2016 Toyota Prius Spied with Radical New Look

2016 Toyota Prius Spied with Radical New Look
2017 Kia Sportage Photos Leak
2016 Chevy Camaro Price: Starts at $26,695
Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang Production Begins
Top 10 Ways to Be a Better Track Driver
2017 Buick Regal Spy Photos Show New Hatchback Style

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New spy photos have revealed the upcoming 2016 Toyota Prius.

Toyota's redesigned hybrid has all-new radical style for 2016, moving away from its boring image and closer to the new looks of the Toyota Mirai. While details on the car remain in the dark, the Prius is expected to be more powerful and fun to drive than previous models.

Fuel economy is rumored to be boosted up to about 54 MPG combined thanks in part to considerable weight loss. That is mostly due to the Prius' new platform, Toyota's TNGA modular architecture, which will eventually underpin many of the automaker's vehicles.

A previous set of interior spy photos revealed the car's new large touchscreen in the center stack along with a

The new 2016 Toyota Prius is expected to be officially unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October of this year. It will probably make its US debut at the LA auto show one month later.

Discuss this story at our Toyota Prius forum

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2017 Kia Sportage Photos Leak

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Photos claiming to show the 2017 Kia Sportage have leaked online.

Courtesy of Korean blog Auto Tribune, the photos show a pretty radical redesign for the Kia crossover which falls in line with what we have seen already in teaser images. A new distinct look will help Kia distance itself from its corporate cousin, the Tucson.

Under the hood, the Tuscon's new turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine is expected, hooked up to a dual-clutch transmission.

The new 2017 Kia Sportage is expected to be unveiled in Korea in the next few days, while its international debut is set for the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

[Source: Auto Tribune]

Discuss this story at our Kia Sportage Forum

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2016 Chevy Camaro Price: Starts at $26,695

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Some 2016 Chevy Camaro pricing details have been revealed.

At the bottom end, you'll pay $26,695 for a Camaro 1LT which comes with the new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 275 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

At the other end of the spectrum, buyers will have to drop $37,295 to get into a base Camaro SS which packs a 6.2-liter V8 putting out 455 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque. Sitting in the middle is a 3.6-liter V6 that makes 355 hp and 284 lb-ft of torque.

That makes GM's muscle car about $3,000 more expensive than a base Mustang V6 ($24,425), though its on par with a base model Dodge Challenger, which sells for around $27,000.

New standard features on the 2016 Camaro include MyLink infotainment with Apple CarPlay, OnStar 4G LTE, drive mode selector, remote start, keyless entry, auto climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, backup camera, capless fuel filler, power-adjustable front seats and new knee airbags.

Buyers of LT models can choose to add the RS package which comes with HID headlights, LED taillights, unique grille inserts and a rear spoiler.

Moving up to the 1SS model brings some performance upgrades, including upgraded cooling, Brembo brakes, Goodyear Eagle A1 Asymmetric 3 run-flat tires, active rev matching (manual models), limited slip differential (manual models only) and a configurable driver info screen.

Finally, the top-level 2SS comes with heated and ventilated front leather seats, wireless phone charging, interior color-spectrum lights, a head-up display, Bose premium audio system and a host of safety features like lane change alert and blind-spot monitoring.

Custom accessories are also available, including LED-illuminated Chevy Bowtie badges and smoked taillights.

Discuss this story at our 2016 Camaro Forum

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Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang Production Begins

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Ford's high-performance Shelby Mustang GT350 and GT350R have begun rolling off the production line.

Ford calls it the "most athletic Mustang ever," and the specs seem to backup that claim. The car comes packing a 5.2-liter flat-plane V8 that makes 526 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

To cut weight from the GT350R, Ford shed all of the unnecessary bits from this car like the air conditioning, stereo, trunk carpet and rear-view camera. Both versions of the car get a standard limited-slip differential which gets the power to the ground while MagneRide adaptive dampers and a fully revised suspension helps to carve corners.

Carbon fiber 19-inch wheels come standard on the GT350R, with all four wheels wrapped in near racing-slick Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires that are said to have been specially formulated for the Shelby GT350R.

The New Shelby GT350R Mustang will be a limited-production model with only 37 units planned for the 2015 model year, while the GT350 will see 100 unites produced for 2015.

Discuss this story at our Ford Mustang Forum

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Top 10 Ways to Be a Better Track Driver

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So, you've signed up to participate in an open track day or autocross event. First off, congratulations, but perhaps more importantly, are you ready?

Driving on a closed course is, obviously, completely different from plodding along on public roads that are all too frequently congested with commercial vans, the elderly and people trying to eat a breakfast burrito while driving … and reading their news feed.

If you've never ripped around a racetrack or competed in autocross, here are 10 tips to help make you a faster, and perhaps more importantly, safer driver:

10. Proper Posture

Starting things off, it's important to have proper posture. Make sure the driver's seat is adjusted correctly. You don't want to be leaning back like some sort of wannabe gangster. Instead, tuck your rump firmly into the bucket and make sure the backrest is fairly vertical so you can maximize your outward visibility. Also, ensure you can operate the pedals, with enough reach to fully depress the clutch (if applicable).

9. Hands at 9 and 3 o'clock

A lot of motorists think you're supposed to keep your grubby paws at the 10 and 2 o'clock positions. This may be OK while driving on the open road but if you're heading out on a track, you'll want to revise the timing of your hands. Putting them at 9 and 3 is better for two reasons. One, it gives you greater range of turning motion, and two, it's balanced. If your hands are at 10 and 2, this makes the steering wheel top-heavy; it'll tend to go farther left or right when you crank the tiller off-center. At 9 and 3, it's balanced.

8. Learn to Heel-and-Toe Shift (If Applicable)

Heel-and-toe downshifting is a critical skill to have if your car is equipped with a manual transmission. While slowing down before entering a corner, it's necessary to drop down a gear or three so you can power out of the turn. To achieve this, you brake in a straight line with the toes of your right foot, then hit the clutch pedal with your left. While doing all of this, rotate your right heel over to the accelerator pedal so you can raise the engine revs enough so that when you change gears and let the clutch out, the transition is smooth. There's a lot to do, but it's a rewarding thing to master.

7. Look Ahead … FAR Ahead

While driving at speed, it's critically important to look ahead, way ahead. Glancing at the tarmac a few feet in front of your car's front bumper may be satisfactory on the street, but it doesn't cut it while racing. You're moving faster, so you have to look further ahead. And the further ahead you look, the more prepared you will be and the smoother your driving will be. You have to look through the corner you're negotiating at the track ahead, using your peripheral vision and side windows as necessary. And keep in mind, the place you're looking is where the vehicle will tend to go, so avoid staring at spectators or the tire wall.

6. Brake Smoothly in a Straight Line

Before entering a corner, you generally need to slow down. Not surprisingly, there's a right way to decelerate and a wrong way. The wrong way is to stand on the brake pedal at the last possible second, causing the front of the car to dive with such ferocity that its bumper scrapes the pavement. This is a great way to upset the chassis, shifting the vehicle's weight forward; it's also ideal for cooking your pads and rotors in short order.

Balance and proper weight distribution are the keys to turning quickly and safely. Instead, what you want to do is brake in a straight line when you have maximum traction, gradually but firmly slowing down as you enter the turn. This keeps the vehicle on an even keel. In many situations, you want your deceleration to be finished before entering the turn, but more experienced drivers can do something known as "trail braking," which helps improve front-end grip.

5. Maintain Speed Through Corners

Some of the above-mentioned suggestions take practice to master, but this tip is easy. After you've slowed down and then entered a corner, transition your right foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator and apply a dab of throttle, just enough for you to maintain momentum through the turn. This keeps the chassis nicely balanced and prepares you to go wide-open once the nose is pointed straight ahead.

4. Apex Late

But before you can mash the gas, you've got to finish negotiating the turn, which means nailing the apex, the innermost point of a corner. Hitting this spot as late as possible is generally the fastest way through a turn because it gives you the straightest possible line, which maintains momentum. Keep in mind, this isn't necessarily the shortest distance through a corner, but it's the fastest and that's what matters.

3. Ease on the Throttle

After you've apexed, it's time to start accelerating again. As mentioned several times before, smoothness is key. You want to roll evenly on the throttle as you begin exiting a corner and unwinding the wheel. Doing so will not upset the car's balance. Please, resist the temptation to mash the gas!

2. Use the Entire Track

And while you're putting that corner in your rearview mirror, allow the car to drift wide as you exit; don't be afraid of the shoulder or rumble strips, you want to use as much of the track as possible. At speed, these extra few inches can save a lot of time by, again, giving you the straightest possible line through the turn and allowing you to maintain momentum.

1. Smoothness is Critical

In case you haven't picked up on it yet, the No. 1 tip for driving on a racetrack is the importance of being smooth. Herky-jerky movements and sudden inputs only upset a car's balance, reducing traction and increasing the likelihood of something bad happening (like smashing into a wall). When driving on a closed course, try to be patient and methodical. Remember, smooth may feel slow, but on a track, it's actually faster.

Check out some of our other Top 10 Lists

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2017 Buick Regal Spy Photos Show New Hatchback Style

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The next Opel Insignia, sold as the Buick Regal in the U.S., has been caught testing in new spy photos.

As we can see from the body lines, the Regal is moving to a hatchback five-door body style with the current four-door sedan version likely to be cancelled. A station wagon variant is expected to join the lineup about six months after the car launches, but U.S. availability is unknown at this point.

Overall the wheelbase in expected to be stretched by about 10 cm, though the car should be about 440 lbs lighter than the current model.

SEE ALSO: Opel Monza Concept Details

A 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine will likely be the 2017 Buick Regal's base engine, while a more powerful option will be available, though the specific engine remains a mystery.

Styling will be heavily influenced by the Monza Concept which was shown at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. A large digital dashboard design that was previewed by the concept is also expected to make its way into the production version along with head-up display and OnStar 4G LTE Wifi.

The redesigned 2017 Buick Regal will likely hit the market in late 2016 as a 2017 model year.

Discuss this story at our Buick Forum

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Car Reviews

Friday, 21 August 2015