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8 cars we're most looking forward to driving in 2015

Now that 2014 is officially in the books, it's time to look ahead. And following our list of the cars we liked best last year, we're now setting our sights at the hot new metal that's coming our way in 2015. Some of these, we've already seen. And some are still set to debut during the 2015 auto show season. But these are the machines that keep us going – the things on the horizon that we're particularly stoked to drive, and drive hard. Jeep Renegade Not the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Not the Ford Mustang GT350. Not the new John Cooper Works Mini. Nope, I'm looking forward to the adorable, trail-rated Jeep Renegade. And that's because I really, really, really like our long-term Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. I do not, however, care too much for the Cherokee's looks, and I really don't like its $38,059 price tag. The Renegade Trailhawk, meanwhile, promises much of the same rough-and-tumble character as its big brother, but at what we expect will be a more reasonable price (I'm personally wagering on the baby Jeep's off-road model starting at no more than $23,000). With a 2.4-liter four-cylinder and a nine-speed automatic, it should also be a bit easier to fill than the V6-powered Cherokee. Also, I can't help but love the way the Renegade looks. It's like someone took a Wrangler, squished it by 50 percent and then handed it off to George Clinton for a healthy dose of funk. The interior, with its bright, expressive trims and color schemes should also be a really nice place to spend some time. I'll be attending the Renegade's launch later this month, so I'll have a much shorter wait than my colleagues. Here's hoping the baby Jeep lives up to my expectations. – Brandon Turkus Associate Editor Mazda MX-5 Miata Here's an uncomfortable truth: I'd rather spend a day driving a properly sorted Mazda MX-5 Miata of any generation on a winding road than I would nearly any other vehicle, regardless of power, price or prestige. It's not just that I prize top-down driving and enjoy the Miata's small size because it gives me more road to play with. I just find there's more motoring joy to be had with high-fidelity handling and an uncorrupted car-to-driver communication loop than I do with face-distorting power or grip – let alone valet-stand gravitas. But perhaps most of all, I love Miatas because they can deliver that level of feedback and driver reward at modest speeds that won't put the locals on edge or endanger lives – you can use more of the car more of the time.

'The best Lewis' Hamilton faces resurgent Ferrari in F1

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton has raised his game but whether the Mercedes driver can deny Ferrari a second successive win of the season in China this weekend remains to be seen. On paper, the triple world champion is still the man to beat -- the most successful driver by far in Shanghai with four wins to date. "Lewis is the best Lewis that I've seen in the last four years, both on and off the track," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff after the Briton started on pole and finished second to Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel in the Australian season-opener. "He has become a pillar of this team and he proved that in Melbourne." But Vettel is leading the championship, the first time a non-Mercedes driver has done that since he took his fourth title with Red Bull in 2013, and once-dominant Mercedes have a fight on their hands. Mercedes, who have taken both the drivers and constructors' titles for the last three years, have won four of the last five races in China. As Melbourne showed, however, past form may count for little in a season of sweeping rule change. "If you think you are going to cruise to victory in the future, based on a track record of success, you'll be proven wrong very quickly," said Wolff. "Australia was a weekend full of lessons, now we go to China ready and excited for another battle." Ferrari have not started a season with consecutive wins since 2004 at the peak of the Michael Schumacher era, the Italian team taking 15 victories from 18 races that season. Vettel's win in Australia ended a victory drought for Ferrari stretching back to September 2015, and drew rare praise from company chairman Sergio Marchionne, but they must now prove they can be genuine contenders. "You really have to go step by step," said Vettel. "It's good to know that we have a great car but it's just the beginning: new regulations, new generations of cars so there will be a lot of progress." The cars this year are longer and wider, sporting fatter tires and more swept-back bodywork as part of a rules shake-up aimed at making them faster, more spectacular to watch and harder to drive. But overtaking has also become more difficult, with Australia raising concern about the lack of real moves. The long straights and wide sweeps of the Shanghai circuit saw 128 passes last year, more than at any other track, and should provide a more definitive verdict.

Mercedes unveils GLC350e 4Matic PHEV

Mercedes-Benz intends to introduce at least 10 plug-in hybrid models to the market by 2017, and the the Mercedes GLC350e 4Matic is the latest one to show its electrified face. It's also the second crossover from the company to offer a PHEV version following the GLE550e 4Matic. Mercedes isn't releasing all of the details about the plug-in GLC yet, but it combines an internal combustion engine making 208 horsepower and a 114 hp electric motor with a seven-speed gearbox. Total torque is 413 pound-feet. The combo is enough to get the all-wheel drive crossover to 62 miles per hour in a purported 5.9 seconds and a claimed top speed of 146 mph. Fuel economy in the European cycle is estimated at the equivalent of about 90 miles per gallon, and there's a 21-mile pure electric range for zero-emissions cruising. Based around the newly introduced GLC-Class, buyers can still order a plethora of luxurious amenities, but the plug-in powertrain also comes with a few tweaks to help drivers maximize fuel economy. There's a haptic accelerator with a resistance point to indicate the switch between electric and combustion power. In addition, the hybrid system can anticipate the road ahead through radar and GPS to manage things as efficiently as possible. One of the GLC hybrid's biggest advantages when it arrives is the small field of competitors. Neither BMW nor Audi currently have a compact luxury crossover of this size with a hybrid option in the US. That really only leaves the Mercedes to take on the Lexus NX300h with total system output of 194 hp, and that's not even a plug-in. The GLC350e 4Matic isn't part of the new model's initial launch lineup in the US. It should be coming along later, though. Key topic: Energy efficiency - Economy on four wheels A revised all-wheel-drive powertrain, the outstanding aerodynamics and the intelligent lightweight design are the primary reasons for the high energy efficiency of all the new GLC models. The conventional diesel and petrol models boast significant reductions of up to 19 percent in both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in comparison to the previous generation, while at the same time improving performance. GLC 220 d 4MATIC GLC 250 d 4MATIC GLC 250 4MATIC Output, kW/hp 125/170 150/204 155/211 Torque, Nm 400 500 350 Fuel consumption (l/100 km) 5.0 - 5.5 (6.1 - 6.5) 5.0 - 5.5 (6.1 - 6.6) 6.5 - 7.1 (7.5 - 7.9) ? Consumption % -19 -19 -12 CO2 g/km 129 - 143 (159 - 169) 129 - 143 (159 - 169) 152 - 166 (173 - 180) ?