Chevrolet Spark with 1.4 turbo used as WTCC pace car

You can now catch the spunky new Spark at the World Touring Car Championship. It will actually be the pace car for the event, very much like the 500 horsepower Mercedes SLS is the pace car for Formula 1 races, but with alot less grunt of course.

The Spark will be equipped with a 1.4-litre turbocharged four cylinder Ecotec capable of producing a respectable 140 horsepower and 200 Nm of torque, similiar to the one used in the US market Cruze. This is a big difference from the standard Sparks on offer with their minimalist 1.0 and 1.2-litre engines that produce 67 and 80 horses respectively.

Look out for the new pace car at the WTCC race in Zolder on the 19th and 20th of June. It will temporarily be covered in the red design that you see in the picture. A permanent design will be decided through a contest for young artists held throughout Europe. Thus you might even see a design similar to that of Jeff Kooks BMW M3, if the winning design is zany enough.

Chevrolet fronts a Cruze in the WTCC and is top of the Constructors Championship with its driver Yvan Muller, who is top of the leader board as well. Away from the WTCC, Chevrolet will be entering the 24 hours of Le Mans with the Corvette C6.R GT2 and as the designation of the car implies, it will be taking part in the GT-2 category. The Corvettes will be driven by Magnussen-O’Connell-García and Gavin-Beretta-Collard.

The Cruze was recently launched in Malaysia and will feature the 1.8 litre Ecotec engine. It will be interesting to see if they plan to add the Spark to the Malaysian line up, as well as a 1.4 turbo Cruze as available in the US. What do you think?

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Jacob Alexander

Jacob Mathew Alexander has been a motoring nut for as far as he can remember and has recently turned his passion into writing. After spending some time in the same industry in the UK, Jacob's work is from a slightly different perspective.

 

Comments

  • wow, i also saw 2 audi R8 in the picture.

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  • fugly car

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  • Neonda on Jun 14, 2010 at 3:39 pm

    Smart.

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  • Paul,

    Why we did not get this engine for our cruze as per US mkt?

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  • botak on Jun 14, 2010 at 7:36 pm

    malaysia should t8 this chalange.. put turbocharge in protons… :))

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    • pelams on Jun 14, 2010 at 11:00 pm

      modified proton’s drivers like to show off…..i was overtaking them bt suddenly they pecut laju…then revving their engine at traffic light

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  • azrai on Jun 15, 2010 at 7:44 am

    Waiting for NAZA to bring this car. If the pricing is right, hyundai sure K.O.

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    • Nutty Dad on Jun 15, 2010 at 3:42 pm

      Don’t worry, Hyundai is not Proton. They will introduce new & better models as soon as this Spark fly in Malaysia.
      That’s what consumer deserved. (Consumer should not be treated like beggar as what some conmen in our gov would care to find out!!)
      Which one do u think will be K.O first: Hyundai or Proton??? Pls vote:P

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      • azrai on Jun 16, 2010 at 12:26 pm

        What the hell everything must be connected to proton. pity Malaysian..

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  • gtmaniac on Jun 15, 2010 at 7:41 pm

    Saw the Spark here in India – it is called Beat. Surprisingly good-looking for a such small car..

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  • NZAllWhites on Jun 23, 2010 at 2:29 pm

    Yup, it’s one fugly (funky+ugly) car. I just hope it doesn’t end up in a situation like ‘Drivers, please slow down to let the pace car catch up’ kind of thing

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