HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US AS WE SEE IF BMW CAN GIVE AN ALREADY COOL CAR A RAZOR'S EDGE... PAT GOSS SHOWS US WHY A LITTLE UNDER HOOD CARE CAN TAKE YOU A LONG WAY... LAUREN MORRISON FINDS THE SOURCE OF A LOT OF OUR RAGE ON THE ROADS... AND CHEVROLET LOOKS TO THE PAST... TO GIVE CORVETTE DARLINGS A DARINGLY MODERN DRIVE...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... TIRERACK WANTS YOU TO BE SMART WITH YOUR CAR.

Man: "YO DANNY, MY MAN!

HA, HA, HA!"

Announcer: THEY CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIRES FOR YOUR VEHICLE AND HAVE THEM SHIPPED TO A LOCAL INSTALLER.

TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

John: THE BMW M4 ALREADY HAS PLENTY OF TRACK PERFORMANCE CREDENTIALS; BUT AS I'M SURE YOUR DAD REMINDED YOU, NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU CAN ALWAYS GET BETTER.

THUS, BMW HAS MADE AVAILABLE A COMPETITION PACKAGE THAT RATCHETS UP JUST ABOUT EVERY PERFORMANCE ASPECT OF THE M4 TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE OF A TRACK WEAPON.

SO, LET'S READY...AIM...FIRE!

IN OUR LAST TRACK TEST OF BMW'S THEN-NEW M4, WE DECLARED IT ONE SWEET, HIGH-PERFORMING RIDE.

BUT, AS GREAT AS THE ON-TRACK EXPERIENCE WAS, WE ALSO DETERMINED IT WAS NO LONGER LEAPS-AND-BOUNDS AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION.

WELL, SPEAKING OF COMPETITION; FOR 2017, BMW ADDS A COMPETITION PACKAGE AMONG THE AVAILABLE UPGRADES FOR M4, AS WELL AS THE M3.

SO, WE THINK IT IS OUR DUTY TO FIND OUT WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE M4.

ADDING TO WHAT IS ALREADY A STOUT LITTLE PACKAGE, THOUGH ONE THAT'S NOT AS TIDY OR RESPONSIVE AS OUR CURRENT FAVORITE M2, OUR TEST M4'S COMPETITION PACKAGE GETS THE PARTY STARTED UNDER THE HOOD WITH A LITTLE MORE POWER OUT OF THE 3.0 LITER TURBO-6.

HORSEPOWER CLIMBS 19 TO 444; TORQUE STAYS THE SAME AT 406 POUND-FEET.

BOTH 6-SPEED MANUAL AND 7-SPEED DCT TRANSMISSIONS ARE AVAILABLE.

THE PACKAGE ALSO ADDS ADAPTIVE M SUSPENSION; HIGHLY RETUNED WITH NEW SPRINGS, DAMPERS, AND ANTI-ROLL BARS.

THE ACTIVE M DIFFERENTIAL IS UPGRADED, AS IS THE SOFTWARE THAT MANAGES ALL OF THE ABOVE.

FORGED, MULTI-SPOKE 20-INCH WHEELS ARE ADDED WITH 265/30 TIRES UP FRONT, 285/30s IN THE REAR.

NOT MUCH TO SHOW OFF STYLING-WISE, HOWEVER, AS THE ONLY CLUES ARE BLACKED OUT TRIM AROUND THE EXTERIOR, INCLUDING BLACK CHROME TAILPIPES.

BUT, ITS ONLY TRACK TIME THAT WILL TELL HOW MUCH IT HAS ACTUALLY IMPROVED.

SO WE HUSTLED AROUND ROEBLING ROAD RACEWAY'S 9 HIGH SPEED TURNS TO LOOK FOR ANSWERS.

THE M4 MAY NO LONGER HAVE THE CACHE IT ONCE DID, AS THERE ARE NOW SO MANY SIMILARLY-PRICED PERFORMANCE CARS THAT ARE TRULY SPECTACULAR.

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT A BLAST TO DRIVE ON A RACE TRACK, WHICH IT DOES VERY WELL.

THERE ARE A WEALTH OF VEHICLE SETTINGS, WHICH KEEPS IT FROM BEING A JUMP IN AND GO AFFAIR, UNLESS YOU HAVE YOUR PREFERRED SETUP AT THE READY WITH ONE OF THE M-BUTTONS.

AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE ALL OF THE TRACTION NANNIES COMPLETELY TURNED OFF TO HAVE ANY FUN WITH IT, AT WHICH POINT IT REMAINS PREDICTABLE AND BALANCED, EASY TO MANHANDLE, WITH ENOUGH FEEDBACK TO RECOVER EASILY.

WE NEVER FELT A NEED FOR MORE POWER ANYWHERE ON THE TRACK, WITH VERY LINEAR DELIVERY MAKING IT VERY FAST COMING OUT OF CORNERS, SOUNDING VERY AGGRESSIVE AND ALMOST NASTY AT FULL-SONG.

OUR BIGGEST COMPLAINT STILL REVOLVES AROUND THE LACK OF STEERING FEEL.

THERE, DEAD HORSE BEATEN.

OUR TEST CAR FEATURED THE OPTIONAL CARBON CERAMIC BRAKES, AND THEY WERE SOLID LAP AFTER LAP WITH MINIMAL FADE.

BOTTOM LINE, WHILE THE SUSPENSION DID FEEL A BIT FIRMER; IT WAS REALLY HARD TO FIND TOO MUCH DIFFERENCE WITH THE COMPETITION PACKAGE.

[ENGINE ROARING] AS BEFORE, LAUNCH CONTROL IS NOT THE MOST USER FRIENDLY, AND REALLY SEEMS TO LIMIT POWER WHEN IT DOES WORK.

BUT HOWEVER YOU GET IT OFF THE LINE, YOU CAN HIT 60 IN 4.0 SECONDS FLAT.

AND THAT IS A 10TH QUICKER THAN THE LAST M4 WE TESTED THE ENGINE IS SEWING MACHINE SMOOTH AS YOU PROGRESS THROUGH THE QUARTER, WITH THE OPTIONAL 7-SPEED M-DCT TRANSMISSION BRINGING NEW GEARS WITH PRECISE BRUTALITY.

EVENTUALLY, IT ALL ENDS IN 12.1 SECONDS AT 118 MILES-PER-HOUR.

OUT ON PUBLIC ROADS, THE M4 REMAINS A VERY CIVIL CAR FOR GOING ABOUT YOUR DAILY BUSINESS WHATEVER IT MAY BE; THOUGH THE FIRMER SUSPENSION IS EVEN MORE NOTICEABLE HERE THAN ON THE TRACK.

AND THE INTERIOR REMAINS A HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL SPACE, THOUGH SOME OF OUR STAFF STILL HATE NOT HAVING A TRADITIONAL PARK POSITION FOR THE SHIFTER, NOT TRUSTING THE CAR TO ENGAGE PARK ON ITS OWN.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 17-CITY, 24-HIGHWAY, AND 19-COMBINED.

OUR AVERAGE WAS 21.0 MILES PER GALLON OF PREMIUM.

THAT'S A BELOW AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 17.3 BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE WITH 7.6 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

PRICING SEEMS REASONABLE FOR WHAT YOU GET, AS THE COMPETITION PACKAGE TACKS JUST $4,750 ONTO THE M4s LOFTY $67,195 BASE PRICE.

WE'LL STOP WELL SHORT OF CALLING THIS THE ULTIMATE BMW, OR EVEN THE ULTIMATE M4 AS THERE IS A SIX-FIGURE, TRACK HUNGRY GTS OUT THERE.

STILL, THE 2017 M4 COMPETITION PACKAGE IS A SMART UPGRADE, AND A GREAT WAY TO GET A BETTER M4 FOR NOT A TON OF EXTRA MONEY.

OUR SUCCESS STORY THIS WEEK TAKES US TO PLAINFIELD, VERMONT, WHERE FRYING FOOD SERVES UP FUEL!

BLACK BEAR BIODIESEL TAKES WASTE COOKING OIL FROM AREA RESTAURANTS AND RESORTS, AND RECYCLES IT INTO BIODIESEL.

IN 2016, THEY COLLECTED 100,000 GALLONS OF USED OIL.

RENEWABLE BIODIESEL CAN REDUCE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS BY OVER 75%.

WORKING WITH VERMONT CLEAN CITIES AND OTHER PARTNERS, THE HOPE IS MORE WILL GET ON THE MENU WITH BIODIESEL.

Jim Malloy: IT'S ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT THE CLEAN CITIES ORGANIZATION HELPED FOSTER, IS THIS TRUST UH, THAT WE HAVE WITHIN OUR WORKING GROUP THAT WE ARE NOT COMPETITORS, WE SEE OURSELVES AS ALLIES.

John: BLACK BEAR BIODIESEL IS THE ONLY PUBLIC ACCESS IN VERMONT TO 100% BIODIESEL, WHICH CAN BE USED OFF-ROAD, AND BLENDED FOR ON ROAD USE.

HELPING THE GREEN MOUNTAIN STATE GROW GREENER STILL.

BE IT HOLIDAYS, VACATIONS, OR JUST COMMUTING, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL TOO FAR AND WIDE TO KNOW THERE ARE MORE CARS ON THE ROADS THAN EVER!

AND WITH THAT COMES AN INCREASED RISK OF ROAD RAGE!

WELL OUR FYI REPORTER LAUREN MORRISON BREAKS DOWN ONE NEW STUDY THAT SHOWS JUST HOW PREVALENT THE PROBLEM IS, AND WHAT YOU SHOULD DO TO AVOID IT.

Lauren Morrison: WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE.

ANOTHER CAR CUTS IN FRONT OF YOU, CAUSING YOU TO [BEEPS] LAY ON YOUR HORN.

OR, THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU SLAMS ON ITS BRAKES, CAUSING YOU TO USE A FEW NOT SAFE FOR TV WORDS.

ROAD RAGE.

IT HAPPENS TO THE BEST OF US, AND ACCORDING TO ONE STUDY, MOST OF US.

Jurek Grabowski: WE'RE ALL HUMANS, IT'S NORMAL TO BE ANGRY, BUT THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO YOU REACT TO THAT ANGER?

Lauren: NEARLY 80% OF DRIVERS EXPRESSED ANGER, AGGRESSION, OR ROAD RAGE AT LEAST ONCE IN THE LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST STUDY BY THE AAA FOUNDATION FOR TRAFFIC SAFETY.

Jurek: YOU HAVE SOME VERY MILD TYPE OF ACTIONS WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF YELLING, UH, TAILGATING, AND SO FORTH, UH, AND THEN YOU GO INTO SOME THE MORE ROAD RAGE TYPE OF ACTIONS WHERE PEOPLE ACTUALLY JUMP OUT OF THEIR CARS AND CONFRONT OTHER DRIVERS.

Lauren: ROAD RAGE AND AGGRESSIVE DRIVING COMES IN MANY FORMS.

PURPOSEFULLY TAILGATING SEEMS TO BE THE MOST COMMON.

THE STUDY ESTIMATES THAT OVER 100 MILLION DRIVERS DO IT EVERY YEAR.

THE STUDY ALSO FOUND THAT ABOUT 91 MILLION DRIVERS HAVE HONKED THEIR HORN TO SHOW ANNOYANCE OR ANGER.

ANOTHER 49 MILLION HAVE TRIED TO BLOCK ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM CHANGING LANES.

AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ALMOST 6 MILLION DRIVERS HAVE USED THEIR VEHICLE TO BUMP OR RAM ANOTHER ON PURPOSE!

Jurek: WELL, I THINK PEOPLE USE THEIR CARS AS AN EXTENSION OF THEMSELVES, AND AS THEIR DAY, AND THEIR, AND THEIR MOTIONS, UM, AND THAT CAN BECOME VERY DANGEROUS IF THEY'RE ANGRY, AND THEY'RE CONFRONTED WITH OTHER ANGRY DRIVERS.

Lauren: WHO'S BEHIND THE WHEEL PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN AGGRESSIVE DRIVING?

THE STUDY FOUND THAT YOUNG MEN ARE 3-TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN WOMEN TO GET OUT OF THEIR VEHICLE AND CONFRONT ANOTHER DRIVER.

AND IT'S NOT JUST WHO'S BEHIND THE WHEEL, BUT WHERE THEY'RE DRIVING.

Jurek: WE LOOKED AT A LOT OF DRIVERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND THE DRIVERS IN THE NORTHEAST REPORTED A LOT MORE ANGRY ACTIONS.

AND THIS COULD BE BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BIGGER CITIES, THEY'RE MORE CONGESTED, IT TAKES MORE TIME TO GET TO WORK OR WHERE THEY NEED TO GO.

Lauren: THE STUDY FOUND THAT DRIVERS IN THE NORTHEAST WERE 30% MORE LIKELY TO HAVE MADE AN ANGRY GESTURE THAN DRIVERS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

IT'S SOMETHING DRIVER'S, I TALKED WITH AT A REST STOP IN MARYLAND HAVE NOTICED IN THEIR TRAVELS.

Becky Gohn: IT SEEMS INTERESTING THAT SOME STATES ARE MORE WELL REPRESENTED THAN OTHERS IN THE ROAD RAGE, BUT I WON'T MENTION NAMES.

Carl Beal: WELL I'M NOT GONNA PICK WHAT SIDE OF THE COUNTRY I'M FROM, BUT OUT HERE ON THE EAST COAST...YEAH, IT'S PRETTY BAD.

Lauren: NO MATTER WHERE YOU'RE DRIVING, ROAD RAGE TYPICALLY TAKES TWO, SO YOUR BEST BET IS TO SHRUG IT OFF.

Jurek: DON'T RETURN HAND, YOU KNOW, ANGRY FINGER GESTURES, DON'T YELL AT THEM, DON'T USE YOUR HEADLIGHTS, OR YOUR HORNS, OR DON'T BREAK CHECK JUST TO PUNISH THE OTHER DRIVERS.

IT'S NOT WORTH BEING IN THAT SITUATION WHERE SOMEBODY JUMPS OUT OF THEIR CAR.

YOU DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE A WEAPON, YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'RE POTENTIALLY GOING TO DO.

Lauren: IN THE END, THE HONK OF A HORN, OR THE FLIP OF A FINGER, JUST ISN'T WORTH IT.

John: THERE ARE SOME PARTS OF YOUR CAR YOU WILL LIKELY NEVER SEE.

BUT YOU'LL SURE KNOW IT WHEN THEY STOP WORKING.

SO, WE ASKED PAT GOSS FOR SOME TIPS ON HOW TO KEEP ON ROLLING.

Pat Goss: IN ANY ENGINE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A WAY TO OPERATE THE VALVES UP IN THE TOP OF THE ENGINE, AND THAT'S DONE BY MEANS OF CONNECTING THE CRANK SHAFT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE TO THE CAM SHAFT OR CAM SHAFTS IN THE TOP OF THE ENGINE.

NOW BACK IN THE DAY, FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS THIS WAS THE METHOD THEY DID THAT WITH.

IT WAS A VERY SIMPLE TIMING CHAIN WITH SPROCKETS SUCH AS WE SEE HERE.

BUT THAT LATER WENT AWAY.

AND WHAT WE SAW AS A REPLACEMENT FIRST WAS A TIMING BELT SUCH AS WE SEE HERE.

NOW, TIMING BELTS ARE MADE OF RUBBER SO THEREFORE THEY'RE REPLACEABLE PARTS JUST LIKE THE TIRES ON THE CAR.

THEY GO BAD WITH TIME OR MILEAGE WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.

NOW, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL TELLS YOU, YOU DON'T EXCEED EITHER THE TIME OR THE MILEAGE BECAUSE IF ONE OF THESE GOES BAD, WELL IT COULD DESTROY THE ENGINE.

NOW, THE THING THAT WE SEE MOST FREQUENTLY, IT'S NOT THAT THE BELT ACTUALLY BREAKS.

YOU SEE DOWN HERE AT THIS BOTTOM SPROCKET THERE'S A LOT MORE TENSION ON THE TEETH BECAUSE THE SPROCKET IS SMALLER.

WELL, WHEN YOU START THE CAR, WHAT HAPPENS IS AS THE BELT AGES IT STRIPS OFF SOME OF THE TEETH.

WE CAN SEE THIS ONE RIGHT HERE, IT IS TRYING TO COME OFF.

IT IS BROKEN AND READY TO COME OFF.

WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WELL THE CRANK SHAFT CONTINUES TO TURN, THE PISTONS, MOVE UP AND DOWN, AND THE VALVES ARE STATIC, SO THE PISTONS HIT THE VALVES YOU'VE GOT MAJOR DAMAGE TO YOUR ENGINE.

ALRIGHT, BUT TIMING BELTS HAVE PRETTY MUCH GONE AWAY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

AND NOW, WE'RE BACK TO TIMING CHAINS, BUT TIMING CHAINS NOW ARE NOTHING LIKE THE OLD ONES.

YOU SEE, NOW BECAUSE THE CAMS ARE UP ON THE TOPS OF THE HEADS, YOU'VE GOT BIG LONG CHAINS.

YOU'VE GOT MULTIPLE CHAINS, AND WE CAN'T HAVE THEM JUST ROLLING AROUND IN THERE, SO NOW WE HAVE CHAIN GUIDES, AND CHAIN TENSIONERS, AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT PARTS THAT GO ALONG WITH THE TIMING CHAINS.

NOW, THE KEY TO ALL OF THIS IS, THAT WE DON'T WANT THESE PARTS TO WEAR, AND SOME OF THEM LIKE THESE GUIDES, AND TENSIONERS HERE, THESE ARE MADE OF PLASTIC, AND THEY REQUIRE A THIN FILM OF OIL TO PREVENT THE PLASTIC FROM WEARING OUT.

SO, YOU GOTTA HAVE GOOD CLEAN OIL ALL THE TIME.

THE SECOND THING IS, THAT YOU HAVE HYDRAULIC TENSIONERS LIKE THESE.

NOW, AS YOU START THE CAR THIS PISTON COMES OUT AND IT MAINTAINS PRESSURE AGAINST THE TIMING CHAINS.

WELL, THESE HAVE LITTLE FINE OIL PASSAGES IN THEM.

FAILURE TO CHANGE THE OIL, WELL THOSE OIL PASSAGES GET CLOGGED, AND THEN WHEN YOU START THE CAR THE ENGINE RATTLES, AND THAT RATTLING IS THE CHAIN BOUNCING AGAINST THESE PLASTIC PARTS, AND IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG BEFORE THESE PLASTIC PARTS BREAK, AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT A MAJOR, AND I DO MEAN MAJOR REPAIR ON MOST ENGINES.

SO CLEAN OIL, THE PROPER VISCOSITY, AND THESE PARTS WILL LAST ALMOST FOREVER.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR A COMMENT DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: JUST WHEN WE THINK WE'VE SEEN IT ALL...

THE CAR COMPANIES COME ALONG WITH SOMETHING NEW.

LET'S SEE WHAT THEY HAVE FOR US IN THIS WEEK'S QUICK SPIN.

THE 2017 KIA NIRO CROSSOVER HYBRID IS CRUISING INTO A NICHE BETWEEN THE FAMILIAR PRIUS-STYLE HYBRID-ELECTRIC HATCHBACK, AND TRADITIONAL SMALL CROSSOVER SEGMENTS.

THE FRONT-DRIVE ONLY NIRO IS LARGER THAN THE ALSO URBANIZED SOUL, YET SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN THE FAR MORE ALL-WEATHER CAPABLE SPORTAGE.

THE 1.6 LITER I4 AND ELECTRIC MOTOR COMBO DELIVER A TOTAL OF 139-HORSEPOWER, THROUGH A NIFTY 6-SPEED DUAL CLUTCH AUTOMATIC WITH A FAMILIAR CONSOLE MOUNTED SHIFTER.

KIA CLAIMS THE NIRO WILL GET UP TO 50 MPGS COMBINED, ROUGHLY 50% BETTER THAN A FRONT DRIVE TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID.

ALL THAT EFFICIENCY COMES IN WHAT KIA CALLS A "UN-HYBRID" DESIGN.

YET, IT IS CLEARLY MORE CAR- THAN UTILITY-LIKE, FORGOING THE SOUL'S TALL BOX SHAPE, AND THE ULTRA-AGGRESSIVE GRILLE SO POPULAR IN CROSSOVERS.

SWEPT-BACK HEADLIGHTS BOOKEND NIRO'S VERSION OF KIA'S WIDE TIGER NOSE GRILLE.

AND, DOWN THE SIDES AND AROUND THE BACK IT REALLY DOES SPEAK 5-DOOR HATCHBACK.

THE INTERIOR IS VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD TOO, WITH LITTLE TO SAY "HYPERMILER".

THE DASH IS WIDE AND UNCLUTTERED, WITH A 7-INCH CENTER TOUCH SCREEN.

APPLE CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO ARE STANDARD.

ONE VERY UTE-ITEM ARE HIGH FRONT SEATING POSITIONS FOR A CLEAR VIEW OF THE ROAD AHEAD.

Garick Zikan: THIS IS THE FIRST KIA TO USE A DEDICATED ECO-CAR PLATFORM.

THE ENGINEERS DESIGNED IT SPECIFICALLY FOR A GAS AND AN ELECTRIC POWER TRAIN.

THEY USED THINGS LIKE HIGH STRENGTH STEEL FOR DURABILITY AND ALUMINUM TO KEEP THE WEIGHT DOWN.

THE RESULT IS A SOLID AND NIMBLE DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

John: ADVANCED OPTIONS INCLUDE AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE WARNING AND BLIND SPOT DETECTION.

A PLUG-IN HYBRID VERSION ARRIVES LATER.

THE 2017 KIA NIRO IS ON SALE NOW STARTING NEAR $23,000.

THE 2017 LEXUS GS 200T JOINS THE GLOBAL TREND OF HAVING A 2.0-LITER TURBOCHARGED FOUR STANDARD IN A MIDDLE-LEVEL LUXURY-SPORT SEDAN.

AND, BY DOING SO, OFFERS LEXUS FANCIERS SOMETHING OF A BARGAIN.

OUTPUT IS 241 HORSEPOWER.

THAT'S 60 LESS THAN THE SIX-CYLINDER GS 350, YET WE THINK IT IS MORE THAN ADEQUATE FOR MOST DRIVING DUTIES.

NOTE THAT THE 200T IS REAR DRIVE ONLY, AND IT'S HOOKED TO A SMOOTH EIGHT-SPEED SEQUENTIAL SHIFT AUTOMATIC WITH PADDLE SHIFTERS AND FOUR DRIVING MODES.

THE LEXUS SAFETY SYSTEM IS NOW STANDARD, GIVING ALL GS DRIVERS TOOLS LIKE FULL SPEED DYNAMIC RADAR CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE ALERT WITH STEERING ASSIST, AND A PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM.

NAVIGATION IS ALSO STANDARD ON THIS ENTRY LEVEL GS, COMPLETE WITH 12-POINT-3-INCH HIGH-RESOLUTION SCREEN.

OUTSIDE THE 200T SHARES THE SAME HANDSOME LOOKS OF PRICIER GS'S.

UP FRONT, BI-LED HEADLIGHTS BORDER A SPINDLE GRILLE TRIMMED WITH SATIN CHROME.

AROUND BACK ARE RECENTLY FRESHENED TAIL LIGHTS AND REAR FASCIA.

THE 2017 LEXUS GS 200T IS IN DEALERSHIPS NOW, STARTING JUST OVER $46,000, OR ABOUT FOUR GRAND LESS THAN A GS 350.

AND, WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICK SPINS SOON!

IF YOU'RE A FAN OF THE CHEVROLET CORVETTE, YOU KNOW THERE'S A BIG GAP IN BOTH PERFORMANCE AND PRICE, BETWEEN A STANDARD STINGRAY AND THE HIGH STRUNG Z06.

WELL, YOU PROBABLY ALSO KNOW THAT, THAT SPOT HAS NOW BEEN FILLED BY THIS GRAND SPORT.

BUT, WHILE THE ORIGINAL 1960'S ERA GRAND SPORT WAS A PURE TRACK CAR, THE 2017 VERSION WILL SPEND MOST OF IT'S LIFE ON THE STREET.

SO, LET'S FIND OUT WHICH SIDE OF THE PAVEMENT PENDULUM THIS GRAND SPORT SWINGS TOWARDS THE MOST.

EVEN MORE TO THE POINT, DOES THIS 2017 CHEVROLET CORVETTE GRAND SPORT REALLY OFFER BUYERS SOMETHING NEW, OR IS IT JUST THE RETURN OF SOMETHING OLD?

OF COURSE WE'RE REFERRING TO THOSE ABORTED HOMOLOGATION 'VETTES OF THE 60'S, BUT THERE WAS ALSO THE LIMITED RELEASE C4 GRAND SPORTS THAT WE ALL REMEMBER, AS WELL AS A FEW OTHERS OVER THE YEARS.

OF COURSE, WE COULD JUST AS MUCH BE TALKING ABOUT THE RETURN OF THE Z06, AS THIS GRAND SPORT IS MORE IN LINE WITH Z06 ETHOS THAN THE ELEVATED, CURRENT GEN Z06.

AS FOR ALL OF ITS HANDLING POTENTIAL, THIS 'VETTE IS A VERY CIVILIZED CAR.

YES, THAT'S LARGELY DUE TO MAGNETIC RIDE CONTROL THAT HAS VASTLY DIFFERENT MANNERS DEPENDING ON SETTING.

BUT NO MATTER THE MODE; THE GRAND SPORT IS NOT HIGH STRUNG AT ALL, OR AS BEASTLY-FEELING AS THE CURRENT Z06.

OF COURSE THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S SOMETHING MISSING HERE, THE Z06'S SUPERCHARGED LT4.

RATHER, THE GS STICKS WITH THE BASE STINGRAY'S LT1 6.2 LITER V8; THOUGH IT DOES GET THE Z51'S DRY SUMP OILING SYSTEM AND PERFORMANCE EXHAUST; SO THE NUMBERS ARE HEALTHY, 460 HORSEPOWER AND 465 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

BOTH THE 7-SPEED MANUAL AND 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC ARE AVAILABLE.

AND, IT FEELS PLENTY POWERFUL.

EVEN WHEN CRUISING AROUND IN ECO MODE, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO RESTRAIN IT.

YOU WON'T REALLY MISS WHAT YOU'RE MISSING, OTHER THAN FOR Z06 BRAGGING RIGHTS OR STOPLIGHT HIJINKS.

[TIRES SCREECHING] [ENGINE ROARING] STILL, AT OUR TEST TRACK, EVEN THOUGH WE STRUGGLED FOR TRACTION, THE GRAND SPORT IS STILL CAPABLE OF SHAVING A TENTH OFF THE STINGRAY'S 0-60 TIME TO 3.9 SECONDS.

COMPLETING THE QUARTER MILE IN 12.3 SECONDS AT 116 MILES-PER-HOUR.

THIS WAS OUR FIRST TRACK TIME WITH STINGRAY'S 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC, AND IT PERFORMED QUITE WELL.

SHIFTS WERE BOTH FIRM AND QUICK, BUT NOT SO MUCH THAT WE PREFER CLICKING ITS PADDLE SHIFTERS OVER WORKING A CLUTCH AND MANUAL SHIFTER.

SO, WHILE IT MAY NOT HAVE FELT LIKE A HUGE STEP UP FROM THE STINGRAY HERE ON THIS TRACK; OUR NEXT VENUE REVEALED JUST HOW DIFFERENT IT IS.

*[DRAMATIC MUSIC] THERE ARE NOT TOO MANY POINTS HERE AT SUMMIT POINT MOTORSPORTS PARK'S SHENANDOAH CIRCUIT WHERE YOU CAN HOLD THIS THING WIDE OPEN, BUT WHEN YOU DO IT SOUNDS AMAZINGLY VISCOUS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE IN TRACK MODE WITH ALL THE BAFFLES WIDE OPEN.

AND WHILE YOU'LL HAVE TO LIFT WHEN YOU REACH ONE OF ITS MANY CORNERS; THERE'S SO MUCH GRIP HERE YOU WON'T HAVE TO LET OFF NEARLY AS MUCH AS YOU THINK.

THAT'S THANKS MOSTLY TO THE MICHELIN PILOT SPORT CUP 2'S THAT COME WITH THE SAME Z07 PACKAGE AVAILABLE ON THE Z06, WHICH ALSO ADDS ADDITIONAL DOWNFORCE AND THE LIKE.

BUT BY FAR THE BEST UPGRADE IS THE CARBON CERAMIC-MATRIX BRAKES WHICH ARE TRULY SPECTACULAR, OFFERING SERIOUS LATE BRAKING, WITH NO SIGNS OF THEM WANTING YOU TO STOP DOING IT.

STEERING HAS GREAT WEIGHT, AND A TIGHT RADIUS LEADS TO IMMEDIATE RESULTS.

NOW, THE EXTERIOR LOOKS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE Z06, WHICH IS TO SAY TOUGH AS NAILS; THOUGH WE'D PREFER A LESS FLASHY COLOR THAN THIS RED AND WHITE COMBO, PERHAPS MORE ALONG THE LINES OF THE TRADITIONAL BLUE.

THE AVAILABLE HERITAGE PACKAGE FEATURES SIGNATURE GRAND SPORT HASH MARKS THAT ARE ECHOED BOTH OUTSIDE AND IN.

NOTHING ELSE IS DIFFERENT INSIDE, WHICH MEANS EVERYTHING WE LIKE ABOUT THE NEW STINGRAY IS STILL HERE.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS WITH AN AUTOMATIC ARE 15-CITY, 26-HIGHWAY, AND 19-COMBINED.

BUT WE AVERAGED ONLY 17.9 MILES-PER-GALLON ON PREMIUM.

THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE IS JUST SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE AT 17.3 BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE, ALONG WITH 7.9-TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

SO, WHETHER WE EVER GET THAT MID-ENGINE CORVETTE THAT IS ONCE AGAIN IN THE RUMOR MILL; WE'VE GOT NO COMPLAINTS.

AS THIS STINGRAY'S IMPRESSIVE CHASSIS HAS PLENTY OF LIFE LEFT IN IT.

AND CERTAINLY NO EQUAL WHEN IT COMES TO PRICE.

THOUGH STARTING JUST $10,000 OVER A BASE STINGRAY AT $66,445, YOU'D BE NUTS NOT TO ADD THE Z07 PERFORMANCE PACKAGE WHICH TACKS ON ANOTHER $7,000.

NOW YOU'RE ONLY $6,000 CHEAPER THAN A Z06, BUT THAT'S 6-GRAND YOU COULD SPEND ON TRACK DAYS, JUST SAYIN'.

SO, YOU COULD THINK OF THE 2017 CHEVROLET CORVETTE GRAND SPORT AS A LESSER Z06, OR YOU COULD THINK OF IT AS MORE IN THE SPIRIT OF THE ORIGINAL Z06; PRIORITIZING HANDLING AND BRAKING PERFORMANCE ABOVE ALL ELSE.

THAT'S BOTH SOMETHING NEW AND OLD!

INDEED, IN A WORLD OVER POPULATED WITH SPECIAL CORVETTES; THIS ONE DESERVES ITS OWN COUNTRY.

LET'S CALL IT GRANDSPORTISTAN, AND LEAVE IT AT THAT...FAST!

WELL THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW FOR MORE MOTORWEEK; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, AS JAGUAR TAKES BRITISH PERFORMANCE TO A NEW LEVEL WITH THE F-TYPE SVR.

AND A GERMAN SPORTS SEDAN THAT EMBODIES CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT...THE NEW AUDI A4.

PAT GOSS SHOWS US THE RIGHT TREADS FOR YOUR RIDE.

AND ZACH MASKELL QUENCHES HIS NEED FOR SPEED.

'TIL THEN I'M JOHN DAVIS, WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... TIRE RACK WANTS YOU TO BE SMART WITH YOUR CAR.

Man: "YO DANNY, MY MAN!

HA, HA, HA."

Announcer: THEY CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIRES FOR YOUR VEHICLE AND HAVE THEM SHIPPED TO A LOCAL INSTALLER.

TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

* Announcer: THIS PROGRAM WAS PRODUCED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, WHICH IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.