Honda Takes the High Road on Toyota Recall

TORRANCE, California — In stark contrast to the tactics of General Motors and Ford in the aftermath of Toyota's massive recall, Honda on Thursday said it "will not react in a predatory way toward either Toyota or Toyota customers." General Motors and Ford launched incentive programs this week aimed squarely at enticing disgruntled Toyota customers away from the brand as it struggles with a major image problem as a result of the recall. The domestic automakers' tactic of luring customers away from Toyota was criticized by some bloggers and even one other automaker — Hyundai — who likened the two to "vultures."Honda also addressed customer concerns about how it is affected — if at all — by the Toyota recall for faulty accelerator pedals. The...

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Toyota CEO Apologizes to His Customers: 'I Am Deeply Sorry'

I for one wish that everyone would take a step back and look at what Toyota is actually doing to correct this. This negative backlash (I'm not saying we should expect everyone affected to be too thrilled about it either) is probably more than what Toyota expected and when many of the other companies (GM, Toyota didn't kick you when you were down - and now you're offering Toyota customers $1,000 additional for any Toyota trade?!?) that see this going on have thier own recalls to make, are they going to be as up front about them? There are numerous examples of unreported problems in the Auto industry and hats off to Toyota for taking care of their customers. I think that this will be a short term loss and a long term gain for Toyota/Auto...

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2012 VW Beetle/Herbie

I've always had a soft spot for Herbie....Source;http://www.burlappcars.com/2010/01/2012-vw-beetle.h...

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Auto Tech: What is a Hybrid?

Here's a interesting read....With all the interest in electric, plug-in electric, hybrid electric and hybrid vehicles, perhaps it is time to take a step back and just look what all these names mean. They are not all the same, yet some different technologies share the same names and sometimes similar technologies use different names. A lot of it seems to depend on the marketing the manufacturers are using for a vehicle, so let’s try to clear up some of the confusion surrounding types of systems and terminology when it comes to alternate energy sources for vehicles.First, the term Hybrid can have several meanings. It could even be a conventional engine that uses two different types of fuel such as gasoline and natural gas, although popular use...

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Honda Plans to Take On Nissan With China-Only Brand

Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Honda Motor Co., Japan’s second- largest automaker, plans to introduce its cheapest car in China next year as competition heats up with Nissan Motor Co. in the nation’s fastest-growing regional markets.The car, developed by Honda and local partner Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., will have an engine smaller than 1.6 liters and will be sold under a new China brand, Li Nian, Executive Vice President Koichi Kondo said in an interview yesterday in Tokyo, where Honda is based.China overtook the U.S. as the world’s largest automobile market in 2009, and sales growth in rural areas exceeded that of urban regions for the first time. Honda’s City and Fit compacts, both with engines smaller than 1.6 liters, face competition in China...

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Toyota adds another 1.1 million cars to floor mat recall.

The accelerator pedal, right, in a 2010 Toyota Camry is seen on the show room floor of Bobby Rahal Toyota in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009. Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it will replace accelerator pedals on about 4 million recalled vehicles in the United States because the pedals can get stuck in the floor mats.Tonight Toyota has added another 1.1 million cars to its floor mat recall in September.That recall now includes the these additional models:2008-2010 Highlander;2009-2010 Corolla2009-2010 Venza;2009-2010 Matrix;And the 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe.This is in addition to the 4.2 million cars recalled in September for floor mat issues. Here’s how Toyota plans to fix these cars:“Toyota's remedy plan is to modify or replace...

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Toyota learns the dangers of being No. 1

At the end of the day you can say one thing about this whole Toyota debacle, they are doing the right thing.Quality problems follow period of rapid expansionWhen Toyota Motor Corp. (TM-N79.77----%) was on the brink of overtaking General Motors as the world's biggest auto maker in 2008, executives were busy sending out warning signals about the dangers of being No. 1.Toyota is now witnessing the realization of those fears, caught in a mushrooming recall debacle affecting as many as eight million cars – a development many say underscores the difficulty of maintaining top-notch quality in a hasty expansion.It may also be the manifestation of the “big-company disease” that Toyota President Akio Toyoda has vowed to quash since taking the helm last...

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Honda Begins Operation of New Solar Hydrogen Station

01/27/2010 - TORRANCE, Calif. -Honda today began operation of a next generation solar hydrogen station prototype at the Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas, Inc., intended for ultimate use as a home refueling appliance capable of an overnight refill of fuel cell electric vehicles.Designed as a single, integrated unit to fit in the user's garage, Honda's next generation Solar Hydrogen Station reduces the size of the system, while producing enough hydrogen (0.5kg) via an 8-hour overnight fill for daily commuting (10,000 miles per year) for a fuel cell electric vehicle.The previous solar hydrogen station system required both an electrolyzer and a separate compressor unit to create high pressure hydrogen. The compressor was the largest...

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Honda to Debut Next-generation Odyssey Concept at Chicago Auto Show

Finally, some news on the next gen Honda Odyssey! I would venture to guess that they would have a production ready version sometime in Feb/March....01/26/2010 - TORRANCE, Calif. - American Honda Motor Co., Inc., will debut a concept version of the next-generation Honda Odyssey minivan at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show on February 10, the company announced today.The next-generation Odyssey will further enhance its hallmark qualities of innovation, quality, safety and fun-to-drive character, while increasing its overall efficiency. The Odyssey, currently in its third generation, was the best-selling minivan in the United States in 2008 and 2009. It is produced from domestic and globally sourced parts by Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC in Lincoln,...

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2011 Honda CR-Z Official Website

For those of you interested in any new news on the 2011 Honda CR-Z Hybrid, here's the link to Honda's dedicated CR-Z site;http://cr-z.honda.c...

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Toyota suspends sales of eight models due to sticky gas-pedal problem.

Wow, these are strange times....Japanese automaker Toyota has announced it is suspending sales of eight of its models being recalled in Canada and the United States due to a dangerous sticky gas-pedal problem.Starting Monday, Toyota will temporarily halt production at six of its plants, including its two in Woodstock and Cambridge, Ontario, until the accelerator glitch is resolved.The Japanese automaker said the sales suspension includes the following models:the 2009-2010 RAV4, the 2009-2010 Corolla, the 2007-2010 Camry, the 2009-2010 Matrix, the 2005-2010 Avalon, the 2010 Highlander, the 2007-2010 Tundra and the 2008-2010 Sequoia.Source;http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100127/OTT_TOYOTO_100127/20100127/?hub=OttawaH...

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Honda provides generators, equipment for Haitian earthquake relief

TORONTO • Honda has announced a donation to the Red Cross of more than $300,000, as well as portable generators, water pumps and other Honda products for use during humanitarian relief and recovery efforts in Haiti.The donation represents the collective contribution of the Honda family of companies in North America, which consists of sales, manufacturing, finance and research and development operations in Canada, the United States and Mexico, with employment of more than 31,000 associates."We want to help address the dire human need that Haiti is experiencing as a result of this disaster," said Manabu Nishimae, president & CEO of Honda Canada Inc. "Honda has supported the Canadian Red Cross in the past and we will continue to work with...

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Honda Gathers Advance 4: technology that combines voice command and gesture control in the car

Honda Gathers Advance 4 is a technology that will combine voice command (voice recognition) and gesture control (command based on the movement) to operate the car navigation system and entertainment media in the car (multimedia system). At least with these two things above, you do not need to turn your eyes from the road.As seen in the figure, motion sensors placed in the center of the steering wheel so that when you want to access a menu, simply move the hand on the steering wheel and it can be done without seeing.The Honda Gathers system is a proprietary Honda audio, multimedia and navigation system already on the market in Japan. The idea of using both voice and gesture recognition to control an entertainment and navigation system makes...

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2010 Acura TL SH-AWD Manual - Short Take Road Test

Another six-speed hit from the makers of the Honda S2000 and Acura TSX. If there’s one thing that imbues a car with a more sporting character, it’s a manual transmission. None of this automated-manual mumbo jumbo; we’re talking about a true manual with a clutch pedal to the left of the brake and more left-right movement in the shift pattern than just sliding the shift lever into sport. The Acura TL has always been pretty agile and responsive, but the new generation launched in 2009 without a manual.What a Stick Is Supposed to BeThe TL gets a manual transmission for 2010, however, and although we wonder why—Acura concedes that maybe five percent of buyers will opt for the manual—we welcome any transmission as satisfying as this. In our first...

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Safety of cars' keyless entry and ignition systems questioned

Wow, this is a really good read, as a Honda person (only push button start system we have in north america is the S2000), I come across a lot of people asking why Honda has not adopted the Push Button technology, here are a few reasons why (now watch every 2011 come equipped....).The sleek Infiniti G37 Cindy Marsh bought last August was the car of her dreams, equipped with the latest keyless electronics technology that allows her to start the engine with the touch of a button.But right away, the system gave her trouble. To get the engine started, she would sometimes have to tap the power button repeatedly. Sometimes it wouldn't start unless she opened and closed the car doors, Marsh recalled.She eventually adapted to the system's quirks but...

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Report: Honda will develop a hybrid that bests Prius' mpg rating

Honda is planning on taking on the Toyota Prius. Again. Even though sales figures for 2009 proved that people liked Toyota's hybrid more than Honda's, the company is not going to just roll over. There's a new ad campaign for the Insight planned, but Honda is looking a bit further down the line for revenge. CEO Takanobu Ito reportedly told his research and development team to come up with a hybrid that has a better miles per gallon rating than the world's most popular hybrid. Whether this is a next-gen Insight or a totally different hybrid has not yet been decided, but it's going to need a major boost to knock the leader off its perch.Source;http://green.autoblog.com/2010/01/24/report-honda-will-develop-a-hybrid-that-bests-prius-mpg-rati...

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Finally! A Camper Bike....and a Camper Kart....

Camper Bike, a functioning sculptural piece, built in April 2008. A stand alone piece and the subject of a series of paintings.....and for all your homeless needs....Camper Kart: a pop-up camper constructed out of a shopping cart. The project investigates habitats and housing; recycling and ecology; exploration and mobility.Source (via autoblog.com);http://www.kevincyr.net/index.php?/project/camper-bi...

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2011 TSX will be the first hybrid Acura

With the addition of hybrids to the lineup, Acura dealers are expected to cheer up after having been disheartened over the cancellation of plans for V-8s and rear-wheel-drive vehicles. Honda Motor Co. CEO Takanobu Ito confirmed that the luxury brand will get hybrid variants.No time frame was given. It also wasn’t disclosed which models will get the technology. An Acura dealer said that a hybrid version of the TSX sedan is planned for the 2011 model year and two other hybrid models will follow soon after.In an interview conducted at the Detroit Auto Show, Ito said that Honda still has to complete development of a hybrid system for large vehicles.John Mendel, American Honda Motor Co. executive vice president for auto sales, explained that the...

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Honda Civic GX the Greenest in USA for Seventh Successive Year

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has released its environmental ratings for model year 2010 vehicles. The “greenest vehicle” title goes once again to Honda’s natural gas-powered Civic GX. With a ‘green score’ of 57 points, the Honda Civic GX continues its dominance over nearest rivals the Toyota Prius on 52 points and the Honda Civic Hybrid on 51 points. The top ten green vehicles ranged from 57 down to 45 points out of a maximum 100.The outcome is a repeat of last year’s result, and the year before that, in fact way back to 2004, when the Honda Civic GX was first named the ‘greenest vehicle’ sold in the US by the ACEEE, beating all gasoline vehicles, including all the gasoline hybrids. 2010 is the 10th annual “Green...

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2011 BMW 330is pic's leaked

Coinciding with an earlier report, the first images of the 2011 BMW 335is have leaked out, and if history is any indication, we should have all the official details within a few days.Available in both coupe and cabrio form, the 335is – designed to slot in above the recently revised 335i and below the V8-powered M3 – will reportedly be equipped with the last 335i's twin-turbocharged inline-six (N54), putting out an estimated 340 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque, with an overboost function increasing the twist to 369 lb-ft for short durations. Predictably, the 0-60 time will drop to around five seconds and the top speed will increase to 149 mph.A six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox are expected to be part of the package,...

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GearHead Performance introduces 2010 Trans AM

To me, this adds a nice touch to the already nice Camaro.East bound and down, loaded up and truckin. Let your inner bandit out and check out our new custom Trans Am mod. This 6spd bird has an optional 900hp 6.2 liter twin turbo LS9 under its wings and will smoke any smoky from Colorado to Georgia. It even comes with the optional snowflake wheels in a modern 22”.Standard: LS3 426 HPOptional: Twin Turbo 6.2 ltr LS9 900 HP +Custom suspensions availableLowered 1" in the front and 2" in the rear6 speed transmission with hardened gears and drive axle22" custom wheels (snowflake available)Functional fender vents for brake heat reductionGold interior accentsSource (via autoblog);http://gearhead-pg.com/showroom....

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Nissan launches sports car 370Z in India, priced at Rs 53.5 to 54.5 Lacs - Nissan 370Z Pics, Photos, Images

Nissan launches sports car 370Z in India, priced at Rs 53.5 to 54.5 Lacs - Nissan 370Z Pics, Photos, ImagesNissan finally launch its worldwide hit sports car "370Z" in India on Wednesday, 20th January, 2010. Nissan is one of the most loved and award winning sports car since its launch in 2009. Nissan 370Z will be available in 8 colours with 2 interiors option in India. Nissan 370 Z launched with 7-speed auto box and a 6-speed manual gearbox.Nissan 370Z Price in India:7-speed Auto Box - Rs. 54.5 Lakhs6-speed Manual - Rs. 53.5 LakhsNissan 370Z Phot...

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