“The idea was to make the Track’ster tough looking, like a bulldog. But the car had to be approachable as well. We wanted to base the car in reality so people instantly knew it was a Soul, but with a lot of attitude. It had to be a bold interpretation that would change people’s conceptions of what a sporty Kia could be.” said Tom Kearns, chief designer for KMA.

The concept was revealed at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show.

The colors are named Whiteout and Inferno Orange (referencing racing).

Yes, there is the now-becoming-classic Kia notched grille (trimmed in carbon fiber in this case), but it is supplemented by lower carbon-fiber trimmed lower valance.

LEDs abound, front and back.

The monoblock wheels were designed by Kia designers working with a crew from wheel supplier HRE.

Speaking of wheels, the Track’ster concept not only has much broader shoulders than the Soul (putting it mildly), but it has a longer wheelbase than the production Soul: 101.2 in. vs. 100.4 in.

And speaking of increases, the Track’ster is fitted with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four that puts out 250 hp—66% more than the production Soul.