Despite the bad language coming from the Honda Civic's owner in this video, all parties are guilty of being criminally stupid. There's a reason that race cars use special trailers (enclosed or open) with specific ramps.
Pushing a Civic onto a U Haul, with a flimsy ramp setup is a distinctly redneck way of trying to transport the car; not to mention the fact that there aren't any tie-downs to keep the car from moving around.
Frankly, we have very little sympathy for these people. Doing things on the cheap rarely works out, and hopefully this is a painful and expensive lesson to prove that point. Besides, the car is really ugly.
Honda CEO Takanobu Ito has given a look at the direction Honda will be taking in the coming years, putting strong emphasis on small cars and hybrids. At his annual mid-year speech, Ito gave a rough outline of the Japanese automaker's future direction, while dropping a few important notes about new products.
Two important new hybrids will join the automaker's lineup: a revised Civic Hybrid and plug-in hybrid. The Civic Hybrid (which will be the only version of the Civic Honda plans to sell in Japan in the future) will toss its conventional nickle metal hydride battery for a more advanced lithium ion unit, that will be more powerful and more compact. That model is set to debut in 2012 in both the U.S. and Japan.
That same year Honda also intends to bring a plug-in hybrid model to market, as well as a battery-electric "commuter vehicle." It's not yet clear if the plug-in hybrid will be a version of the Civic Hybrid, or perhaps a version of the Insight or CR-Z.
In addition, Honda will expand its hybrid lineup with a long list of small cars, many of which are also tipped to include hybrid drivetrains. The first of these will be the Fit Hybrid, which is set to debut this Fall – possibly at the Paris Auto Show.
Honda is expected to stick with it's IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid setup for these new models. While not as sophisticated as Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive, nor as good on fuel, it is significantly less expensive, allowing Honda to equip smaller cars with the system and to sell them at more affordable rates.
In the same timeframe Honda is expected to debut a new small car for emerging markets like India. Last year Honda hinted at the direction this new model would take when it unveiled its New Small Concept at the Auto Expo show in New Delhi, India.
Beyond 2012, Honda will look to add electric vehicles to its lineup, improve upon its gasoline and diesel engines, with a new diesel engine being developed for Europe that is smaller than the current 2.2-liter offering). Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles are also in the automaker's plans, with Ito commenting that the company's FCX Clarity, "will provide the ultimate mobility."
In a bizarre story out of England, a Honda Civic Mugen R took out two Jaguars at a static exhibit at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, injuring a Jaguar XKR and the oldest surviving Jaguar E-Type in existence.
The circumstances behind the accident are a little suspect. Some reports state that the driver was revving the engine of the running car, while the official statement from Goodwood officials read as follows.
"At 12:40 today, an incident occurred within the exhibition hall at the Goodwood Moving Motor Show when a driver of a slow moving car blacked out, lost control of his vehicle and injured four people," said a Goodwood spokesperson.
"None of the four people involved have sustained any major injuries and have not been hospitalised. They have been treated on-site as a precaution."
Either way, we're left scratching our heads. If the vehicle was being hooned, then the revving story doesn't hold water, since the clutch would have to be released for the car to go anywhere. The "blacking out" story is a little too vague as well and sounds like something is being suppressed.
As competition heats up in the compact car segment, Honda is hoping to lure customers with more than just the promise of a well-built, efficient and reliable sporty car. The Japanese automaker is also looking to appeal to your aesthetic sensibilities with a futuristic design similar to that found on the new CR-Z. This doesn't surprise us as Honda has developed some more progressive designs lately, including the current Fit.
The next-gen Civic will more than just look like the CR-Z, however, with a hybrid variant getting a setup similar to the CR-Z's, using the larger 1.5-liter 4-cylinder to deliver added power and fuel economy. Also planned for the 9th generation Civic is a 3-cylinder engine, although it's not clear if that engine option will be available in North America.
Set to debut in 2012, the 9th generation Civic will go on sale as either a 2012 or 2013 model.
The Honda CR-Z hybrid sports car will slot it at just under $20,000, with a base price of $19,200, not including a $750 destination charge. The EX model with Bluetooth, a leather wrapped steering wheel and and 36-watt stereo will take you to$20,760, while an in-dash navigation unit tops you out at $22,560.
The CR-Z is generating a lot of controversy for its "neither here nor there" approach to blending both hybrid and sporty characteristics, but Honda seems determined to press on with their 2-seater coupe. The ultimate test will be when the vehicle comes to market later this year, and whether the vehicles move off the lot quickly or not.
Honda is planning a rival to the Toyota FR-S (formerly FT-86) sports car, combing the concepts of the S2000 and the Beat minicar. According to a report by Motor Trend, the new two-seater roadster would use a modified version of the Fit platform using a a rear-mid engine layout. What isn't clear is if Honda is planning to build this car with a conventional gasoline engine or a hybrid system like the CR-Z. We sincerely hope its the former, as that would not only allow for easier modification, but would also keep both the vehicle's cost and its weight down.
MT's sources say the car is currently in development at Honda's R&D center in Tochigi, just outside Tokyo. The project certainly sounds like an interesting one, combining the philosophies behind the old school 656cc inline-three cylinder engined Beat and the more modern 2.0-liter VTEC-powered S2000 in one small, economical and fun package.
If it is small enough and light enough we'd even love a car like this – even if it only came with the Fit's 1.5-liter 4-cylinder.
The new Honda CR-Z will go on sale in the U.S. on August 24th, with a starting price of under $20,000 reports InsideLine. Unfortunately the car will not be eligible for a federal tax credit. Apparently the rules state that only 60,000 tax credits for hybrids are allowed per automaker and Honda spokesman Chuck Schifsky told IL that Honda passed that mark several years ago. Honda is able to offer the car for so little because of the less-sophisticated nickle-metal hydride battery used (rather than a lithium-ion one).
At that price range Honda intents to target buyers aged 25-35, although initial reports from Japan suggest the car is a bigger hit with an older demographic.
Sadly, for performance enthusiasts who might be attracted to the CR-Z’s small size and styling, Honda says a higher performance Si or Type R model is not in the plans. John Mendel, Honda’s VP of sales wasn’t exactly forceful on the point, however, commenting that there’s “nothing official” in the product plans. There are also no plans for a pure electric model, with Honda holding the belief that for some applications EVs will work, but that for normal use in the U.S., Honda just doesn’t see an EV catching on – at least with the current range capabilities.
Honda’s new CR-Z makes 122-hp and 128 ft-lbs of torque from a 1.5-liter gasoline engine mated to an electric motor, using Honda’s Integrate Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system. Fuel economy is expected to reach 31/37-mpg (city/highway) for the 6-speed manual and 35/39-mpg for the CVT automatic.
Like here in North American, Mugen parts have long been available to hard-core Honda fans through tuner shops and online resources. But Honda fanboys in the United Kingdom can now get those same parts right from their local Honda dealer. That's right, eight Honda dealers have just signed on to officially sell Mugen parts for both the Civic and the new CR-Z.
And the best part is, the parts are factory backed, meaning they won't void the factory warranty.
Included int he list of parts at items like body kits, spoilers, springs, shocks, wheels and brake upgrades. See more of the parts available for the CR-Z here, and the Civic here.
With increased pressure from Congress in the wake of Toyota's recall crisis, Honda has announced it will include a brake override feature in all of its models by the end of 2011.
"We are committed to applying Brake Priority Logic on 100 percent of Honda and Acura passenger vehicles produced for the North American market by the end of calendar-year 2011, with our first application coming to market in late August 2010," the company said in a statement.
Honda's Brake Priority Logic will first appear in a yet-unnamed model this August and trickle down throughout the rest of the range by the end of 2010.
Earlier this week, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. president Jim Lentz commented that Toyota would make a brake override system available across its North American lineup by the end of 2010 as well.
The move by both automakers may soon become irrelevant, however, as earlier this week a U.S. House committee passed a new bill that will see mandatory brake override systems in all vehicles. The bill also increases the amount the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) can fine an automaker for taking too long to respond to a recall issue, upping it from $16.4 million to $200 million.
The 9th generation Honda Civic Si performance model may get a big update, moving from the current torque-less 2.0-liter to the 2.4-liter motor currently offered in the Acura TSX. News of this development comes via a source from the well-informed folks at Temple of Vtec, although even they aren't confident in its credibility.
The K24 engine currently makes 201-hp and 172 ft-lbs of torque and in the smaller and lighter Civic (presumably offered with either a six-speed transmission) will make for an exciting package. Tuners already know this, with the K24 already established as the "go to" engine for those performing an engine swap.
Tuners have also discovered that the K24 has a lot more potential in it, meaning we could see a good bump in power over the current output as well.
All times are GMT -8. The time now is 02:02 PM. | Welcome to Forum, please register to access all of our features.
AutoGuide.com
Truck
European
Import
Domestic
Manufacturer
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
D-series.org
All times are GMT -8. The time now is 02:02 PM. | Welcome to Forum, please register to access all of our features.
