The Autoweek Dispatch

Friday, March 27, 2020

This week we took you from Detroit to Japan to Italy and beyond. We even threw in a little U.K. action. We also tried our damnedest to keep depressing coronavirus news to a minimum, but that’s still close to impossible. Here’s what’s going on in the car world:

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“With the temporary postponement of our season and the impact of the coronavirus is having on every part of our business, we will have to adjust our operations in several significant ways. We are trying to minimize expenses until we can get back to doing what we do best—holding great race events for our fans. These decisions are difficult but necessary for the health of our company as we work through this crisis and address the long-term business needs of our sport.”

—NASCAR president Steve Phelps explaining in an email to his employees why their pay is being cut 20 to 25%. The cuts are staying until racing resumes, at the moment scheduled for Martinsville May 7 at the earliest.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

One of this week’s Autoweek Talks features, for our topic Spring, explains how your tires have spring rates just like your springs. Talks also, of course, includes a look at spring maintenance (including both mechanical and mental!) and also at some tools you might need to get the job done properly. What about lowering your car? Good idea? Any drawbacks? We explore.

RACING LINES

Motorsports was in limbo two weeks ago and on hold last week. And this week? Basically it’s moving online, as sanctioning bodies begin scheduling virtual races. NASCAR ran a Cup iRace at a virual Homestead-Miami Speedway and is doing so again this weekend at a virtual Texas Motor Speedway. IndyCar is giving virtual racing its first go this weekend and plans to do over the next six Saturdays. Your Autoweek pals are giving the virtual-racing thing a second go, too, with the second round of the Forza Work From Home Cup 2020 this afternoon (3/27) on our Twitch channel. Watch as we take our best shot at our Car and Driver and Road & Track/Hearst Autos brethren.

CAR NEWS AND NOTES

As with racing, the production-car side of the auto biz is basically on hold. Though while nearly every factory, or at least every factory we can think of, was and is shut down until the end of March, minimum, there is some in-plant activity: To combat COVID-19 automakers are teaming with suppliers and using plant space to make medical equipment, specifically disposable masks, reusable respirators, face shields and other gear for medical workers. It’s a rapidly changing scene, and we’ll continually update the stories as we learn them, so watch this space as we chronicle the automakers’ efforts.

The Toyota GT86 (just 86 here) and Subaru BRZ are 8 years old, can you believe it?!? It’s time for some changes, and information about the next-gen sporty coupes is starting to leak and includes a rumored horsepower bump to 255 from today’s 205.

WHAT WE’RE DRIVING

As you can probably guess, the hard-working Autoweek staff is still working from home, but we’re trying to get out of the easy chair and get in some quality seat time. Jake Lingeman did just that in the 2020 Nissan Rogue Sport and says it is slow, but that actually makes it perfect for new/young drivers. Out in Cali, where the weather is always fine, retired LA Dodgers third baseman turned West Coast Editor Mark Vaughn got literal seat time on two new motorcycles, the BMW R 1250 RS and the Yamaha MT-03. Vaughn says the BMW is “the sport touring bike you’ll want when this is all over.” Hopefully sooner rather than later.

MOSTLY ODDS, SOME ENDS

End of March/early April is the perfect time to start getting your classic ready for summer, so we thought it’d be a good idea to help you out and list some of our favorite online parts stores, the places we go when we’re looking for those near-impossible-to-find replacement parts for our projects, delivered right to the front door.

LISTEN UP

Graham Kozak, Natalie Neff and Wesley Wren led Autoweek Podcast 102, discussing elements of our Talks features including spring car maintenance (and what Kozak is doing to get his Jeep ready for the season), as well as Lingeman’s Talks feature on lowering one’s suspension. Robin Warner, lucky dude that he is, got to interview racing legend and Autoweek pal Hurley Haywood. Vaughn wraps up the show with his impressions of the BMW 1250 RS and a Bentley Flying Spur. Check out Episode 102 and all our other podcasts!

WHAT’S AHEAD

Of course we'll be around all weekend keeping up with and reporting on the sanctioning bodies’ and automakers’ efforts as they try every kind of strategy to make some lemonade out of ... well, you know. Check back often!

And please, stay safe.

—Wes Raynal, Editor