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Driving McLaren's Sports Car and 'The Best Corvette' at the M1 Concourse | AutoblogVR

There's nothing better than a track day. Great cars on a great track are always great fun. Recently, we had the opportunity to check out the new M1 Concourse in Pontiac, MI, with two of the coolest cars in the game; a McLaren 570S and a Corvette Grand Sport. Driving the 570S was Autoblog senior editor Greg Migliore, and he didn't hold back. Getting behind the wheel of the McLaren, Greg explains that although this is McLaren's idea of a sports car, "it's all relative." Topping out at 204 miles per hour with 562 horsepower, there's no two ways about it: this thing is a monster. While the 570S was fantastic, we had another sports car we wanted to drive and editor-in-chief Mike Austin was just the man for the job. Enter the Corvette Grand Sport. Mike pushed all 460 horses of the 'Vette to the limit and came away impressed with the car, even calling it "the best Corvette." Comparing it to its more powerful sibling, the Z06, Mike goes so far as to say the Z06 has too much power, while the Grand Sport seems to be the third bear's bowl of porridge in the Corvette family... It's just right. We captured all the action of the day with 360° cameras so you can feel like you're right there in the car sitting shotgun with us! You can check out the McLaren and Corvette laps above, but the best way to view them is through the AutoblogVR app, where you can watch the videos on your VR headset or in a nice swivel-y office chair so you can take in the sights all around you. Each month, new episodes will launch on the AutoblogVR App. We'll be posting them here on Autoblog, but for the best experience, head over to the app, which you can download for free from the App store and Google Play. Be sure to try it with a cardboard viewer, too!

GM cutting Chevy Sonic, Buick Verano production [UPDATE]

UPDATE: A previous version of this story indicated that Orion Assembly would be idled for seven weeks, from February 16 through April 6. This was incorrect. The factory will instead only be idled for the weeks of February 16 and April 6. The story has been edited to reflect this. General Motors has announced that the factory responsible for the Buick Verano and Chevrolet Sonic will be idled for the weeks of February 16 and April 6, with blame being placed on excess supply. The Orion Assembly plant, about 45 minutes north of GM's Renaissance Center headquarters, employs about 1,800 people, but they'll be given a pair of furloughs as inventories of the sub-compact Sonic and premium compact Verano reach 127 days and 84 days, respectively. That works out to 26,600 Chevys and 9,800 Buicks waiting for buyers. According to Automotive News, the compact Chevy sales bested the industry average in 2014, jumping up nine percent versus the the overall segment's eight-percent gain, while the Buick sedan's sales were down four percent. When asked about the shutdown, a GM spokesman told AN that it will "build to market demand," while also pointing out that the company did not comment on production plans. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Buick Chevrolet GM buick encore orion assembly

Chevy to reveal new Spark in Seoul and New York

Chevy is preparing to roll out an all-new Spark next month, giving us a taste of things to come with the teaser image above. The new Spark is set to debut simultaneously at car shows in Seoul and in New York on April 2, joining the new Malibu that will also mark its debut at the Manhattan expo. Why introduce the new Spark at the same time in South Korea and in the US, you ask? Probably because those are the two biggest markets for Chevy's smallest car, accounting for the lion's share of the 1.1 million units sold in 71 markets around the world since its introduction in 2009. Chevy hasn't revealed much about the new Spark, except to say that its styling will be more sophisticated than the "youthful whimsy" of the current model. A Spark of Sophistication Chevrolet's redesigned global minicar to debut in Seoul and New York on April 2 2015-03-09 DETROIT – The all-new 2016 Spark will debut on April 2 at the Seoul and New York auto shows, Chevrolet announced today. A sleeker, more aerodynamic profile and a progressive take on Chevrolet's signature design cues will give the redesigned Spark a more sophisticated aesthetic that reflects the changing tastes of the global minicar market. "The new Spark's design has evolved and grown up with the segment," said Michael Simcoe, GM International vice president of Design. "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." Chevrolet has sold more than 1.1 million Sparks around the world since it went on sale as the Beat in India in late 2009. Today, the Spark is available in 71 markets worldwide, selling the most in South Korea, followed by the United States and Mexico. Spark is attracting younger and first-time car buyers to Chevrolet with 26 percent being under the age of 35. Sales of the Spark in the U.S. are up 32 percent in the first two months of 2015 versus the same period in 2014. Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and around 4.8 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.