’s belt. The interior got the same attention with textured fabrics to resemble armor along with that iconic chest emblem on the seats and steering wheel.
Next up is Wonder Woman which will debut at the New York Auto show and then a Justice League multi-character vehicle that will debut at San Diego Comic Con and then be auctioned off for charity. As for the Superman Kia Optima Hybrid, no one knows where it’ll be flying off to next but it’s safe to assume Chicago will be safe for the duration of the auto show.
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. When not drooling over cars, Nicole writes for Wired’s GeekMom.
