AMBER LOVE 27-MARCH-2013 The 2013 NEW YORK AUTO SHOW turned up a few wheeled gems that pop culture fans will find interesting. In 2012, Kia created five DC Comics themed vehicles before finally presenting the world with the Wonder Woman at this year’s auto show. One more car is planned now to encompass the entire Justice League. (UPDATE: if you want to see the car being unveiled there’s video).

In case for some reason you were wondering, no Kia has not paid for any endorsements of me or the website. This is informational only.

The 2014 Kia lineup of comic cars kicked off with Superman just in time to get fans excited for Zack Snyder’s THE MAN OF STEEL movie starring Henry Cavill as the only Kryptonian on Earth. MotorTrend Magazine describes the Superman car as a, “…stylish four-door wearing Superman’s signature blue, red, and yellow, with a proud Superman shield painted on the hood. Other Man of Steel touches include a custom grille with Superman’s shield, red accents, and red-tinted headlights.”

The Flash undoubtedly would be surprised at the low gas mileage Kia Forte Koup which you can’t expect to go beyond 25 mpg. Nonetheless Kia created a design on the Koup that is appropriate flashy. The Flash car was created by West Coast Customs and it features 20-inch wheels, subwoofers in the trunk and other bells and whistles to make it special.

I love that Kia chose the Soul model for the Green Lantern Corps because any hero with the willpower to wield a power ring would most definitely have strength in their soul. This boxy wagon has blacked out headlamps with green projector bulbs and the GL symbol is prominent in the deep wheel insets and smaller in other places.

The Aquaman Rio hatchback is green with a gold scale mail accent painted over the hood, the roof, and along the tops of the doors. It looks like they utilized a gill type of pattern on the front door panels.

Out of all the Justice League members I was surprised that Cyborg had a car homage before Wonder Woman. Well, really, why should I be surprised? He’ll probably get a live action movie before her too. There’s also neither Hawkgirl nor Hawkman and apparently there’s no plan for them. The Cyborg hatch is another Forte model. It is easily the most incognito of the lineup as a solid silver body and what looks like his repulsor beam elevated out of the hood.

Wonder Woman’s patriotic theme is emblazoned across a Kia Sportage from the crossover selection. MotorTrend gives a wonderful explanation of the effort put into designing this otherwise modest vehicle:

“Built for charity in collaboration with DC Entertainment and Super Street magazine, the Wonder Woman Sportage adds an aero kit, and is finished in a red and blue paint scheme accented with silver stars, much like the heroine’s outfit. The gold trim on parts of the CUV represent Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth, while the Tiger Nose grille wears the Wonder Woman’s eagle chest-plate emblem. Blue headlight beams mirror her blue eyes, and the windshield is topped off with a tiara sticker. Chrome side panels represent her invisible jet, and the five-spoke wheels match the stars stamped on the side of the Sportage.

Open up the doors, and red upholstery is highlighted with blue LED accent lighting. The custom seats are embroidered with her logo, and the rear cargo area is decorated with stars and an eagle, along with a see-through panel that displays Wonder Woman’s bracelets, tiara, and her golden lasso.”

It seems that all the cars are 2.0L or 2.4L engines. The final DC Comics charity car will be an amalgam of all the previous themes. I’m not sure how simply building and customizing cars helps charities other than touring to conventions and asking for donations to sit in them for photos. I emailed DC Comics for comment and received no response. If anyone can find out and report back that would be great! The “We Can Be Heroes” foundation from DC Comics supports families in the Horn of Africa region.

Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AmberUnmasked.com and Vodka O'Clock Podcast. Author of The Farrah Wethers Mysteries, comic book short stories, prose, and non-fiction. Cosplayer and figure model.