The 2011 Chevy Spark, as sold in Argentina. Image: © GM Corp.

Sometime next year, Chevrolet will introduce the smallest car it’s ever sold in the United States. Classified as a “minicar,” the 2013 Chevrolet Spark will go head to head against the likes of the Fiat 500, the Smart Fortwo and the Scion iQ. It will likely be powered by a 1.2-liter engine, also the smallest ever offered in a Chevy product in the United States, mated to either a five-speed manual or a four speed automatic transmission. The Spark’s size may make it nimble (and easy to park), but it won’t make it quick: expect a zero to sixty run in the neighborhood of 12 seconds with the five speed, even longer with the four speed automatic.

While the final specs haven’t been released by GM, expect the U.S. bound Spark to be around 144 inches long and 63 inches wide. Stacked against Chevy’s current compact car offering, the Cruze sedan, the Spark will be some 37 inches shorter and 8 inches narrower. Maybe a better comparison would be against the current Ford Fiesta hatchback, which is the smallest car in Ford’s current lineup: the Spark is still 16 inches shorter and nearly 5 inches narrower.

So here’s the question: is there enough demand in the American market to import a car that’s smaller than its contemporaries, slower than its contemporaries and not substantially better in fuel economy (the Spark is expected to return around 40 mpg, the same as a properly equipped Chevy Cruze or a new Hyundai Accent)? Can Americans, who’ve traditionally associated size with safety, warm up to smaller and smaller modes of personal transportation?

Like hybrids and smaller displacement engines, smaller cars are likely to become the new norm as manufacturers struggle to meet stricter CAFE requirements. I can’t help but wonder what happens if buyers don’t warm up to the new technology, and it wouldn’t be the first time Detroit built cars that American buyers rejected.

What’s your take: with the Spark ignite a new market for Chevrolet, or will the Spark burn out shortly after it hits the market?

Back in November, Mike and I had a chance to drive a Chevy Volt from New York City to Detroit. Spending two days and seven hundred miles behind the wheel of a car tells you a lot about it, especially when your rear seat passenger is one of the engineers who designed the car. Surprisingly, I haven’t had a chance to drive the battery-only Nissan Leaf, so when Nissan announced a Leaf tour stop in Jacksonville, I signed up for the first available time. Unfortunately, a parking lot course and a few miles of on-road driving don’t give you a lot of feel for a vehicle, but that’s what Nissan was offering and anything was better than nothing at all.

Headlights are shaped to improve airflow over the car.

The Leaf's five door hatch design is supremely practical.

In their defense, this was a public-oriented event, and not an over-the-top media extravaganza with planned routes along scenic roads. I’m happy to say that the Leaf drives well in shopping mall parking lots and on secondary roads, and acceleration to modest speeds is brisk. Handling felt better than adequate, although a wet parking lot course wasn’t really the place to test my autocross skills. The regenerative brakes felt more “natural” than those on the Volt, but the Leaf’s smaller size and lighter weight may have helped in that area as well. My overall impression was “nicer than the average compact car”.

Front seats are comfortable and offer reasonable support.

Rear head room and leg room is surprising.

Leg and head room for both front and rear passengers is quite good. If you’re taller than five foot ten, you’ll need to duck climbing into or out of the back seat; once there, you’ll be plenty comfortable. Though technically a five seater, the Leaf works best with up to four adults, although you can squeeze in a fifth for a quick lunch run. The Leaf’s rear hatch makes cargo loading a breeze, and the car has a deep rear tub to hold luggage or groceries. The rear seats fold, but the tub doesn’t come with a cover; that’s not a problem for hauling cargo, but dog owners may have a few complaints about the layout.

The Leaf's drive selector couldn't be simpler.

The interior is pleasantly conventional.

The information display tells you all you need to know.

Behind the wheel, the Leaf drives like an ordinary compact car, but that’s a compliment. Sit down, put your foot on the brake and punch the start button, and the Leaf’s instrument panel comes to life. Select “Drive” or “Reverse” from the controller, and you’re off. If you want maximum range (at the expense of performance), selecting “Drive” twice will put you in Eco mode, which gives you approximately a 10% boost in range. Like the Chevy Volt, the utter silence when the car is stopped is eerie at first, but you soon get used to it.

A solar panel charges the 12V battery on high end models.

The front charge port, where you 'fill up' the Leaf.

The Leaf's battery pack; unlike the Volt, it's air-cooled only.

That's not an engine; that's the Leaf's controller assembly.

I hope I get a chance to spend more time with the Leaf, since it seems like a nice enough car. I don’t have the need for a limited range commuter, but I certainly understand the car’s appeal if you do. Deliveries have begun in selected markets, so I’m sure we’ll get feedback from the early adopters in the near future.

The Edison2 Very Light Car (VLC) positively stomped the competition a few months ago during the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize challenge, returning an impressive 102.5 miles per gallon on E85 ethanol. Now the aeronautical four-seater is at the North American International Auto show in detroit to show off its wind-cheating body and hyper-efficient engine. Hit the jump to see a video tour by engadget.

The Edison2 VLC was designed to be insanely efficient. It has a steel-tube chassis and a carbon fiber body. Every part of the automobile was is simple and lightweight. Your typical lug nut weighs about an ounce. A VLC lug nut weighs one-tenth of an ounce. Total weight of the VLC? 800 pounds.

But ultimate efficiency isn’t just about (lack of) weight. The VLC has one of the most aerodynamic bodies ever conceived. And indeed, it looks like the offspring of a Leer jet and a bullet, which means it disturbs nary a molecule of air as it sails down the road.

Motivation is provided by a turbocharged one-cylinder engine that runs through a six-speed sequential gearbox. The engine generates 40 horsepower and 29 foot-pounds of torque, which is just enough to get you around. But straight-line performance isn’t what the VLC is about. Efficiency comes first, followed, surprisingly, by handling prowess. Despite its skinny, low-rolling-resistance tires, the VLC pulls 1.18g on the skidpad, matching the Pagani Zonda C12 S.

Check out this walk-around video tour to get a better idea of what the VLC is like in person. Personally, I think it’s great and would love to drive around town in one. All it needs is a HUD and a few heat-seeking missiles.

PRO’s: Great interior, great styling, great road manners and oh so quiet.

CON’s: Short on power, may be tight for taller drivers.

FINAL THOUGHT’s: An American small car that just rewrote the rules on what an American small car should be.

Believe it or not but the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze was one of those rare vehicles that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. I’d had first seen it in person back at the Washington DC Auto Show in early 2010, and from that moment on I had a feeling that the car was going to be a hit. With its sights dead set on stealing customers away from such cars as the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, the Cruze seeks to deliver consumers a compact car that is anything but. The first thing you notice about the Cruze is that it is a good looking automobile, not a good looking small car, but a good looking automobile. This particular Cruze was an LTZ model equipped with the RS appearance package. That means unique rocker moldings, RS emblems on the lower front doors, as well as a unique front fascia that incorporates stylish fog lights. The rear fascia is also unique and includes a blacked-out center section with chrome strip and rear deck-lid spoiler. Combine that with the Cruze’s sporty 18-inch wheels and you now have a car with a decidedly European look about it.

If the exterior of the Cruze is good, then the interior of the car is excellent. Generally cars in this market segment are on the spartan side and feel cheap when it comes to interior amenities and quality. Nothing in the Cruze though feels out-of-the-parts-bin cheap, in fact it’s quite the opposite. By using inexpensive materials in different ways, the designers at Chevy were able to pull together an interior that has the feel of a car in a much higher price bracket.

One such example would be the use of a soft cloth weave material that covers the passenger side dash and door inserts, both front and rear. It’s a nice touch that gives the interior a softer feel, as opposed to just slathering everything with molded plastics. The seats were leather clad buckets that were more than comfortable enough for everyday driving. The drivers seat came equipped with 6-way power adjustment, with the passenger seat being an 8-way manual unit.

They were also heated, which was a nice touch especially with the cold Northeast climate we’re currently dealing with. The steering wheel was also leather wrapped and extremely comfortable. So much so that I was wishing it had been used in the Chevrolet Camaro that I recently tested.

The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze has room enough for four adult passengers, although if you’re over 6-feet tall like myself, you will find yourself feeling a bit cramped. This goes for both front and rear seating. When it comes time to get comfortable and or get your groove on, have no fear as the center stack controls are well laid out with everything being within easy reach. One thing I can’t stand though is the blue digital readout screen that is located above the HVAC controls. It’s cheesy and for some reason reminds me of a mid-90′s StarTac cell phone.

Take a look behind the steering wheel and you’ll see a highly sculpted cluster that includes large chromed ring tachometer and speedometer dials, temperature, fuel gauge and drivers information screen. This provides you with a readout of everything from your fuel economy to OnStar navigation directions (if your car is so equipped). I should also mention that the trunk is huge with 15.4-cubic feet of cargo space. That’s 3.4 more than the Honda Civic and 3 more than the Toyota Carolla. The interior of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ is light years beyond anything Chevrolet has ever put in a compact car before, and they should be commended for it.

Get the Cruze on the road and you’ll immediately notice that it has a decidedly sporty feel to it. Steering inputs are crisp and weighted nicely, thus tempting you to search out your favorite twisty road. The problem however is that when you get there, the Cruze’s 1.4-liter Ecotec Turbo just doesn’t have the stones to get the 3200 lb. car moving as you’d like. According to Chevrolet the little mill makes 138 hp and 148 ft-lb of torque. Not terrible numbers, but just not enough to make the Cruze as fun as the car looks and feels. Put the pedal to the wood and you’ll get to 60 mph in just over 9-seconds. That’s about the same time as the new Chevrolet Volt electric plug-in. Again, not terrible, but the Civics and Jetta’s I’ve driven feel decidedly healthier in the engine department. What Chevy should do is drop in their new 220 hp turbo inline-four that’s in the new 2011 Regal CXL Turbo. Do that and they’ll have a compact car that budget minded enthusiasts can really get behind.

The 6-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly and even has a sport mode that lets you shift manually if you so choose. Forget about trying to spin those 225/45/18 front tires though, because unless you’re on ice, it’s not going to happen. I have to say that I was also pretty impressed by the brake pedal feel on the Cruze. The pedal was nice and firm, allowing the driver to bring the car to a halt with confidence.

If the Cruze’s 1.4-liter Ecotec does anything, it delivers great fuel economy. They say it’ll get 24 mpg city and 36 hwy. The 24 part I believe, but the 36 mpg on the super-slab may be pushing it a bit, unless of course you’re cruising at exactly 55 mph. I was able to muster a solid 27 mpg in combined driving which wasn’t too bad, especially since I was a little heavy on the pedal. It must also be pointed out that the Cruze is VERY quiet when it’s on the road. Tire and wind noise are at minimum levels, which is something that I didn’t expect from a car in this price bracket.

My 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ with the RS package came in at $24,260 on the sticker. That’s cheaper then a comparably equipped Honda Civic EX-L with automatic transmission and similar options and on par with that of a 2011 VW Jetta (again, with similar options). What struck me most about the Cruze after my time with it, was that it always felt like a high quality automobile. From the quiet ride, to the sporty handling, to the doors that go “THUNK” when you close them. Simply put, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ was a confidence inspiring, inexpensive automobile that I would recommend to anyone who asked me about it.

* Hey Chevy… just keep in mind what I said about that 220 hp turbo inline-four that you’ve got stuffed in the new 2011 Regal CXL Turbo. It could really work here!

With the average price of regular fuel in the United States teetering around $3.15 per gallon I got to wondering if die-hard car enthusiasts would change their buying habits. My daily driver for instance gets a whopping combined mileage of about 15 mpg. Obviously it’s not the most efficient vehicle on the planet, but as a performance vehicle I make the compromise to pay more at the pump so I can have more fun on the road. There are however times that filling up my tank to the tune of $60.00 does make me reconsider my choice in vehicles. This week for instance I happen to be driving around in a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, a car that gets about 35 mpg on the highway. It’s a car that gets economy car mileage, but one that doesn’t feel like an economy car.

This got me thinking – do I really need to own a 400 + hp road hammer to have a little fun on the open road? Obviously I like the performance and feeling of having gobs of power under my foot, but let’s be honest, how often can one really use it? For an everyday driving I think the basic things that one needs to think about are economy, handling and braking, as power (even though it’s fun to have) just costs money. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to go fast, but it’s also nice to have those extra greenbacks in your wallet at days end.

Cars like the new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze handle great, are fun to drive and deliver great fuel economy at a fair price (things you’ll read about in my upcoming review). Plus with the ever rising cost of fuel, they make die-hard performance junkies like myself stop and reevaluate what I truly need in a car, as opposed to what I truly want. Now I’m not saying I’m running out to buy some foo-foo hybrid just yet, it’s just that cars like the Cruze make me rethink what I really need in an automobile.

I haven’t seen Jay Leno smile this much since he got the Tonight Show. And the thing that put that smile on his substantial visage? A 65-horsepower three-wheeled commuter vehicle, the Persu tilting trike. The aerospace-inspired contraption is actually the Carver One, a Dutch invention that didn’t quite make it off the ground. Thankfully, the technology has been licensed by Persu, who plans to sell it stateside with a new, sleeker body and a hybrid drivetrain.

Source: Jay Leno’s Garage, Persu

Leno has an absolute blast in the trike and calls it the most fun he’s ever had in a commuter vehicle. He interviews Terry Murphy of Persu, who oddly fails to mention anything about the trike’s background. In fact, he seems to claim its many engineering feats for himself. Odd, that.

The Persu will be a re-bodied Carver One, a trike built by Dutch engineers way back in the turn of the century (early 2000s). It uses an electro-hydrolic system to tilt its body in turns, giving it a fighter jet feel. The two-seater is powered by a turbocharged 660cc Daihatsu kei car power plant that puts out about 65 horsepower.

The Carver One most famously appeared on Top Gear in 2002. After piloting the little pod, Jeremy Clarkson said:

“I have to say, absolutely hand on heart, that I’ve never had so much fun in a car, really and truthfully, and I don’t think I’d ever tire of it.”

Despite the rave reviews, Carver only sold 200 of the vehicles. Trouble is, they planned on selling 300. The shortfall was enough to bankrupt Carver. The engineers behind the Carver One, however, licensed its tech to Persu.

It’s perplexing that Murphy neglected to mention any of this during the interview, despite the clearly visible “Carver” badge on the vehicle’s nose. And the praise from Leno. Still, the trike’s a blast and the revised Persu looks even more like a jet fighter than its Carver One papa. Hopefully Persu can make the little jet work on U.S. soil.

Strangely, Terry Murphy of Persu didn’t

According to Autonews.com the Honda Motor Corporation said it would be recalling over 1-million Honda Fit compact cars due to some defective headlight wiring. The recall encompasses all 143,000 cars that have been exported to the United States, the 385,000 that have been sold across Europe as the Jazz, as well as all cars sold in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. A Honda spokesman stated that the entire cost of the recall would run around $43 billion U.S. dollars, an amount that would have a small impact on Honda’s overall earnings. The good news is that as of yet there have been no accidents and or related incidents due to faulty wiring.

Source: Autonews.com

This past weekend I found myself talking to a few buddies about cars we loved and which cars we could simply do without. Most of the cars built today are actually quite good. Sure they may have some flaws here and there, but for the most part they’re comfortable, well built and drive ok. We conversed about every major manufacturer, but when it came time to single one company out, we almost all unanimously chose the car that you see above – the Smart Car. People, I absolutely hate this little thing. So much so that I would rather see it pushed off a cliff on fire than have it sitting in my driveway. Now I know that there are some of you that are going to chime in and say that the Smart is a great little car, that it’s economical and fits a certain lifestyle, but I am here to tell you that for the most part…. your wrong. Keep in mind also that one of the people in this conversation was a Smart car owner and he hates the flippin’ thing.

When the car came out in the U.S. a few years ago people jumped on the Smart Car bandwagon and laid down money before they had even driven these things. They figured that since they were already for sale over in Europe that they had to be good, but boy how wrong they were. First off they’re grossly underpowered, they have what’s most likely the worst transmission in all of motoring and if they get hit by anything more than a stiff fart they’re likely to blow off the road. Combine that with a terrible ride and sketchy handling characteristics and you’ve got the makings of a ride that should have never been sold on this side of the pond. Now, if you live in a city like Manhattan, never ever plan to go over 45 mph and need a car that fits anyplace, then fine… the Smart may work for you. Otherwise though if you are in the market for a small car I would HIGHLY recommend that you look elsewhere.

Well it’s happened, there is finally a new 2011 Nissan Leaf electric car roaming the streets of California. This past weekend in Petaluma, CA, 31 year old Olivier Chalouhi received the keys to his brand new Leaf and with it came a media opportunity that Nissan simply could not resist. Flanked by four other Leafs Mr. Chalouhi drove his new car to a press conference at San Francisco’s City Hall, which, believe it or not already has a public charging station (how convenient). Elected officials, Nissan representatives and even Mr. Chalouhi took the podium to speak about the wonders of the electric car. As of right now San Francisco has plans to install around 100 charging stations throughout the city as officials have claimed its residents are responsible for more orders than any other region thus far.

When asked why he purchased the Nissan Leaf over the new Chevrolet Volt plug-in, Olivier Chalouhi stated that the Volt “isn’t a pure electric vehicle” and “doesn’t truly help the environment.” Chalouhi also mentioned that the 240-Volt charging station that recharges the Leaf in about 7 hours, has already been installed at his home. That’s great news for him because using a regular 110-Volt outlet means you’ll be waiting up to 22 hrs. before you get moving again. After receiving California’s $5,000 Clean-Air rebate, plus a $7,500 Federal tax credit, Chalouhi estimates the cost of his new 2011 Nissan Leaf will run just over $20,000.

Source: GreenCarReports.com

Not long ago I was asked as to whether or not I would actually pony up the cash and purchase an electric car. My knee jerk reaction was HELL NO! Then after thinking about it for awhile I started to rethink the question in terms of; what would an electric car have to become in order for me to purchase it? So much of what I love about the automobile is visceral. The looks, feel, sounds and smells are all part of what make an automobile attractive to me. For me to like a car you can better believe that it needs to have one hell of a presence to it. Today’s cookie cutter jelly bean rides are crap, and although they do serve a purpose, they have no place in my garage. Seriously, my version of hell would be having to drive a Toyota Camry everyday for the rest of my life… dear God that would suck.

Right now there are very few electric car offerings on the market. We’ve got the Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Volt, Tesla Roadster, as well as the upcoming Fisker Karma. The Leaf and Volt are for the masses, with the Tesla and Fisker serving the higher end markets. Keep in mind that the end goal here is still the same as it was when the automobile was created over 100 years ago, meaning that it still has to get us from point A to point B. The real question though, aside from overcoming range anxiety, is will these cars be fun.

Cars for me act as many different things. They’re my therapist, my vacation, my money pits and my punching bags. They provide me with an outlet whether I’m tinkering or driving and they can do this because from a technology standpoint, they’re still simple machines. Electric cars though… well ladies and gents, that’s a whole different ball game. Say goodbye to the dirty, loud and obnoxious internal combustion engine and get ready to be greeted by the sound of silence.

Don’t get me wrong, there are those out there who are going to embrace the electric car with both arms. I’m curious though as to how many artificial sound effects manufacturers are going to have to build in over time to win over the enthusiast crowd. I can see it now… my exhaust note will come from the radio, my smokey burnout will be attributed to a smoke canister in the rear bumper and my feeling of g-forces will come courtesy of an electric seats with twitchy electronic bolsters. Like I said, the future has some very interesting things in store for the automobile.