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Why? Why on God’s green earth, with modern materials and engineering know-how, did they do it? I am a whirlwind of righteous design fury; Jaguar is dead to me.

It’s the bar. The Bar. The big black bar bisecting the upcoming F-Type’s grille. It stands out; it’s obvious; it pushes up the logo and bloats the otherwise attractive grille shape.

Shown above in a teaser photo, I had high hopes for Jaguar’s XK replacement. And as much as I took issue with the styling direction represented by the automaker’s C-X16 concept, whose look heavily influences the F-Type’s, I never argued that it was an ugly car. On the contrary, the C-X16—notably devoid of a blocky grille obstruction—was drop-dead gorgeous, and a worthy, if somewhat unoriginal, inspiration for a future Jaguar.

And it seems as if the Coventry automaker followed that path almost to a tee…except for the fatal flaw in the most prominent area of the car.

Yes, I understand there are new European Union pedestrian safety regulations that have been impacting (pun intended) the fascia design of cars as notable as the new BMW 6-series. But Jaguar should have tried harder to design around the regulations for as important a car to the brand’s image as the new F-Type. As juvenile-looking as it is, as it stands now, I’d take an old XK over the F-Type in a heartbeat.

Am I overreacting? I just hate to see Jaguar repeat its styling history, when by the end of their productions runs, initially stunning cars were rendered well-nigh unrecognizable underneath all the design bloat (XK120, E-Type, etc). And now it seems as if they’re building in the bloat from the beginning…

I can hear the PR spin now: “It’s just a concept. And it’s a hybrid. No relationship to our performance models whatsoever! Nothing to see here… Move along.”

This is how it begins, with an innocent “broadening of the product line” to compete effectively in more market segments, in the case of the BMW “Concept Active Tourer” (shown above) the burgeoning small crossover niche. And I predict, after a production version is released, a conventional non-hybrid powertrain will be offered alongside the hybrid. And slowly, gradually, that engine and chassis will underpin a new class of compact BMWs, a 1-series replacement perhaps. And with that, one of the automaker’s core principles will be compromised.

Yes, as established in my post last year on the matter, I’m well aware BMW is already responsible for the development of a FWD car in the Mini—and a good one at that—but the BMW brand itself, the car with the unmistakable double kidney grille, has remained untarnished by the inevitable dynamic compromises that come with a FWD layout. There’s simply no way to make a FWD car feel like a RWD car, and the qualities inherent in the latter have always been essential to the “BMW feel.” So again, its the Bavarian automaker’s prerogative to slap a blue and white roundel on whatever they want, but a spade can’t be made a heart, and any salesperson from the company claiming that a new FWD car “still has the same feel” as one of their classics is, well, selling something. Interested to see how this plays out.

If I were in the market for a new midsize sedan, I’d pick up one of these in a New York minute.

Autoblog recently reported on the upcoming 2014 Mazda 6, unveiled this week at the Moscow Auto Show, and boy, is it a looker. The second Mazda (after the comparo-winning CX-5 mini-SUV) to feature Mazda’s new Kodo design philosophy, the new 6 solidifies the automaker’s move away from grotesque smiling grilles toward a more attractive, distinctive face. The new 5-pointed grille opening is at once lower, giving the nose a more sports-car-like profile, and more upright, lending it additional aggressiveness as the headlights sweep into the very prominent front fender bulges. While they may initially seem out of sync with the slightly more slab-sided rear flanks of the car, recall that flared rear fenders on a sedan can seem a bit cartoonish if done incorrectly (see: current Nissan Maxima) and besides, the fronts serve a visual purpose: To highlight Mazda’s traditional emphasis on handling and driving enjoyment.

The rear, for its part, is nicely tailored and reminiscent of the very handsome Kia Optima’s. It’s also thankfully free of any trinkets and extraneous ornamentation that would quickly date the car; as a result, I have a feeling the shape will seem fresh for quite some time.

The interior is spectacularly well done. It features a meaty 3-spoke wheel, pleasing lighting and detailing and a neatly laid out center stack with actual grasp-it knobs flanking the multifunction screen. I don’t think it’s overstating the case to call the new 6’s interior Audi-esque, and ’round these parts, cabin styling accolades don’t get any higher than that.

With the shape spot-on, the only potential cause for concern is the output of the engines Mazda plans to offer under the new 6’s hood. The aforementioned CX-5 won the recent Car and Driver comparo on the basis of its chassis dynamics; speed-wise it ranked dead last among its competitors. Mazda has an unfortunate history of creating brilliant-driving, yet underpowered cars, and here’s hoping the new 6 bucks that tendency. I will say things don’t look so rosy at the moment: The only engine available with a 6-speed manual is a 2.0l, 148 hp 4-cylinder. The new 6 would have to be made of feathers and aerogel for that kind of output to be able to move it at a respectable pace. There will be a 189-hp 4-cylinder option, still a rather pathetic number nowadays, but sadly it looks as though the stronger engine will only be mated to a slushbox.

If styling and cornering acumen alone were enough to secure the top spot in the hotly-contested midsize segment, I’d say Mazda hits the bulleye with their new 6. Let’s just hope the automaker’s engine choices don’t let down the rest of the car.

Time for a bit of rotary news.

Autocar reports some insider knowledge of Mazda’s plans for an upcoming successor to the recently-axed RX-8 and legendary RX-7.

If the rumors are true, the new RX-9, as it’s likely to be called, will be built around the Japanese automaker’s latest refinement of the rotary, known internally as the 16X. Unlike nearly all previous generations of Mazda’s iconic engine, the 16X features a longer equivalent of a rotary’s stroke, greatly increasing its efficiency and alleviating much of its bemoaned lack of low-end torque.

Design-wise, now that Mazda has thankfully abandoned its cartoonish Nagare design theme in favor of the much handsomer Kodo styling philosophy, there’s no reason to expect the RX-9 to sport a grotesque, grinning maw. No, I’m hopeful the upcoming sports car will feature a more aggressive variant of the recently-released CX-5‘s attractive nose.

All the pieces are in place: Brand-new Wankel engine, appealing design direction… All that’s left is to build it. Substantiate the rumors, Mazda!

Editor’s note: The car pictured at top is a Mazda concept and doesn’t officially represent a definite design direction for a new production sports car.

The first road tests from Car and Driver and Autoblog are in, and the consensus seems to be that aside from a few questionable choices, the new Caddy ATS is more of a contender for the entry-level sports sedan throne than any American car has ever been.

The high points? Ideal (50:50) weight distribution, chassis dynamics including beautifully predictable and linear handling response and communicative steering. The presence of a manual transmission option paired with at least one engine option (the mid-range 270 hp turbo’d 2.0l 4-cylinder) drew praise as well. The publications also agree that the interior, and in particular the nav system are well done. The whole package, too, seems nearly perfectly calibrated on European tastes, which bodes well for conquest sales, since potential buyers of the BMW 3-series or Audi A4 will be already keyed into that ethos.

Both reviews seem to agree that the lowest-power engine option may be a mistake. The 200-hp, 2.5l Ecotec 4-cylinder is badly matched to the car, and the two higher-power engines complement the chassis better, and motivate its 3,450-lb bulk much more competently. Also, in the opinion of this pundit, if Cadillac truly wants to compete on the same level as their European counterparts, they need to offer a manual transmission option with all engines, regardless of a the meager percentage of buyers that will actually elect to check that box on the option sheet. It may not make much sense in term of the bottom line, but it’s a matter of perception, and as much as the ATS is billed as a game-changer, Cadillac should have gone all in and spent the bucks to fit the stickshift to all the powerplants.

Finally, I just want to pause for a minute and reflect on the minor miracle that this car exists as all. Back in January, the car was unveiled, I expressed my hope that after 40-odd years of trying, Cadillac would actually “get it” and succeed in creating a viable alternative to the classic European sports sedan, and based on the road tests, it seems like they may finally have. It’s sort of the automotive equivalent of the Red Sox finally winning the World Series after the decades-long “curse.” Eagerly anticipating the first comparison test…

Motor Trend relays a distressing report about one of automotive-dom’s most hallowed stomping grounds:

The Mecca for many car enthusiasts, Germany’s Nürburgring, is apparently in dire financial straits. German newspaper Rhein-Zeitung reports the famed motorsports complex is bankrupt, and that the European Union (EU) may deny the track rescue aid.

So, evidently the single-lap price of €26 (along with all the other multi-lap and “season pass” package deals) isn’t enough to keep the circuit afloat… It’s a shame, really, but somewhat understandable in the current European financial climate of “austerity,” even if the ‘Ring is something of a national icon, at least as far as car buffs are concerned. Here’s hoping an enterprising enthusiast (or group thereof) decides to step in and rescue the track from foreclosure.

Motor Trend recently offered the latest in a long line of speculation over the design direction of the next generation of Ford’s most important upcoming car, the 2015 Mustang.

Ford’s designers have a supremely daunting balancing act to perform, having to move the car stylistically beyond its retro roots while simultaneously capturing the nostalgic charm that caused the ’05+ Mustang to become such a breakout hit. I don’t envy them.

In many ways the stylists’ task was much easier with the ’10+ refresh. They could afford to coast a bit on the retro themes pioneered by its immediate predecessor, and simply tidy up and tighten the proportions and detailing. For 2015, though, a bigger, more wholesale change is expected. Time will tell whether they’re able to successfully walk the nostalgia/progress tightrope, or whether the new Mustang ends up having all the appeal of a classic rock band trying pathetically to reinvent itself and “stay current.” For a car that draws so much on its own heritage for its appeal, the margin for error is very small indeed.

A quick disclaimer: I should be clear that the images shown in this post aren’t depictions of the actual 2015 Ford Mustang, nor even concept renderings the automaker itself has released, but purely speculative takes by the automotive press and blogosphere.

The more things change…

The Viper has returned after a two-year hiatus, this time bearing an SRT badge instead of the old Dodge one, and with more power than ever, but design-wise, one could be forgiven for thinking they were in a kind of time-warp while beholding it.

Packing 640 hp from its signature 8.4l pushrod V10, the car’s developers insist a primary goal was to civilize the car, making it more livable and accessible while preserving its rawness and character, and I’ve no doubt they’ve made great strides in that direction. When considering its competition—the Corvette ZR1, Shelby GT500, various Ferraris and Porsches—its horsepower figure seems barely adequate; it was certainly easier top the supercar mountain when the original 400-hp Viper first exploded onto the scene in all its irreverent glory in the early ’90s. Brute power isn’t enough anymore, so there was little else for the engineers to do except make it more docile.

That being the case, the chassis engineers seem to have charged the stylists with carrying the torch of the Viper’s innate essence. To accomplish this, the designers basically pretended that the previous generation ’03-’10 car never existed and penned a surprisingly cursory update of the original ’96-’02 Viper GTS coupe. Where the ’03-’10 car’s waistline was relatively undramatic, the new car’s flanks plunge in the manner of the original’s. The double-bubble roof and ducktail spoiler have even returned.

And as much as I’d like to criticize Chrysler for designing something so derivative of one of their previous products, I just can’t. See, the original Viper GTS coupe is hands-down one of the best looking American cars ever. It’s extroverted, yes, but all the lines resolve perfectly, whether on the front end, the side or at the rear. It’s a flamboyant, yet cohesive shape, and the new Viper’s stylists were right to recognize near-perfection when they saw it, and try to emulate it. It’s not like it’ll ever be mistaken for anything else.

There was far more commotion surrounding this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix than there was in the race itself.

The off-again, on-again event was finally held on Sunday in the midst of protests over the country’s crackdown on political dissent. Formula 1 being a global sport, and one that’s consistently prided itself on paying lip service to a higher social conscience (even if the main concern of the powers-that-be has been and always will be money, first and foremost), there were serious doubts as to whether the event would actually proceed. In the end, though, the race weekend moved forward and Sebastian Vettel won from pole position in his Red Bull, a bit of deja vu to anyone who followed his dominance last season.

Kimi Räikkönen and Romain Grosjean rounded out the podium for a strong showing by the Lotus Renault team. The second-place finish was particularly vindicating for Räikkönen after his single-lap meltdown last race in China. Both Williams cars retired, another setback for what was supposed to be a resurgent year for the storied British team. As for “my” driver, Fernando Alonso in his Ferrari had a decent drive from 9th place on the grid, but couldn’t manage better than 7th. At least he finished in the points, and with four different winners in the first four races of the season, is within spitting distance of the top of the leaderboard.

Spain in three weeks! Can’t wait for the European leg of the F1 season.

The drivers’ points standings after the race:

1. 53: Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull-Renault
2. 49: Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes
3. 48: Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault
4. 43: Jenson Button, McLaren-Mercedes
5. 43: Fernando Alonso, Ferrari