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Race recap: 2016 Hungarian Grand Prix was the pits

The Hungarian Grand Prix hasn't seen a race this calculated since 2012, when Lewis Hamilton – driving for McLaren – led from pole position to the checkered flag. We don't expect massive action from the Hungaroring, but Hamilton's first win for Mercedes in 2013, the thrilling wet mess in 2014, and Ferrari's surprising dominance in 2015 made us hope for more on-track commotion this year. Hungary denied us that. Hamilton parked his Mercedes-AMG Petronas in second on the grid but stole the lead through Turn 1 and never looked back. Teammate Nico Rosberg yo-yoed behind him in second place, getting into DRS range on a few occasions but never close enough to pass. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo kept the leading duo honest, but the Aussie couldn't put genuine fear into the German team and finished third. This is the third year in a row for Ricciardo on the Hungary podium. The pits provided our few scraps of excitement. During a stretch when Ricciardo managed to close on Rosberg, Mercedes told Hamilton to speed up. When Hamilton said he couldn't go faster, Mercedes said they'd pit second-place Rosberg first instead. Suddenly, Hamilton found the extra pace. Ricciardo pitted in early, hoping that fresh tires and fast laps could allow him to pass one or both Mercedes drivers when they pitted, but once Hamilton hit the throttle the Red Bull couldn't respond. Further down the lineup, Jenson Button came in on Lap 5 so McLaren could fix his brake pedal problem. The radio exchange before the stop included one forbidden instruction to Button, though, so the Englishman had to return to the pits for a drive-through penalty. Renault's Jolyon Palmer beat Force India's Nico Hulkenberg in a straight-up pit stop battle on Lap 40, but threw the good work away on Lap 49 with a spin on track that cost him three places. A pit wall miscommunication meant the Force India pit crew wasn't ready for Sergio Perez when the Mexican arrived for his second stop on Lap 43. And Daniel Kvyat's regrettable run at Toro Rosso continued, first with car issues, then a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Sebastian Vettel brought his Ferrari home fourth, sniffing Ricciardo's gearbox at the flag but unable to get around the Red Bull. Max Verstappen enacted a replay of the final stages of the Spanish Grand Prix, finishing fifth by holding Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen behind for 19 laps.

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC250 First Drive [w/video]

There's nothing wrong with the Mercedes-Benz GLK other than old age, having first sold here in 2009. But with creased, off-road themed styling, a naturally aspirated V6, and a smallish interior, it's out of step with the company's growing line of sport utility vehicles. Even its name is a harsh-sounding outlier. Enter the 2016 GLC. Mercedes calls this model the second generation of the GLK, but it's closer to a total reboot. The new look follows the smooth design of contemporary Benzes. The spotlight engine is now a spunky turbocharged four cylinder, and yes, the GLC is bigger inside and out. As for the name change, that's part of the latest badge realignment, and the "C" indicates the GLC's position as the crossover counterpart to the C-Class sedan. Now firmly integrated into the Mercedes SUV family, the GLC takes a seat at the table between the entry-level GLA and the larger GLE. The GLC's fresh appearance has all of the tenets of modern Mercedes design. We've come to the Alsace region of France to sample this familiar yet evolved utility vehicle. Driving along route A35, we're immediately struck by the turbo four-cylinder's prowess. It's strong from launches when we mash the gas, returns a subtle but pleasing exhaust note, and it's more than capable of picking off slower moving traffic as we dash through the French countryside. We're driving the European-spec GLC250 model, which has the same 2.0-liter engine Americans will get in the GLC300, though the Euro model has 30 fewer horsepower. The US version will be rated at 241 hp and 273 pound feet of torque, the same output as the C300 sedan. The turbo has big shoes to fill, as it gives up 61 hp to the 302-hp V6 used in the GLK. Mercedes is banking consumers won't miss this raw power, as the GLC's inline-four offers the same amount of torque as the GLK's V6, but much sooner in the rev band. Even in its detuned European state, the I4 demonstrates the kind of urgency that Americans prefer for their grocery-getting people haulers. It's paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, upgraded from the GLK's seven-speed. There are paddle shifters, though most Americans won't have reason to use them. Sometimes we grab them and lay on the throttle just for fun, and the GLC responds with bursts of speed. Even in its detuned European state, the I4 demonstrates the kind of urgency that Americans prefer for their grocery-getting people haulers.

Here's what Jay Leno will be working on in 2016

Jay Leno always has a project or five underway in his garage, and since 2015 is practically over, his latest video offers a glimpse at some of the amazing vehicles we might see his team complete in the coming year. Leno's crew certainly has a lot to do next year. Leno's most impressive current undertaking is an effort to modernize a 1914 Detroit Electric with about ten times its original power output. He showed off the vintage EV as just a shell in his last tour of the garage, but his team has now recreated the wood body. They also started the project's bigger challenge of installing a new electric motor and lithium-ion batteries from a Nissan Leaf. If EVs don't interest you, Leno has plenty of other irons in the fire, too. There's a 1971 Porsche 911 that's under restoration to turn it into a solid driver and several motorcycles in various states of repair. Leno even welcomes viewers into his dyno room to check out the work on the Chrysler V8 for his Cunningham. The results of this wrenching and welding on these projects should make for even more compelling videos in 2016.