[Mr. Sparkle]

Slowly but surely, sales of GM’s A-car have begun to pick up. The car was originally meant for the Gen-Y (really young) buyers, but the demographic isn’t what they’d expected. But no matter, this is is a real car, unlike its rivals, which are a bit gimmicky.

In the four months it’s been on the market, GM has sold about 8500 of them, and the Spark’s advantages are sure to attract a lot more people going forward.

Usually, press releases about the car are a little dry, but we thought the latest details are rather interesting from the engineering point of view.

The Spark is not only small, but it’s also cheap. At $12,995 about $3,100 less than its comparable rival, the Scion iQ. But it’s also cheaper to run.

Chevrolet engineers designed the Spark’s engine timing chain to require no scheduled maintenance (unlike timing belts), and electronic power steering and transmission fluid to last the life of the vehicle.

The Spark’s... spark plugs will last 100,000 miles, which is 36,000 miles more than the Fiat 500 and 70,000 more than the Smart fortwo. It’s not rocket science, but it all adds up!

“The Spark will appeal to young urban buyers who are always on the go,” said Jim Federico, executive chief engineer, General Motors Small Cars. “The Spark is perfect for these urban lifestyles because it is not only easy and fun to drive but also easy to own.”

How Chevrolet

 

[All_Spark]

Its good that the engineers at chevy have that mind set to build a vehicle that last and the spark will be proof of that if they hold up to their promise. Although timing chains and electric power steering have been around for a while, its not a bad idea to throw those things in to make a solid affordable car.

 

[Chev Chelios]

Regardless of however many review the Spark gets its still a good car for its price. No argument here.