NEWS
SPY PICS: GM's sneaky 2016 Volt tease
General Motors publicises next-generation Volt with 'spy' photo of camouflaged test muleGeneral Motors has issued a press release revealing in-house camouflage techniques that are used to keep the styling of the next-generation Volt hybrid unfathomable to prying eyes.
And an accompanying picture whets our appetite to see more of the plug-in hybrid, nonetheless. The image captures a front quarter panel, what looks like a clamshell bonnet and the cabin up to and including the B pillar – all in side profile, with GM engineer Andrew Farah kneeling beside the car to block a view of the front alloy wheel.
With little known about the follow-up to GM's own plug-in hybrid, any kernel of information is there to be pounced on... although the press release casts no more light on the subject. It is known that the new Volt will be unveiled at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and will be introduced during the year as a 2016 model.
And it is understood the car will be based on an all-new, EV-specific platform that will allow significant weight reductions over the current Chev Cruze-based car. The overall styling theme is not expected to change dramatically, although designers are believed to be working on a sleeker rear end.
Speculation is that the lighter weight, plus other hybrid developments, could increase the Volt's electric-power range from around 60km to 80-100km. And based on what we've been told by GM engineers in the past, the 1.4-litre range-extender engine in the current generation is likely to be ditched in favour of a smaller displacement engine expected to be considerably more fuel efficient.
GM has made no secret of the fact the 1.4-litre engine was only chosen in the first instance to demonstrate proof of concept to American politicians at the height of the GFC. The manufacturer was facing bankruptcy and simply didn't have the funds to develop an altogether new engine for the Volt application.
Word is that the next Volt will also be cheaper than the current car, with retail prices expected to be a few thousand dollars lower than the $60,000 charged, pre on-road costs, in Australia.
As for the 'spy pic' and press release issued by GM, the company has listed the visual tricks used to mislead and confuse spy photographers up to no good during the test mule stage for an upcoming new model.
Camouflaging test mules is the responsibility of the engineering department, rather than the styling department. The press release names various techniques used to disguise the shape of the car that do not compromise essential elements of the testing process.
Describing the delicate balancing act of not revealing too much while still producing a functional test mule, the release quotes GM camouflage engineer Lionel Perkins as saying "If it were up to me it would be a shoebox driving down the road. The design team wants us to cover more of the vehicle and the engineering team needs to have enough of the vehicle's weight and aero exposed so that the tests in the development process are consistent with the product that will come to market."
The camouflage package is designed around six months before early development of the new vehicle and is constantly updated to maximise confusion.
"Each car is unique. We are like a dress maker, and the car is our model," said Perkins. "No two models are the same. We need to make the right dress that fits the body we are dealing with."
Some of GM's tricks to confuse spy cameras include black and white patterns that create a shadow to hide vehicle design elements, 3D-layered camouflage that throws off onlookers, but has to be applied without interrupting airflow around the car, swirl patterns that hide the underlying shape better than previous grid patterns, and bubble wrap.
But for all that, the press release makes no mention of the important role played by camouflaged test vehicles in the promotional and marketing activities of a major car manufacturing concern...
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Written byCarsales Staff
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
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