Hi and welcome to you and your new GTS.
I came here a month ago after buying my GTS with the same question. I thought it would be fluid and simple like turn the Mode Switch to "Drift" and that would be it. I had to contact KIA Motors America to get an answer. Below in one of Flameangels post you'll see the answer I received from them.
It makes sense the more I think of it. Why didn't they just put drift mode into the display with the new mode? As a manufacturer are you going to order new LCD screens for 800 cars that say Drift? They could have at least put a one page card into the car along with the user manual or something describing "How To" but didn't do that either. I would also have liked a Limited Edition
badge somewhere telling me the number of 800 that I got.
I've gone though the
VIN numbers through zip code after zip code of inventory on KIAs website for all the GTSs. They all look like the base GT as far as the
VIN coding goes. GT codes all start with KNAE35LC. GT1 codes all start with KNAE45LC. GT2 codes all start with KNAE55LC. Continuing on...the next 2 digits are a series of codes that are part of the numbering system that gets rotated between 11 numbers followed by the letter K. The numbers range from 0 though 9 and the letter X making 11 numbers all together. The next digits are all sequential and all start with 60 then range from 68604 (earliest I could find) to 71190 (last one I could find).
In my search for GTSs I had to assume some were already purchased because my list only accounted for roughly 200 cars. Also some of the numbers in the sequential numbering I figured were plain old GTs.
As far as I could determine they didn't make all 800 in a row. They were made in batches of maybe 25 to 50 at a time and then would make more regular GTs. Then go back to another batch of GTSs.
With
VIN numbering my guess is that those who got the 68 numbers were the first 200. Those who got 69 numbers are the second 200. 70 numbers are the 3rd 200 and 71 numbers would be the last 200. Given that assumption mine would be from number 401 to 600 but that's as close as I can determine.
Yes, I guess my own nerdiness has been revealed in this post.
Also in my ponderings what makes this variant capable of the best of both Stinger iterations, AWD and RWD, is the combination of the mechanical vs. electronic shifter, the LSD (Limited Slip Differential), and the new D-AWD.
Have a fun and safe time with your new GTS.