See IndyCar’s bold new look for 2018

Chris Owens/IndyCar

America's fastest racing series is going with an all-new look from next year. Earlier this week, IndyCar revealed the new 2018-spec cars to the world at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, then let series veterans Juan Pablo Montoya and Oriol Servia loose for the 2018 machine's first test session. The pair-powered by Chevrolet and Honda engines respectively-were immediately up to speed in the box-fresh race cars, which will use the same aero kit for next season regardless of the engine supplier. It's the fourth new look for IndyCar's Dallara-built DW12 since it was introduced in 2012 and the first aesthetic to ditch the un-Indylike airbox behind the driver's head for a much more appropriate roll-hoop.

The DW12 is a much better car than the one it replaced, and it has given IndyCar some fantastic racing over the past few years. But I'm among the few who considered it good-looking; most IndyCar fans hate the sight of it. The series attempted to add some visual diversity in 2015 by allowing Honda and Chevrolet to develop aero kits-unique front and rear wings for the teams using each OEM's engines. But the experiment was not a fantastic success.

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