K- nuclear optical potentials are constructed from in-medium subthreshold (K) over barN scattering amplitudes within a chirally motivated coupled-channel model. We demonstrate how the strong energy and density dependence of the scattering amplitudes at and below threshold leads to a deep K- nuclear potential VK- for kaonic atoms and K- nuclear quasibound states. Selfconsistent evaluations yield K- potential depths -ReVK- (rho(0)) of order 100 MeV. Allowing for K- NN absorption, better agreement with K- atoms data is achieved, leading to increased potential depths, -ReVK- (rho(0)) similar to 175 MeV, in accord with density dependent potentials obtained in purely phenomenological fits. Self consistent dynamical calculations of K- nuclear quasibound states are reported and discussed, as well.