General Motors has released the first official teaser image for the 2016 Chevrolet Spark.
Confirming spy shots that appeared in China, the next-generation hatchback adopts a more mature design with a new front fascia that borrows several design cues from the Chevy Cruze. Notable changes include a pronounced lower grille and L-shape headlights that do not sweep as far back toward the A-pillar.

“The new Spark’s design has evolved and grown up with the segment,” said GM design VP Michael Simcoe. “The youthful whimsy of the original Spark is still in its genes, but it is conveyed in more traditional proportions that reinforce the customer’s refined expectations.”

Full details remain unclear, though the US-market Spark could be powered by the same engine as its overseas cousin, the Opel Karl. The Euro-spec model integrates a 1.0-liter mill that produces 75 horsepower, slightly below the 1.2-liter engine in the current-generation Spark.

The company boasts collective global sales of more than 1.1 million Sparks since the model first arrived in India six years ago. US demand has increased by 32 percent for the first two months of the year.

Additional information regarding the 2016 model will be announced next month at the New York auto show.

McLaren has confirmed a few details surrounding its upcoming Sports Series lineup, including a range of variants and an entry-level price target.
The company is working on at least as many body styles as the 650S, which is available in coupe, spider and ‘longtail’ form. A ‘C’ edition will serve as the entry point, while an ‘S’ trim will offer more power and refinement.

The company is targeting the Porsche 911 Turbo or Turbo S as segment rivals in terms of price, suggesting the Sports Series could be available with a price tag as low as $150,000 — a savings of more than $100,000 compared to the basic 650S — but CEO Mike Flewitt promises to not skimp on features.

“What we’ve done–and really where the car was developed from–is ask how far can we come down the price gradient but retain the technology that defines McLaren,” the executive told Car and Driver in a recent interview. “We didn’t set the price and work backwards, we said we can make a car and make an acceptable return, just about.”

All variants are expected to produce at least 500 horsepower, with 550 ponies mentioned as a likely output for the base model. They will be built upon a modified version of the carbon-fiber monocoque chassis that underpins the 650S, keeping the upward-swinging doors but omitting the active suspension and active rear wing of the midrange model.

Full details are expected to be announced next month at the New York auto show.

Bentley has hinted that the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept that was presented to the public earlier this week at the Geneva Motor Show could spawn a regular-production model.
“The concept has the potential to be the pinnacle luxury two-seat sports car,” affirmed company CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer in an interview with British magazine Autocar. “It represents one vision for Bentley’s future,” he added.

The magazine speculates that the production version of the EXP 10 Speed 6 could ride on the same MSB platform as the next-gen Porsche Panamera and the upcoming fourth-gen Audi A8. Building the coupe on the MSB platform is a win-win situation for both Bentley and parent company Volkswagen because it would allow the former to cut development costs while enabling the latter to benefit from economies of scale.

Although the concept was powered by an advanced gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain, the production version of the EXP 10 Speed 6 will likely use an evolution of the Audi-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine that is currently found under the hood of a number of Bentley products. Power will be sent to the rear wheels via an automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive will likely be offered at an extra cost.

Whether or not the concept’s daring styling will make the jump from the show floor to showrooms will largely depend on the reponse that it generates among current and prospective Bentley owners.

If approved for production, the yet-unnamed coupe will land in approximately three years with a base price that will lie in the vicinity of £120,000 (approximately $180,000). Bentley hopes the coupe and its upcoming SUV will allow it to build 20,000 cars annually by the year 2020, over twice what it sold in 2013.

Live images by Ronan Glon.

Amateur spy shots have partially revealed the facelifted 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander ahead of its public debut at next month’s New York Motor Show.
The pictures show that the Outlander’s rear end benefits from bigger tail lamps connected by an elegant strip of chrome trim and a new bumper with faux brushed aluminum trim and nearly vertical fog lights.

Although the front end is a lot less visible in the spy shots, it appears to gain more angular headlights, a new radiator grille and chrome accents that bring it in line with the XR-PHEV concept that was presented in Geneva earlier this week. The usual assortment of new alloy wheel designs and paint colors rounds out the updates.

Mitsubishi is keeping technical details about the 2016 Outlander under wraps so we’ll have to wait to see if there are any mechanical updates to complement the new look. Currently, the Outlander is available with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 166 horsepower and 162 lb-ft. of torque and a 3.0-liter V6 that generates 224 ponies and 215 lb-ft. of twist.

Rumors indicate the 2016 Outlander will finally get the fuel-sipping plug-in hybrid drivetrain that is available in Japan and across Europe.

Mitsubishi will introduce the 2016 Outlander online in the coming weeks.

Renault is putting the final touches on the next generation of its Golf-fighting Megane compact, and a new report give us a better idea of what to expect from it when it bows.
Visually, the next Megane will feature a more evocative look that will borrow styling cues such as sharp, elongated headlights and a U-shaped radiator grille from recent members of the Renault lineup like the Kadjar and the Juke-fighting Captur. The next Megane will be about as big as the current model (pictured) but it will gain a more upright rear end in order to offer a more spacious cabin.

The Megane will ride on the same modular CMF platform as the aforementioned Kadjar and Nissan’s new Pulsar compact. The switch will allow the Megane to shed a considerable amount of weight, a move that is expected to boost performance and fuel efficiency all across the board.

Renault will offer the next Megane with a wide number of downsized three- and four-cylinder gasoline- and diesel-burning engines. A hybrid is not believed to be in the works, but Renault will round out the lineup with a R.S.-badged hot hatch that could pack over 300 ponies in order to fend off competition from new entrants like the recently-introduced Honda Civic Type R.

Additional details about the next Renault Megane will emerge in the coming months. The hatchback will be presented to the public for the first time next September at the Frankfurt Motor Show and it will go on sale across the Old Continent early next year.

Photos by Ronan Glon.

Volkswagen recently axed the slow-selling Eos, and a new report finds that the Wolfsburg-based automaker will deep-six several additional models before the end of the decade.
The first model to get the axe will reportedly be the three-door version of the Polo, a subcompact hatchback sold in Europe and in a number of other markets around the globe. The Polo is one of the best-selling vehicles on the Old Continent but three-door economy hatchbacks have been steadily declining in popularity over the past few years. Rival Renault has already dropped the three-door version of the Polo-fighting Clio, and its third-generation Twingo city car recently went five-door-only for the first time in the nameplate’s long history.

Insiders believe that dropping the three-door Polo could allow Volkswagen to save up to 200 million euros ($217 million) in the long run by reducing the amount of parts that it needs to build.

The three-door version of the Golf is said to be safe for now, but German newspaper Spiegel reports that Volkswagen could axe the retro-inspired Beetle at the end of the current generation’s life cycle.

Additional details were not provided and Volkswagen has not commented on the report. Only time will tell if the three-door Polo and the Beetle will live on.

Photos by Mark Elias.

The Daytona 500 has come and gone.
But before it was in full swing, we spent some time with two members of the Toyota Racing program. Andy Graves heads Toyota Racing Development’s US Racing efforts while Clint Bowyer is the driver of the “5-Hour Energy” number 15 Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing.
Andy Graves
Andy Graves is TRD’s group Vice President and Technical Director. We had a chance to catch up with him just prior to the qualifying races to determine starting positions in the Daytona 500 and to ask him about the 2015 Toyota Camry Sprint Cup car.

LLN: What sort of effort went into making the new 2015 Toyota Sprint Cup Camry?

“One of the biggest goals of the new Gen-six cars was that using the design parameters that the manufacturers have agreed upon with NASCAR, was to make sure our brand identity was caught in the design of the car. We don’t want to give away performance, and we don’t want to have to alter the character of the car’s styling to achieve performance. Those design parameters go to CALTY (Toyota’s Newport Beach, California design studio) who goes over it, and may alter, or modify our designs based on requests from us. For instance, we could ask them to modify it for engine or brake cooling or for maybe what we know is a new rule change by NASCAR. Once they perform such tweaks to our designs they will do a final design and we approve it, and then build the first set of prototype parts from that.”

“While those are being made, we will do CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) studies on the designs to get initial ideas on what the performance metrics will be and to see the flow characteristics. I would say the greenhouse shape is the same basic shape for all manufacturers, it’s just trading steel for glass on the window shapes.”

LLN: How do the cars from all the manufacturers differ between each other?

“The greenhouse is a finite design as dictated by NASCAR, and we’re not worried about the airflow around it. We’re primarily concerned about the nose and the hood area and looking at that flow. We start with those simulations, with usually 30 to 45 days to digest the results, and by that time we usually have the prototype parts and then we head to the wind tunnel. We’ll get some initial look at performance numbers, and based on reports, we can change things slightly, as a result of the wind tunnel tests.”

“From there we go back to CALTY and ask them to modify certain areas of the car in order to hit our performance metrics. Obviously with NASCAR, there are design parameters, but we also have downforce and drag numbers we have to hit. There is a maximum downforce and a minimum drag number that we can’t get outside of.”

LLN: Aren’t the front-end parameters pretty rigid in the sense that there is a basic shape that needs to be met?

“The design of the front of the car is pretty open (to interpretation). There are some parts, like the bottom inch and a half that is locked in, and then almost an inch up the wheel wells. Other than that, it’s pretty well open on the front of the cars. There is a lot you can do there. The Chevrolet, the Ford and our new Camry, you’ll see the front ends are so different, yet the numbers from the wind tunnel are so close because everyone tries to hit the design parameters. So we go back and forth several times with CALTY to the point where we know we can pass the NASCAR criteria and we’re happy with the performance of the vehicle. The 2015 Camry nose is actually version four, the fourth stage of what we started with.”

“When a body gets approved, we know that all the bodies from the manufacturers are pretty close to being equal. What the teams try to get away with, that is up to them…”

“We will always try to capture the car as close to a Camry as possible, almost making too good a car and then dial it back if we have to. It’s been a great project, it looks awesome and we’re really happy with it and really happy with the performance, as well.”

Clint Bowyer
Starting to race on two-wheels at the age of five before jumping to four, Clint Bowyer has been at it for thirty years, the last three with Toyota and Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR). Seemingly wired as though he mainlines “5-Hour Energy” drink, which also happens to be the primary sponsor of his NASCAR Sprint Cup number 15 Toyota Camry, he is quick with a quote that verges just on the other side of impropriety-but that’s okay. It makes for a more interesting story, don’t you know.

“I love the new Camry. Not only do I race them, I sell them at my dealership in Emporia, Kansas,” said Bowyer. “How it happened was kind of a dream come true…my brother and I both worked at this dealership as kids growing up, and knew the owner of it. I used to tell him, “If you ever think you want out someday, let me know. Because I would love to be in! It’s something I have a lot of fun with and a lot of passion for. I love interacting with people, and I love cars, and have always liked the aspect of working and being around a car dealership.”

LLN: When you win races do you sell more cars?

Boyer responded in the affirmative, but followed with “I haven’t won a race here in a while, so I better get off my ass…. “The thing with Toyota,” he continued, ” is you don’t have any gimmicks. They are a solid, safe, dependable and reliable car and always have been. So it is a pretty easy sale when you are talking about a Toyota. That’s a good sales pitch, isn’t it? They sell themselves! Is that a top-five blog?” he asks a reporter. “No?,” he asks incredulously. “Damn! I’ll go on, I’ll get better.”

LLN: What do you get from Toyota and what do you give them back?

“Well, that’s the neat thing. I was with Chevrolet before, and I think Toyota is, hands down, the best automobile maker I have been with, on and off the racetrack. The support we get with the TRD program allows the team to focus on lots of different things without necessarily worrying about their funding. TRD provides a lot of support, like the shaker rig, (for track emulation) the pull-down rig (to simulate suspension loads), a lot of support that the other manufacturers don’t necessarily provide for their teams. The whole TRD team in Salisbury, NC, provides a lot of resources that we use every single day for what you see on Sundays and it all comes out of that TRD shop there. “

“What we do for them? We win races for them so they can sell automobiles. That’s how it works, that’s how our world goes round and round. I’m getting better. Did you get the round and round part?”

LLN: Talk a little bit about your background, how you got here.

“I grew up racing motocross when I was about 16. How the whole car racing thing got going is laughable. I was working in a Goodyear Tire shop, and my boss and all the co-workers were working on this old Monte Carlo, a street stock piece of crap, to go up to Thunderhill Speedway, the local dirt track to battle it out on a Saturday night.”

“We got to going up there with a bunch of older guys, and I just fell in love with it. The comradery amongst the guys was amazing. We’d go to the junkyard, build this engine from junkyard parts, then go to the track, blow up, drive home all night, get home, go back to the junkyard at daylight, and rob Junkyard John of all the parts to get back to the next race to go again. It was a constant recycle of parts…the same thing over and over again. But looking back, it was some of the best times of my life. That’s how it all got going.”

He continued, “When I finally had my opportunity to drive a car and had some success, it was my mom and I, my dad owned a towing service. But my mom and I would go to the track and I started running a little bit better, and got my dad’s attention and when he started helping, business picked up and we started winning. And the rest is history.”

“Eventually a guy in Kansas City had an ARCA car, and gave me an opportunity to drive it in Nashville. And that won races and put me on the map. We went there, qualified well, led a lot of the race, and then a caution flag came out and we didn’t really have a pit crew, so that put a major dent in that night’s program. We ended up second but that was enough. NASCAR team owner Richard Childress happened to be watching that race and called me that next week, and I was in North Carolina pretty quick. So, one would call that luckier than hell. You can go ahead and blog that. It wasn’t like $500-million, but it was a good start at it!”

LLN: Was that all it took?
“Once you get the exposure you need a pretty good resume to stand on. The dirt racing, though, keeps you grounded and humble. I own two dirt racing teams and we’ve been down here racing for two weeks. A lot of people don’t realize that Speed Weeks isn’t just what you see here at Daytona, there’s asphalt racing every night over in New Smyrna Beach, there’s a tremendous amount of racing around here for these couple of weeks. The USAC guys are racing in Ocala on Friday. Those guys have got big balls. Large ones.”

LLN: What was the last movie you saw?

“I’m actually watching a very awful movie that John Goodman made in 1991… he was the King. (King Ralph). I don’t even know what in the hell it was. I was doing something for my Facebook page, and I looked up and was kinda dumbfounded by what I was seeing on the TV. Movies have come a long way….”

LLN: Other favorites in racing?

“John Force. He is my favorite character in all of motorsports. Without John Force, the NHRA would probably be done. It’s scary to think one guy could carry something that big, but I’m telling you, he does.”

Wrapping up our conversation, Bowyer was surprised by the severe drop in temperatures leading up to the Daytona 500. “My brother went across the street to get some cold weather gear for tonight’s festivities. He didn’t have much luck. The man says to him, “this is Florida, sir. We sell T-shirts.”

Words photos by Mark Elias. Additional photography courtesy of TRD.