Even though the first generation of Chevrolet's Beat minicar doesn’t look like it will be making it to the States, we're still excited to see these first-ever spy shots of a test mule.

The Beat appears to hold quite closely to the size and shape of the cheeky concept car. At least on this mule, General Motors’ engineers have added a set of rear doors which will aid in overall utility, even though they take away from the original concept's three-door shape. The latter model remains a possibility. Mum's the word about engine details for the moment, but expect GM's new 1.2-liter, 16-valve DOHC S-TEC II engine to be under the hood which should yield impressive fuel economy.

If things continue to move steadily, the Beat should be ready to officially launch in 2010, hitting European showrooms in early 2011.

Magazine Issue: Winding Road Issue 38