By Not quite the Batmobile:
Vigilante justice has come to Seattle, and the caped crusaders drive a Kia.
Seattle police say a group of self-described superheroes have been patrolling the streets at night trying to save people from crime. They call themselves the Rain City Superhero Movement and say they’re part of a nationwide movement of real-life crime fighters.
The national website — cited in a police bulletin sent to Seattle officers Wednesday — states “a Real Life Superhero is whoever chooses to embody the values presented in super heroic comic books, not only by donning a mask/costume, but also performing good deeds for the communitarian place whom he inhabits.”
Police say the “costume-wearing complainants” are lucky they haven’t been hurt.
In one instance, police say a caped crusader dressed in black was nearly shot when he came running out of a dark park. In another case, a witness on Capitol Hill saw the crusaders wearing ski masks in a car parked at a Shell station and thought they were going to rob the place.
Police got the license plate and found those masked characters drove a Kia Fate registered to one of the character’s godmothers, department staff said. She told police her godson goes around doing good deeds. [Seattle PI]
Read the rest at the link but as Tim Blair says who would have thought a small Korean sedan would the crime fighting vehicle of choice?
3:27 pm on December 6th, 2010 1
Even superheroes have to pay for gas.
4:45 pm on December 6th, 2010 2
Those darned gas station attendants just refuse to recognise what a service they're receiving and won't donate the fuel
5:57 pm on December 6th, 2010 3
KIA Fate?
That makes for some catchy superhero banter.
You come across two punks snatching a purse or something.
"Fate is upon you."
Then run them over.
6:32 pm on December 6th, 2010 4
superman on a budget ? they liked the 0% financing ? or the great warranty ?
11:16 pm on December 6th, 2010 5
Haven't you blokes 'eard? The Batmobile is now being manufactured in Ulsan.
5:20 am on December 7th, 2010 6
#6
Actually I thought Georgia no?
4:12 pm on December 7th, 2010 7
What's a Kia Fate? Maybe Kia Forte, which is a smart-looking and very affordable car.
4:25 pm on December 7th, 2010 8
Just because it's a Korean car, they think it's made of plastics and has 10 horsepowers. This car has 175 horses for a four cylinder, and it's tuned for sport driving. But racist Americans think if it's Korean, it must be like a Chinese car. That's why I like to ragging on you guys – to give you the same garbage you guys always throw at us.
4:42 pm on December 7th, 2010 9
Everything is made of plastic, and we all said it probably has great fuel economy, and even implied it had the heft to run people over comfortably. Sounds like high praise to me, dunno why you're so … touchy
11:57 pm on December 7th, 2010 10
#8,
Nope, guess again.
http://www.serayamotor.com/diskusi/viewtopic.php?…
1:41 am on December 8th, 2010 11
You are so desperate Teadrinker.
"Reuters, Sep 10 2002 "
Oh. Right.
3:08 am on December 8th, 2010 12
This is the new Hyundai Elantra 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrmePi7JlSg
Not bad for a $15,000 car, which will blow away anything Japanese in the same price range.
4:10 am on December 8th, 2010 13
I share Tom's enthusiasm for Kia and Hyundai vehicles.
4:58 am on December 8th, 2010 14
Tom, find me the cars.com video for the Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sportage, and Kia Sorento so that I can convince my mother not to buy our family's umpteenth Honda or Toyota.
4:59 am on December 8th, 2010 15
#8
LOLWUT?
10:02 am on December 8th, 2010 16
http://carfeteria.hani.co.kr/archives/14199
Hyundai now number one reliable brand in Germany, even beating BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi, and all the Japanese including Toyota and Honda.
Japan is following their electronic industry and becoming another crappy Sony.
Koreans dominate Japanese traditional industries, but the Jap Otakus who are still laughing at Korean products and say they are trash. They say no Japanese buy Korean so Korean must be bad product. But Galapasgos island Japan are shocked Koreans surpass them overseas. They ask how can the Westerners and Asians so stupid for buying Korean when they can have superior Japanese. But not so fast Japanese, you are no longer superior product. 
But you can't convince these Otakus on Japan 2ch, Japan Yahoo, and Youtube. They are so angry they fabricate videos about Koreans to give bad reputation. But it's not working because Korea keeps developing fast and making better and better products. 
11:56 am on December 8th, 2010 17
Tom wrote:
I agree with Tom that pinning an eight-year-old problem from an eight-year-old article on current models is sort of lame.
Hyundai and Kia have learned the lessons of the past and applied it with a vengeance. When I got to Hawaii I bought myself a used Honda SUV (which I enjoy), owing in part to having little choice but to buy only Kia or Hyundai before that back in Korea. But if I were in the market for a car today, a Kia or Hyundai would be my probable choice. Not for any kimcheerleading or anything but simply because they are the best among the types of cars I would likely buy with the exception of the Honda Insight (their answer to the Toyota Prius, which I would purchase instead if I had kids). The factors are safety, quality, styling, and price, and Hyundai and Kia are now leaders.
11:58 am on December 8th, 2010 18
I can't say anything, my car is a Holden Barina Sedan, aka, a somewhat re-engineered, rebadged Daewoo (aka Cheverolet Aveo).
12:13 pm on December 8th, 2010 19
Tom, Honda still makes a damn fine car. The Honda CR-V is as good as its Hyundai and Kia counterparts but is 10 to 15 percent more. That's hardly being "finished." I'm not even sure how many people remember Toyota's perpetual motion machines anymore.
And your argument would have been far stronger (not to mention more palatable) if you could forgo using words like "Jap."
12:58 pm on December 8th, 2010 20
"And your argument would have been far stronger (not to mention more palatable) if you could forgo using words like “Jap.”"
Do forgive him, Kushibo, what with the Senk-…. er, I mean Diaoyu Island insults, its a difficult time for Beijing propagandists >:
1:45 pm on December 8th, 2010 21
OK, wrong word to use "finished". After all, Japanese electronic business is not finished either. More accurately Japanese car industry is going the way of their electronic industry – giving way to Koreans. It's the beginning of the end of Japanese domination. You watch, in under ten years, Hyundai will take over Toyota's sales numbers.
They sold more Hyundai Sonatas in the US than Honda Accord – something unthinkable even couple of years ago. And Sonata sales are nipping at Toyota Camry's sales numbers.
OK, the problem with Honda CRV – look at the design, and then look at the new KIA Sportage. Japanese models look awfully old and dated, while Korean models are completedly remade with better fuel milage. In three years, the most important dependablity study will show Korean cars to be more reliable too.
For instance, look at the new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, which won the North American green car of the year. It's the only hybrid that uses the poly lithium battery, while the other Japanese competitors still use the old nickel cadiums. Just wait until Hyundai completes all the remodeling of all their models. New Elantra sales should crush the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla sales for sure. Those two are practically junks, compared to the new Elantra.
Yet the Jap Otakus still think they are better than Koreans.
2:38 pm on December 8th, 2010 22
Kushibo, has Tom now convincingly gone Korean?
3:12 pm on December 8th, 2010 23
Hyundai has improved over the years, but they still have a long way to go.
4:27 pm on December 8th, 2010 24
A long way to go how? It's most commonly purchased or highest-profile vehicles — Sonata, Santa Fe, Tucson, Genesis, Genesis Coupe, Elantra — are considered top choices in their respective categories.
4:28 pm on December 8th, 2010 25
Glans wrote:
I'm not engaging in such talk. It makes ChickenHead whine like a schoolgirl, and that's like the worst sound in the world.
5:20 pm on December 8th, 2010 26
And yet they have not brought LMB the severed head of Toyota's CEO. Only then…
10:48 pm on December 8th, 2010 27
Sonata 2011, top safety pick, much more safer than Japanese cars.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/104273…
Toyota Camry only got 3 stars.
Mean while Korean car haters have sour faces on. They can't accept this result and will panic and get angry. But Tom will gloat anyway.
12:35 am on December 9th, 2010 28
"I’m not engaging in such talk. It makes ChickenHead whine like a schoolgirl, and that’s like the worst sound in the world."
Hmmm… so it IS true. The squeakiest hinge DOES get the oil. Armed with this knowledge, from now on, I'm going to get my way like a welfare queen with a brand new baby.
1:17 am on December 9th, 2010 29
How KIA Attracts Superheros
Green Lantern – the bulbs Koreans insist on replacing their standard yellow turn signals with
Superman – the guy who yells at you when you move the shredded tire and old chair guarding the parking space in front of his shupermarket.
Wonder Woman – she comes around if you drive a K7… not so much for the Pride
The Hulk – the big, fat English "teacher", looking a little green around the gills, slouched in the back seat of a taxi trying not to throw up after too much soju
Wolverine – the degree of ugly possessed by the KIA Soul
Iron Man – steps out in front of your KIA and crosses the street painfully slowly with a little pull-cart filled with scrap iron
Silver Surfer – the old guy in the KIA checking out porn sites on his smartphone when he should be watching for the light to change
Captain America – month after month, fined 1.5 million won for a DUI or leaving the scene of an accident… or sometimes dumping a suitcase containing one slightly used wife
Fantastic Four – what you use to play with yourself as you drive slowly down a glass house street
The Flash – what you would be doing if the glass house wasn't only 70 bucks
Spawn – snotty little dependents packed into the back seat of a $500 beater
Punisher – the fat, loud wife packed into the front seat of a $500 beater
Deadman – what the poor guy in the driver's seat of the $500 beater wishes he was.
Ghost Rider – the Korean girl in the back seat on top of the white guy
Professor X – identified along with a certain Mr. A and Miss B as being busted smoking pot in their car
Batman – when ajashi cuts someone off, he is batman… a beddy, beddy bat man
Robin – what the juicy bar owners do to drive that fancy import… as they wouldn't be caught dead driving up to the Osan golf course in a KIA.