To reinforce its commitment to the world of motorsports, Kia has announced at SEMA in Las Vegas that it will be replacing the pace car of the United States Touring Car Championship (USTCC) for the 2012 season, currently a Kia Soul, with a fuel-efficient Optima Hybrid built by GoGoGear.com. "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," Kia said.

"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." It also looks the part with an eye-catching exterior and custom vinyl graphics complemented by an array of lighting, from LED auxillary lights and HID headlights to strobe lights and an LED light bar on the roof to help direct traffic.

The USTCC Kia Optima Hybrid Safety Car also has an awesome interior to entertain the driver when the race is going smoothly; an Infinity sounds system, a navigation system, video system, wireless headphones and 7-inch monitors in the head rests should be enough to keep them busy.