Kia Cerato: 5-door Hatchback

Galatea Automobiles uses Hyundai Tiburon/Coupe as a base for a new generation of kit car. Italian styling houses charge through the roof to create an exclusive body for an expensive car. What if a thoughtfully styled exotic and exclusive body was made for a less expensive car, and offered for the price of a body kit?

Today, Galatea Automobiles LLC introduces the “Revision”, the crowning achievement of their goal of designing a car that is both exclusive and beautiful, without the associated expenses of owning an exotic car. The Revision takes inspiration from current exotic sports car styling while retaining originality.

Robert R. Fechtmann is credited with designing the new bodywork. The Hyundai Tiburon was used as a base for the new design, because it already has a strong Italian influence in the side profile of the body. The objective was to replace the original front and rear end with a design that amplifies the Italian influence. Every part was built from scratch, instead of using existing parts as a template. Therefore, every surface is new and dramatically different from the original design. While very different from the stock parts, the new parts maintain a unified design with the rest of the car. The overall effect is a car body that is highly modified, but still has a “factory” appearance. It is more likely to be mistaken as an elegant and expensive factory car, instead of being recognized as an inexpensive modified car.

Unlike many kit cars that are based on a fairly old donor car, the Galatea is a comparatively modern car with modern features. Some of the features on the car shown include front and side airbags, a V6 engine, leather seats, moonroof, and an Infiniti sound system.

The kit is available for $5,180 in fiberglass and includes all lights, hardware, emblems, and a detailed instruction book to make installation easier. The parts included are a new hood, fenders, front bumper, headlights, rear bumper, and taillights. A finished car with 50,000 miles like the one shown can be built for a grand total of $16,000.

The name “Galatea” stems from an ancient Greek myth about a man who sculpts his vision of an ideal woman out of ivory, which he names Galatea. The Greek goddess Aphrodite brings the sculpture to life after observing the sculptor’s passion over his creation. Galatea Automobiles relates this story to the enthusiasm put into the car’s design. The parts were sculpted by hand with a personal vision for automotive beauty. The sculpture was then brought to life in the form of a real, drivable car.