June 2008

Honda Cars : Canadian Driver's 50 Litre Challenge Finds the Most Efficient Compact Cars | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 7:34 AM
June 2008
June 2008

Well, Canadiandriver.com has done another 50 Litre Challenge, what they do is take 13 of the most popular Compact cars, they then fill the tank and drive them until they are dead empty. Here are the results with the km's travelled.

Group One Kilometres
Toyota Corolla 1017
Honda Civic 947
Pontiac Vibe 854
Group Two
Hyundai Elantra 812
Mazda3 784
Pontiac G5 755
Mitsubishi Lancer 754
Kia Spectra 742
Ford Focus 742
Nissan Sentra 717
Group Three
Volkswagen City Golf 670
Dodge Caliber 653
Suzuki SX4 637

Here is the link;
http://www.canadiandriver.com/50litre/main.htm


Honda Cars : Acura NSX Rendering Rear Shot | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 6:30 AM
June 2008
June 2008

Found this on Auto Express, compliments the previous post.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/224049/hondas_next_nsx.html


Honda Cars : Another NSX Rendering | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 7:03 AM
June 2008
June 2008

Stumbled across this pic, one of a few floating around.

Here are the others that I have accumalated in another post;
http://bestscoops.blogspot.com/2008/06/next-hondaacura-nsx-looking-to-reclaim.html


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Honda Cars : Prelude Truck? | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 6:22 AM
June 2008
June 2008

Found this link on Autoblog, I've seen conversion vehicles before, but never a Prelude/Truck. The owner calls this a 'CRUCK'.

Source; http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/car/732603318.html


Honda Cars : Another 2009 Honda Pilot Review | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 6:47 AM
June 2008
June 2008

By Richard Russell

Honda has managed to satisfy conflicting and seemingly opposite consumer demands, which is quite a trick!

Existing and potential customers wanted the next generation Pilot mid-sized SUV to not only look more rugged and have more power, but be bigger inside and use less fuel. The first generation Pilot, introduced in 2002 as a 2003 model became an integral part of Honda's truck line, which now includes the CR-V, Element and Ridgeline. These vehicles represent almost one-third of the company's business in Canada and competition in the mid-size segment, where the Pilot does battle, has become pretty intense. So, when it came time for a replacement the pressure was on.

Because the outgoing model was so successful, there existed a database of knowledge and opinions to draw from while considering its replacement. Added to this was feedback from Honda stores as to why consumers who had looked at the existing model, walked away. It came as no surprise both buyers and "intenders" were looking for a vehicle to suit a wide variety of needs and activities, carry both people and their stuff and be able to get them where they wanted to play. These people are looking for a vehicle that can do this but also be used every day, whether commuting or running errands. Safety and fuel efficiency were also top-of-mind concerns.

Another issue that popped up was that the first generation Pilot didn't look rugged enough, that it lacked SUV character. "Don't make it look like a minivan, but do make it look like it can go off road," was an oft-heard phrase.

(Read the full Article here: http://en.autos.sympatico.msn.ca/cross_over_special/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8074817 )

Honda has managed to improve power, performance, comfort, space and features while holding the line on pricing. That's how you stay competitive!

REVIEW SUMMARY
Here are the salient points and overall rating of this new model, as established by our reviewer:

PROS
- Lots of inside space relative to the shadow is casts
- Spunky, fuel-efficient high-tech engine
- Good blend of on and off-road ride

CONS
- pretty ugly face
- two many buttons on center stack
- big blank spot on IP without nav system


Honda Cars : 2009 Acura TL Spied | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 6:25 AM
June 2008
June 2008

A few nice pic's of the upcoming Acura TL, looks like it is going be similar to the TSX and RL as far as the triangularity (is that a word?) of the car. Looks nice!


Honda Cars : 2009 Honda Ridgeline Spied! | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 8:25 AM
June 2008
June 2008

Looks alot like the 2009 Honda Pilot front grill, look-an integrated hitch! More info. to come....

Source; http://www.leftlanenews.com/honda-ridgeline-2009.html


Honda Cars : Nice Article About When Times are Tough, Why People Flock to Honda | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 8:39 AM
June 2008
June 2008

Here's a nice observation by the people at Edmunds.com about Honda's recent success' in the face of a down market.

Suddenly Honda is a success — again. The 2008 Honda Civic became America's current best-selling vehicle in May, as some 53,299 examples hit the road in a single month. This is a new sales record for the Civic, almost 14,000 more cars per month than the previous record for the model that had been set just the year before.

When times are tough and gasoline prices rise, people come home to Honda. There's something unique about this company that seems to speak to Americans. As Toyota rose to its preeminent position in the last few years, there were those who despaired of Honda's future, as it seems so one-dimensional compared to diversified mega-corporations like Toyota. After all, Honda is just a simple little car company.

Yet now this simple little car company is promising the introduction of a new 50-mpg hybrid vehicle in 2009, one of four compact Honda hybrids that are expected to represent 500,000 sales a year by 2015. At the same time, it's developing a new front engine NSX powered by a 550-horsepower V10 and featuring all-wheel drive. And Honda is equally capable of unexpected innovation, as with its unibody Ridgeline pickup truck, which more manufacturers are adopting as the template for fuel-efficient trucks in the future.

When the subject is sales, people talk about Toyota. But when the subject is cars, people talk about Honda.

Here's the rest of the article;
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=127406?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..3.*


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Honda Cars : Honda Tops Euro Reliability Survey | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 6:40 AM
June 2008
June 2008

Looks like the 'domestics' in the UK have the same thing going on as we do in the US. The Japanese build reliable cars, period.

Japanese car manufacturers have enhanced their already formidable reputation for first class engineering by leading a reliability league table drawn up in one of the UK's most detailed motoring surveys.

Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.jhtml?xml=/motoring/2008/06/20/mjapan120.xml


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Honda Cars : Next Honda/Acura NSX Looking to Reclaim it's Title as Japan's SUPERCAR | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 6:48 AM
June 2008
June 2008

This is the NSX caught on the track with camo just recently
This is an older rendering on what the NSX might look like.
This is a pic out of a Japanese car MagX. (I think this is the most accurate pic.)
This is an older NSX, absolutley beautiful.

The next NSX is expected for the 2011 model year, but the prototype has already hit the track at Nürburgring, Germany, and it has one aim, to be faster than the Nissan GT-R and the upcoming Lexus LF-A.
It's a tall order, and one that Honda hopes it can achieve through the use of a 5.5-liter V10 expected to make 550 horses, with a torque peak expected to top 420 pound-feet. The engine is essentially a slightly larger version of the V8 that Honda will use for the next-generation, rear-wheel-drive RL sedan, and it will use cylinder deactivation under light loads for maximum efficiency. Additional gains will come from the use of an eight-speed, paddle-shifted automatic.
Getting the power to the ground will be a modified version of Honda's Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) system. Packaging could be tight, however, as this NSX will place its V10 up front. A combination of steel and aluminum will be used for the chassis that will form the basis of this 2+2 sports car.


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Honda Cars : Honda S2000CR Makes Road & Tracks 'Fast and the Frugal' | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 6:36 AM
June 2008
June 2008

Nice list compiled of vehicles that are performance orientated but also good on gas.

"Like the Nismo 350Z, the Club Racer (CR) version of the Honda S2000 leaves the drivetrain stock, thus avoiding the need to recertify the car's fuel economy. This in the case of the S2000 is a good thing, as it is rated at 18 mpg city/25 mpg highway while still delivering sub-6-sec. 0–60-mph acceleration. However, the tweaks to the chassis, including additional body bracing to go along with the stiffer suspension and high-performance tires, raise the S2000's grip levels and thereby its fun factor. The results are quite impressive as the CR is capable of pulling nearly 1.0g on the skidpad and it flies through the slalom at 71.7 mph. And it's not a bad looker, either, with the extra aero bits that also add to the car's high-speed agility. Further enhancing the S2000's performance is stellar braking, the best of the bunch at 109 ft. from 60 mph. Equipped with a 13.2-gal. tank, the theoretical maximum range of the CR approaches 400 miles — that's a lot of autocross cones between fill-ups."

Here's a link to the whole article and the other cars;
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=10&article_id=6871


Honda Cars : Next Gen Honda/Acura NSX Spied | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 6:58 AM
June 2008
June 2008

Honda was hardly going to leave Nissan and Toyota to steal all the thunder in the supercar market as they look to provide some serious competition with its new NSX. Previously we had only seen prototypes of the new model sporting the body of the S2000, but now for the first time the model has come out showing its new body styling albeit with the annoying black and white camoflage.

Unlike the previous mid-engined NSX this prototype is running a front-mid engine, with its powerplant placed well behind the front wheels to ensure excellent weight distribution. This should also allow the new NSX to offer 2+2 cabin accommodation, broadening its appeal against the Nissan GT-R and Lexus LF-A - particularly in the USA.

What that engine is remains very much a mystery. There’s talk of a high-revving naturally aspirated V10, which would fit in very comfortably with Honda’s Type R philosophy. Honda’s not as obsessed as many by big horsepower outputs, but even so an output of 450 hp seems likely. Should such an engine be fitted to the sort of lightweight body as the previous NSX, the performance would be exceptional. Four-wheel-drive, with rearward bias, is also rumoured, the handling expected to be controlled by a version of Honda’s electronic Super Handling All-Wheel Drive.

The Honda NSX is not expected until 2009 and on top of its Japanese rivals it must also compete with the likes of the Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari F430 and the Lamborghini Gallardo.

Source; http://www.worldcarfans.com/9080617.009/new-honda-nsx-prototype-comes-out-to-play


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Honda Cars : Honda Hybrid May Be Called Insight; Set to Out Prius the Prius | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 6:15 AM
June 2008
June 2008

Above it the next Honda Hybrid concept called the 'CRZ'.Above is the lovable Honda Insight (1999 - 2006)

Nice article at Edmunds AutoObserver, here it is....

By Peter Nunn

TOKYO - Surging gas prices, global warming and the need to go green make this absolutely the most perfect time for Honda to roll out an all-new, cutting edge gas-electric hybrid. Honda's eagerly awaited, long overdue rival for the Toyota Prius is set to set to land in American driveways in the first half of 2009.

Smaller than a Civic and with a unique five-door hatchback style, Honda's "New Dedicated Hybrid Vehicle" may well revive the Insight name when it goes on sale. Strong rumours in Tokyo also suggest that this 'new Insight' will adapt and repackage the Civic Hybrid's IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) front-drive powertrain and first appear in public in concept form at this October's Paris Auto Salon, ahead of its full official launch at the Detroit auto show in January.

If there's a no-show at Paris, then Honda's new concept hybrid will certainly be shown at the Los Angeles Show in November.

New Math for Honda Hybrids

Honda first spoke publicly about this new fuel-sipping global hybrid in Tokyo back in summer 200. At that time, Honda President Takeo Fukui floated the idea of a yearly sales plan of 200,000 units, with North America projected to take half.

Things have moved on quite a bit since then. This May, Fukui outlined a more ambitious plan involving not one, but four new compact hybrids, coupled with a new hybrid target of 500,000 units a year by around 2015.

Honda will produce not only a new Civic Hybrid, but also a version of its small, slinky CR-Z sports coupe concept seen at the 2007 Tokyo Show.

Add this dedicated 'new Insight' hatchback to the mix as well, plus a hybrid version of the next Fit, which may appear around 2013, and you have Honda's new hybrid quartet and that fresh half a million-unit target.

Some actually believe Honda is already being too conservative with these estimates based on the fact that the coming global hybrid may well turn out to be the coolest, most talked about, most gotta-have small green Honda in more than three decades.

A car that conceivably could do the unthinkable and out Prius the Prius.

In which case, in $4 gallon America, sales of this small, super-efficient Japanese-built Honda hybrid could just skyrocket, and soon.

A Historic, High-Mileage Honda

Not since the days of the first, pivotal CVCC-engined Civic of 1973 will Honda have had such a mainstream, marketable eco champion on the blocks. The car's design and space are good, according to a source familiar with the project, borrowing a lot from the fresh, flowing design of the FCX Clarity, Honda's groundbreaking new fuel cell sedan that officially went into production Monday in Japan with much ceremony.

The hybrid's economy is also "insane" says this well-placed insider with a good natured laugh, which suggests a rating well above today's Civic Hybrid which has an EPA-estimated city/highway rating of 40/45 mpg, the best of any 2008 Honda.

So how insane, exactly? Well, Japanese sources predict a domestic fuel rating of 30 km/l, equal to 71 mpg in the US. Now, that's in Japan's 10.15-mode fuel cycle, which is now a bit old and quite often shows hybrids in an especially flattering light.

Some are talking about even more, as in 35 km/l (equal to 82 mpg), which is pretty much what the old Insight registered in Japan (although it was much less in the U.S.). A more realistic expectation for the U.S., then, would seem to be in the 50-55 mpg-plus range.

Affordably Priced

Another enticement would surely be sticker price. Honda's also let it be known that the price differential over a typical Fit-type model in same class will be just ¥200,000 or so (some $1,850, at the time of going to press). That's in Tokyo, at least.

Honda, it's believed, wants to start this 'new Insight' off for under $19,000 in Japan, so well undercutting the Prius.

So, here's a 'smart' new little Honda that'll be compact and affordable, combining stellar mileage with low emissions and a fresh hatchback design, and will come with a Honda badge on the hood. It's hard at this point to see exactly what could go wrong.

Well, maybe in-house competition from the Fit and Civic Hybrid coupled with the arrogance of certain Honda dealers who know how to charge top dollar for any hot new Honda. Those are two areas that could dent its chances. But surely, not for long.

Regaining Honda Hybrid Leadership

Honda has certainly learned its lesson with hybrids. Even though it was the first into the hybrid race in the U.S. with the tiny, two-seat Insight coupe, which bowed in December 1999, Honda has since had to sit back and watch, as have others, as Toyota's eaten up the market and the Prius has gone on to become the rock star of today's eco generation.

Worthy as they have been, the Civic and Accord hybrids just haven't caught on in the same way. Honda has at last woken up to one of the Prius' biggest strengths: that its unique styling tells the world at glance you're driving a high tech, ultra eco car. If you want to make an environmental statement, the Prius is still the hottest game in town.

With that revelation on board, Honda's thus crafted the design for an all new, five-passenger hatchback body which, we hear, also bears more than a passing resemblance to the Prius, from certain angles, certainly around the A-pillars.

This 'new Insight' is reputed to stand some 3 inches longer than the latest Fit and about an inch wider, while being based off the same 98.4 inches wheelbase.

Platform and architecture will be Fit-derived and power served by an updated version of the Civic Hybrid's 1.3-liter IMA powertrain, sources say.

Sticking with NiMH Batteries

What's certain is that Honda will site the car's compact nickel-hydride (NiMH) battery pack beneath the trunk floor, as opposed in the rear seat back as per today's Civic Hybrid sedan.

Honda still has major reservations about the viability of the more advanced style of high power, lightweight lithium-ion batteries for mass production.

Honda will use Li-lo in the FCX Clarity fuel cell car for the time being and nothing else. This means, Honda's near future hybrids won't get it. As Honda sees it, lithium-ion batteries still need to improve their safety/reliability until the company's fully convinced of their worth for mass production.

Adding Value through Simplicity

Honda also talks about 'a major cost reduction' with the engineering of the new car, which sounds attractive. But what Honda's really talking about here is the ongoing process of making the key IMA hybrid components - four-cylinder gas engine, electric motor, CVT transmission and battery pack - all smaller and lighter, more tightly packaged while also using fewer parts.

Adding to the value equation is the fact that Honda's IMA system is simpler than Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system in the Prius. Honda's IMA is fundamentally set up for maximum economy and when driving, the gas engine is pretty much running all the while. Honda is apparently less bothered about having its hybrids run on pure, silent, zero emission, electric/battery power, something Toyota's trying actively now to extend.

Japanese sources suggest the new global hybrid will run with a modified version of the Civic Hybrid's 1.3-liter 3-Stage i-VTEC four-cylinder +IMA powertrain. With 94 horsepower, performance in the smaller body should still be promising, especially when the 15 kW-class electric motor engaged. Suspension will again be Civic-derived.

At a time when Toyota is planning to move the Prius up market, from 1.5 to 1.8 liters with the coming third generation, Honda's ploy of producing a smaller, lighter, cheaper 1.3-liter competitor for major world markets looks pretty astute.

Battle of the Hybrids

Toyota, of course, will respond by producing not one, but three versions of the next Prius, according to sources, including a smaller edition than now, which will hit directly on this new global Honda hybrid as the coming global wars heat up.

Honda's new global hybrid will be built in the same Suzuka plant in Japan that made the courageous, wacky but ultimately unsuccessful Insight coupe, which Honda pulled from the market in 2006.

Honda, it's fair to say, hasn't really clicked yet on hybrids. But starting early in 2009, at coincidentally the same Detroit auto show at which the keenly awaited new Toyota Prius will go live, Honda will at last be fully in the game with this small, super competitive and ultra fuel efficient 'new Insight.'

Still, even at 500,000 hybrid units a year, Honda will still be totally outpaced by Toyota which is forging ahead with an aggressive plan for selling 1 million hybrid units a year by the early 2010s.

Twenty years after the 1989 Detroit Show when Lexus and Infiniti came out and announced their intentions towards America's luxury market in no uncertain fashion, a completely different but no less intense, high stakes power game will unfold as Honda's 'new Insight' and the next Prius go head-to-head under the lights at Detroit's Cobo Hall.

The green revolution will finally then have arrived.

Source; http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/06/honda-hybrid-may-be-called-insight-set-to-out-prius-the-prius.html


Honda Cars : First U.S.-spec Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicles roll off production line | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 6:33 AM
June 2008
June 2008

Honda today announced its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the FCX Clarity, started production at the automaker's dedicated fuel cell vehicle factory in Japan. The first five four-seater sedans will be delivered to American VIPs in Southern California in July, with Honda planning on releasing 200 examples Stateside and in Japan over three years. The FCX is the first fuel cell-powered car to be approved for lease in the U.S.

The five California customers include film producer Ron Yerxa, actress and author Jamie Lee Curtis, her film-making husband Christopher Guest, actress Laura Harris and first-gen FCX owner Jon Spallino. The region has three Honda dealers equipped to service the vehicle and three hydrogen filling stations. Honda will study the drivers' driving patterns and the vehicle's performance to learn and improve on the technology in future versions of the car.

The Clarity promises to deliver a 280-mile range and an equivalent gasoline fuel economy of about 74mpg thanks to its lithium ion battery pack that drives an electric motor. Electricity for the battery pack is generated by the fuel cell, with the only by-product being water. Compared to the first-generation car, which was available in Japan only, the new FCX represents a 30 percent increase in range and a 25 percent improvement in fuel economy thanks to a battery pack that is 40 percent smaller and half as heavy.

The FCX's motor is rated at 134 horsepower and 189 lb-ft of torque available instantenously. Customers who wish to lease the FCX will need to meet Honda's requirements (proximity to filling stations and driving habits chief among them) and sign up for a three-year lease at $600 per month.

Source;
http://www.leftlanenews.com/first-us-spec-honda-fcx-clarity-fuel-cell-vehicles-roll-off-production-lines.html


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Honda Cars : HONDA for World Domination! | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 6:52 AM
June 2008
June 2008

I have often said that as a salesperson, I have the easiest job on the planet, I sell Honda's which pretty much sell themselves. That has been especially true in this current market of high gas prices. Honda is positioned exceptionally well, with vehicles that are either at the top of their class in fuel efficiency or right up near the top. Here is a good read from Detroit News on some speculation of where Honda might just end up. Canadians, keep in mind that any numbers thrown around (mpg, $4/gallon,...) are all in US numbers, canadian numbers are different.

Honda's fuel-efficiency strategy pays off
Christine Tierney / The Detroit News

In recent years, while many automakers were building bigger and brawnier trucks and SUVs, Honda Motor Co. stuck to its core business of making fuel-efficient vehicles. Unlike its leading Japanese rivals, Honda passed on developing a full-size pickup. It didn't offer a powerful V-8 engine for its premium cars and SUVs either, focusing its resources instead on designing better versions of its stalwart Civic compact and tiny Fit.

That strategy is now paying off. This year Honda has clocked the best performance of any major player in the U.S. market. Its sales are up 4.8 percent in a market that contracted 8.4 percent in the first five months of 2008. In May, the Civic became the top-selling vehicle in the United States, displacing the longtime champion, Ford Motor Co.'s F-Series trucks, as consumers traded in gas guzzlers for more frugal models.

"They have an array of products that is in tune with today's economic climate," said Jim Hossack, a consultant at AutoPacific Inc. in Tustin, Calif. "They don't have a Suburban, they don't have a Super Duty, but they have small, fuel-efficient vehicles. They're in good shape."

Honda could sell even more vehicles in the United States if the Japanese automaker shipped more small cars to its American Honda Motor subsidiary. Fit subcompacts are sold within five days of reaching showrooms, said John Mendel, executive vice president at American Honda. But Honda is also scrambling to meet demand in Japan, where the Fit is the best-selling vehicle. "Sixty percent of the world market is small cars. We compete with the rest of the world for the Fit," Mendel said. It gets 27-28 (35-40 in Canadian numbers) miles per gallon in the city and 33-34 mpg (49-52 in Canadian numbers) on the highway.

This past weekend, Jim Kurtz, a software specialist living near Baltimore, struggled to track down a Fit for his daughter. "I called five dealers, and only one of them had the car," Kurtz said. "The demand is unbelievably high for these vehicles."

This year, Fit sales are up 64 percent, Civic sales are up 20.5 percent, and sales of the Civic hybrid are up 17.5 percent, according to Autodata Corp.

Honda's trucks, however, are not performing as well. The CR-V crossover is popular, but Honda has a tough time moving its boxy Element vehicles. They spend nearly three months on dealer lots, compared with a 56-day average for compact crossovers as a whole, according to J.D. Power and Associates' Power Information Network. Honda's midsize Ridgeline pickup is also a slow seller, and now carries $3,500 in incentives, according to online auto research firm Edmunds.com.

Sales of Honda's premium Acura vehicles have been weak, too, in the last months before the rollout of redesigned models.

But Honda cars are hard to keep in stock. "Particularly in this climate, where gas prices have spiked since mid-April, Honda is top of mind with consumers," said Mark McCready, vice president for market planning and pricing at online retailer Carsdirect.com. "Honda has for years positioned themselves in their marketing as being economical, with good fuel-economy, reliability and best cost of ownership."

Demand for Honda's midsize Accord sedan is strong, as SUV owners migrate to smaller -- but not much smaller -- vehicles. That shift explains why more Accord buyers are opting for V-6 than four-cylinder engines, Mendel said. Accord sales are up 9.4 percent this year, and ahead 38.9 percent in May.

With gas costing $4 a gallon, fuel economy is a top priority for consumers. Allen Chen, a vice president at a Silicon Valley firm, looked at small, fuel-efficient cars and hybrids. With hybrids, "the gas savings, even assuming $6 a gallon gas, didn't work out because of the extra cost of the car, and the cost of the battery replacement down the road," he said. Last weekend, Chen settled on a Civic with a 1.8-liter engine costing $17,865, including tax.

Honda's archrival Toyota Motor Corp. has many fuel-efficient models in its bigger lineup, but Toyota's performance has been hurt by weak demand for some of its larger vehicles, such as the new Tundra pickup. Toyota has slowed production of Tundras at its Indiana and Texas plants, and Nissan Motor Co. is also slashing output of light trucks in North America.

Compared with Toyota and Nissan, Honda has been more cautious in adding production capacity. But that trait is causing Honda to scramble to supply dealers with more cars. It is increasing Civic production at its Alliston plant in Ontario and it is opening a car plant in Indiana this fall.

But McCready says Honda may run short during the summer selling season. "They don't have the volumes or the inventories to do what they did in May for the rest of the summer."

You can reach Christine Tierney at ctierney@detnews.com.


Honda Cars : 2011 Acura RL RWD Test Mule Spyshots Caught by Brenda Priddy & Co. | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 6:34 AM
June 2008
June 2008

The Acura RL received a facelift a few months ago in preparation for the 2009 model year, but that hasn't stopped Acura engineers from proceeding full speed ahead with a complete redesign for the 2011 model year. The all-new RL will be the first ever Acura to use a rear-wheel-drive platform as its basis. Our newest spy photos show a test mule for the new chassis, with body components donated from the new TSX.

Recent rumors also indicate the car will come equipped with Acura's first ever V8 — a 420 horsepower 4.8-liter range-topping unit. Other more economical engines are also expected to be offered. An optional RWD-based version of Honda's SH-AWD system is expected to be offered.

The RWD nature of this car is plain to see. Take note of the large space between the front door and the front wheel, for example. While the test mule pictured looks like a Frankenstein TSX, the final RL will have completely new styling unique to it. Since the Advanced Sedan Concept was unpopular to say the least, designers are believed to have gone back to the drawing board.

Source; http://www.leftlanenews.com/acura-rl-future.html


Honda Cars : Great Article; Why Do Cars Have Crumple Zones | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 7:50 AM
June 2008
June 2008

Here is the picture of an old school accident where the car was made to survive an accident, not to protect their occupants.
Here is a modern car crash where the vehicle is made to protect the occupants and not to survive the accident. Anyway, here is the article;

'A lot of times when people see a modern car accident or push on a plastic bumper, they wonder why cars aren't built the way they used to be. Well, a lot of it has to do with human survivability. If you've ever had high school level physics you'll understand the following formula:F = ((m2 - m1) x (V1-V2)/(t2 - t1))Where the masses of the first and second vehicles are m1 and m2 and the start of the collision and end of the collision are t1 and t2, respectively. V1 and V2 are the relative speeds of the vehicles — V1 being starting speed and V2 normally being zero. "F" is what's important here, as it's what either turns the occupants into a gooey bag of skin or lets them walk away.

F, of course, is force. It is the result of one car hurtling into another. It's what acts on the human attached to the inside of the car by way of seatbelt. When cars crash into each other there are an incredible number of variables, not the least of which are angles, bumper heights, braking forces etc., but the ones that can be controlled are the ones which have the biggest impact in that equation.

When crashing, you want to minimize the amount of speed involved; slamming on the brakes is a great way to do that. Minimizing mass is going to be a tougher one, considering your car is pretty heavy to start out, and you both won't have a lot of time to jettison stuff while yelling "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." But what about that time thing? What if you could stretch out the amount of time it takes from the start of the accident to the end? This is what crumple zones do.

The cars in the above gallery are designed to survive an accident, not to protect their occupants. In some of the scenarios, the car looks not too much worse for the wear, but the drivers likely suffered significant injuries that would have been avoided in a modern car. The cars that turned into mangled messes probably did the same to their drivers. No car can ever be completely safe; even though the new ones don't look tough, you're way better off in 'em.

Engineers design crash zones to fail along a predictable path using varying materials and construction techniques. As a result, predictable bending, breaking, and stretching occurs. These failure events act like a giant shock absorber sitting in front of your dash, "soaking up" force. If you play around with the above equation, you can see that stretching out the time, even by fractions of seconds, has a remarkable effect on the forces transmitted to the passengers. Of course, this is an extremely simplified look at why cars turn into play-doh during an accident these days. But at least it gives you a fighting chance of explaining why the next time your folks crank up the "back in my day" speech.'

Here is the link with other photo's of old school accidents;
http://jalopnik.com/395700/why-do-cars-have-crumple-zones


Honda Cars : BMW's GINA Allows for Maximum Freedom of Crea-tivity | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Unknown | 7:20 AM
June 2008
June 2008


Yeah yeah, it's not a Honda, but man is that a cool idea as far as concepts go! It looks like they built a frame and covered it with some type of fabric (look at how the hood gets 'unzipped' and how the doors open). Awesome idea. I think this is the most aggressive front end that I have ever seen, it just looks angry.

The key to affecting the development of tomorrow's mobility lies in our readiness to challenge what is established and in the ability to present new options. In order to meet these objectives, BMW Group Design taps into the potential of the GINA principle (Geometry and Functions In "N" Adaptions) which promotes innovative thinking by allowing maximum freedom of crea-tivity. GINA produces dramatically different solutions that affect the design and functionality of future cars. The GINA Light Visionary Model is an optical expression of selective, future-oriented concepts which provide an example of the manner and extent of this transformation

Here's the link to the rest of the article;
http://www.automotoportal.com/article/bmw-reveals-gina-light-visionary-model



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