Honda Cars : How the Honda Insight hybrid works | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

All you need to know about Honda's newest carThe guiding design mantra behind the all-new Honda Insight is “Aero Athlete.”And while that may sound more apt for an exotic Italian two-seater or muscular sport luxury whip rather than an uber-economy car, the sinewy exterior and sporty interior of the 2010 Insight do conjure up athletic images.“This is an image we use through the design process to communicate our goals for Insight,” explained Yasunari...

Honda Cars : 2010 Honda Insight EX Hybrid goes 100 km on five bucks | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

"Is that one of those hybrids?" the guy next to me at the gas station asked as I topped off the Honda Insight's tank."Yes, it is" I replied. He inspected the cars awkwardly-shaped body for a moment, one lip half curled. After a moment's pause, he commented "I'd never buy one of those". "Why's that?" I asked. "They're all weird" was his response.He was referring to the relative unfamiliarity hybrid cars pose for the majority of the car-buying public....

Honda Cars : RX-7 Concept May Appear at Tokyo Motor Show | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

This year’s Tokyo Motor Show is the perfect opportunity for Mazda to introduce a RX-7 concept so there’s a possibility we may see it appear in October. The RX-7 will likely showcase Mazda’s new design philosophy which goes once step beyond the previous ”Nagare” concepts.The new RX-7 is said to relieve the RX-8 of its rotary flag-bearing duties and become Mazda’s flagship rotary sports car featuring a new design philosophy which we’re told is “one...

Honda Cars : Sanyo to crank up hybrid battery production capacity by 75% | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Sanyo is one of the biggest suppliers of nickel metal hydride batteries for hybrid vehicles, along with Panasonic EV energy. Currently, Sanyo's primary customers are Honda and Ford, but the company also has deals with Volkswagen and Audi for future products from Germany. Ford's ability to sell hybrid vehicles has, in part, been constrained by limited supplies of major components like transmissions and batteries. That situation may soon change, since...

Honda Cars : Special Motorcycle Sidecars: Laverada Supercar | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Don't know what I'd file this one under....Here's someone who has made from a Laverda motorcycle a sidecar. Not just any sidecar, but a supercar sidecar, including gulfwing doors. The sidecar part looks amazing, a true work of art. It's almost like it came straight out of the factory.The builder, a Frenchman named Francois Knorreck built this in his spare time. The Laverda, named Snaefell, was built in a mere 10,000 hours... incredible. Since it...

Honda Cars : 2010 North American Car and Truck of the Year Contenders Announced | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

DETROIT — The so-called "long list" of candidates for the 2010 North American Car and Truck of the Year was revealed late Monday. It is noteworthy for its lack of Chrysler vehicles and its even division among automakers from Japan, Europe and the U.S. The list includes three Korean vehicles, including the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, the Kia Forte and the Kia Soul — and even includes an offering from Suzuki, the Kizashi. The 37 vehicles on the slate include...

Honda Cars : Car and Driver: 2010 Honda Insight vs. 2010 Toyota Prius, 1998 Chevy Metro | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

1998 Chevy Metro?!? Why not a reeaaal car, 1982 Pontiac Acadian!The two latest mileage maestros—and the, uh, old Chevy Metro—will knock you stiff via tranquility, especially if you drive there.BY JOHN PHILLIPS, PHOTOGRAPHY BY J.G. RUSSELL July 2009What we have here is an official C/D comparison test in which the photo vehicle, a Honda Pilot, proved far quicker than any of our contestants. These cars make you feel guilty about eating red meat. Convicted...

Honda Cars : Hybrid version of Honda CR-ZX coming to the Tokyo Motor Show | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Due to the success of the recently launched Toyota Prius and Honda Insight, it appears that Honda wants to be the first Japanese manufacturer who is launching a hybrid sports car. The new vehicle which will be based on the Insight, represents a second series of the CR-ZX, and according to Best Car Magazine will make its official debut at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show.Under the hood, the new vehicle will feature a 1.3-liter (possibly 1.5-liter) engine...

Honda Cars : Honda will focus on its engines, says its new president! | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Although the Japanese carmaker Honda has a lot of green products under its belt due to its hybrid and alternative fuel programs, it was recently reported that their new president, Takanobu Ito, has made a statement saying that they will not totally abandon the internal combustion system.In contrast to previous presidents who were all, without exception, engine men, the next president is a chassis engineer. So, although Honda is chasing fuel cell...

Honda Cars : For Baffled Buyers, a Guide to Cars Made in North America | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

ABOUT 8.5 million cars and light trucks were assembled in the United States last year, but only about five million of those were made by the automakers traditionally known as the Big Three. More than three million of the vehicles assembled in American plants were built by autoworkers employed by foreign brands like BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota.Add to those the familiar Detroit nameplates coming from plants in Canada and Mexico and...

Honda Cars : The Toughest Cars On The Road | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Quick, guess which automakers produce the most affordable, long-lasting cars? If you said Honda and Toyota, you're right.Our list of the toughest cars on the road includes four winners from Honda and two from Toyota--a veritable coup for the Tokyo-based companies."They just keep reinforcing that perception," says James Clark, the general manager of Automotive Lease Guide, a residual value data provider based in Santa Barbara, Calif. "It's a purchase...

Honda Cars : Pioneer Dumps Honda And Launches New Auto Gear | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I was under the impression that Honda was coming to the aid of Pioneer....Pioneer Electronics who last week launched new automotive entertainment and navigation gear has said that it has terminated the issuing of shares to the Honda Motor Company as their shares rise on the Tokyo stock exchange.In Australia the struggling electronics Company is banking on premium Hi Fi, Digital Radio sales in partnership with Pure and automotive...

Honda Cars : Mugen Civic Type R hatchback restores former glory | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

HA! First dual exhaust Civic I've ever seen.... Honda's Euro-market Civic Type R hatchback has been called out for being a successor that hasn't exactly succeeded. Seems a bit of the thrill is gone from the new car compared to the old one. Enter tuning firm Mugen, whose modifications to the Type R hatch should make it even better than it once was. Not much is known about the changes in store. However, based on changes made for Mugen's Japan-spec...

Honda Cars : 2010 Honda Stream MPV Receives the Mugen Treatment | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Here's some more Mugen news for all you Honda fans. Along with the release of the first photos of the European specification Civic Type-R 3-door hatchback, the Honda parts specialist revealed its updated tuning package for the discreetly facelifted Stream MPV. Mugen's aero body kit features all the usual pieces such as a front spoiler, a rear spoiler and a roof-mounted rear wing. Additional exterior modifications include a sport grille, side skirts...

Honda Cars : Plymouth Roadrunner Concept | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

Pretty cool, but I think this is the last thing that Chrysler needs right now, they have their token revival car in the Challenger already....Plymouth Road Runner ConceptI think it's difficult and a tight task to bring back a trademark that has vanished into thin air. Especially nowadays where competition is tougher than ever in the automotive industry. And so it may be for Plymouth - a brand that dissappeard and left memories for having built great...

Honda Cars : 2012 Honda CRV Information from TOV and MagX | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

TOV reader comes across a July 2009 issue of japanese magazine MAGX with a article on the 2012 Honda CRV."Loyal TOV reader Dan forwarded this July '09 Mag-X piece on the 2012 CR-V. TOV member 'sugaki' was kind enough to provide a translation of it. Thanks go out to both.In summary, Mag-X says that the basic requirements for the next generation CR-V (production code 2WS) have been settled and Honda is currently focusing on the styling direction for...

Honda Cars : Priddy gets some more Acura ZDX Spyshots | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

This is straight from leftlanenews;Once again our spy photographers caught up with an Acura ZDX test group and this time we managed to get a bit closer up. Looking very much like the New York Auto Show concept, Acura’s “four-door sports coupe” will be arriving later this year as a 2010 model. The “four-door coupe” trend quickly spread throughout the luxury sedan segment following the launch of the Mercedes CLS, and it looks as though the ‘CUV coupe’...

Honda Cars : Rumormill: More Toyobaru scuttlebutt comes to the surface | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

A "Toyota insider" has supposedly spilled a few more beans to 7Tune about the upcoming front-engine, rear-wheel drive coupe the automaker is collaborating on with Subaru, and according to the source, the 2+2 will carry a few of the Lexus LF-A's design cues when it hits the market next year.Although Lexus' "L-Finesse" styling has remained exclusive to Toyota's luxury brand, certain elements of the language have begun to filter down to the automaker's...

Honda Cars : Honda considering two lower-cost hybrids | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

With news coming in that Honda isn't selling nearly as many Insight hybrids in the U.S. as it would like, it would seem the Japanese automaker could go one of a few different directions. It's possible that Honda could reverse course on hybrids and focus instead on incremental improvements to its already excellent line of internal combustion engines. Alternatively, Honda could double down on its hybrid program and commit to more models and development....

Honda Cars : BMW M Supercar Concept | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

It's been three decades since BMW produced its first and last mid-engined supercar, the M1, and even though the Bavarian firm raised expectations with the introduction of the M1 Homage Concept at last year's Concorso d'Eleganza, the company has no official plans to resurrect the famous nameplate. But for those that continue to hope that BMW will produce a thoroughbred sports car in the near future, South African designer Idres Noah has created a...

Honda Cars : Official: General Motors has reached an agreement to sell Saab | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

An agreement has been reached between GM and a group led by Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg for the sale of Saab. The agreement included a $600 million of assistance from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to be guaranteed by the government of Sweden.There is a great possibility that no funds will proceed from Koenigsegg Group in the purchase of Saab and its assets. The sale of Saab is expected to be finalized at the end of the third quarter of...

Honda Cars : Honda has no interest in GM, Chrysler assets | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

TOKYO (AP) — Honda Motor Co. has never had much interest in the assets of General Motors or Chrysler, but it remains open to sharing hybrid and other technology with rival automakers, a senior executive said.Executive Vice President Koichi Kondo said Honda was approached by Chrysler LLC as a possible partner but Japan's No. 2 automaker didn't have to think long in rejecting the offer because it didn't see any benefits."There was no merit for Honda,"...

Honda Cars : Edmunds gets a few Spyshots of the next Accord Wagon | 2013 New Honda Car Reviews 0

We heard it was coming, but we didn't think it would look quite like this. This 2010 Honda Accord hatch, or Crosshatch, or whatever it's going to be called was spotted on a trip through Las Vegas. It was probably on its way to Death Valley for some last minute hot weather testing before it goes on sale later this year. No doubt designed to take on the Toyota Venza in the "cool wagon" category, this Accord hatchback is more carlike than even the Venza....