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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Autoten.com: 201? Toyota 4 doors coupe rendering

201? Toyota 4 doors coupe rendering

After autoten browsed the website,We found a rendering from Mag-x that reported to be a Toyota 4 doors coupe that focuses on luxury and sportiness. The source is said that the car will be a successor to the popular Carina ED/Corona Exiv. If this project is greenlight,The car will be first Japanese sedan coupe in 21th century.



As we know,In the near future we will see a 4 doors coupe from the car makers,From luxury brand like Mercedes CLA/CLB to Volkswagen new compact coupe that still in work.



This project is heading to the carscoop report that Toyota is working on a four-door coupe variant of the rear-wheel drive FT-86!!. A 2+2 door version and 2+2 seat is expect. But autoten is not sure these two car is the same project.



So,Wait for more information



Source;

http://autoten.com/2011/08/23/201-toyota-4-doors-coupe-rendering/

2012 Porsche 911 Gets Official With 7-Speed Manual, Start/Stop System

Porsche's 991 911 is the next step in the evolutionary line

It may be hard for the untrained eye to spot the differences between the older 997 and new 991 versions of the 911, but people have been saying that for years when it comes to Porsche's most famous model. The 911 may have not changed significantly when it comes to styling, but there's enough going on under the flesh to justify it being called an "all-new" model.



First of all, in a move that is sure to anger some purists, the 911 is growing in size yet again (the last big jump came with the 996 introduction). The rear-engined sports car is now 3.9" longer overall bringing total vehicle length to 179.5". However, Porsche counters with the fact that the body weight weight of the vehicle is down 100 pounds thanks to the use of lightweight steel, aluminum, and composites.



Also new to the mix is a “world first” 7-speed manual transmission for those that prefer to row your own gears. For those that would rather have a computer micromanage your shifting, the 7-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) is available. Porsche has also installed an automatic start/stop system in the 911 which will help to improve fuel efficiency while driving around in the city.



Although Porsche has not revealed U.S. EPA numbers for the new 911, the company says that fuel consumption is down 16 percent compared to the outgoing model using the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC).



The engines are mostly carryover this time around, but power is up for both the Carrera (3.4) and the Carrera S (3.8). The 3.4-liter flat-6 is up 350hp (an increase of 5hp) while the larger 3.8-liter flat-6 jumps to 400hp (up 15hp).



As in previous models, 911s with the PDK transmission will be faster on the track than the manual-equipped cars. The Carrera with a PDK can hit 60mph in 4.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 179mph. The Carrera S with PDK and Sport Chrono Package can do the dance in 3.9 seconds and reach 188mph.



However, all of this fun is going to cost you a serious amount of coin -- the base MSRP for the Carrera is listed at $82,100. Stepping up to the Carrera S will set you back a whopping $96,400, and that's before the option overload that greets you when it's time to order your new 911.



Source;

http://www.dailytech.com/2012+Porsche+911+Gets+Official+With+7Speed+Manual+StartStop+System+/article22516.htm

First Glimpse of the 2012 Euro Honda Civic Backend

First glimpse of The New Honda Civic -

Honda line-up at the 2011 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show



The new Honda Civic will be launched at the 2011 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Developed specifically for the European market, the new Civic will be offered exclusively as a five-door hatchback and will compete in the C-segment. It will reach European showrooms in early 2012.



The refreshed design of the new Civic features a rear combination light that works as a spoiler. The aerodynamic design of the spoiler manages the air flowing over the top and the sides of the car; this is just one example of how the new Civic has been refined.



Nearly all the body components have been redesigned with particular focus on ride and handling, reduced CO2 emissions, interior quality, while preserving the class-leading cabin and boot space and flexible practicality.



Find out more by watching the short film releases detailing the car's development. The films are hosted on an interactive media player you can easily download films and images or even embed the whole player in your site. http://multivu.com/players/English/51356-honda-motor-europe/



Another highlight will be the 2012 model year of the Honda Insight, which has received a facelift - more information about this model will be provided in due course.

The exhibition of cars will be completed by the display of the CR-Z, the CR-V, the Jazz and the Accord.



In addition, Honda will show a selection of its latest motorcycle and power equipment products.



The future according to Honda will be portrayed by showing the Honda EV Concept and the EV-Neo - Honda's electric vehicles on four and two wheels, as well as the FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle and the Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle platform display.



Source;

http://www.hondanews.eu/en/news/index.pmode/modul,detail,0,1951-DEFAULT,21,text,1/index.pmode

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Honda Japan Only; Honda Mobilio Feature

In 2008 Car and Driver had a nice article about 10 Japanese vehicles that we'll never see here in North America....

Imagine driving a CVT-equipped tall Civic wagon and you've pretty well nailed the Mobilio experience. Its 2800 pounds are apparently enough to overwhelm its 89 horses. What this handsome shoe box wants is Honda's 2.4-liter four, as found in our CR-V and Element. In Japan, however, fuel costs $3.50 per gallon.



Although the Mobilio is nearly seven inches shorter than an Element, it features three rows of seats that fold faster than Balkan gymnasts. Honda swears seven adults will fit. More like four grownups and two gravy dunkers. This vanette is most notable for a cockpit as beautifully finished as any American Acura's—a warm and harmonious blend of velour, pebbled vinyl, brushed aluminum, and fake wood.



The Mobilio is every bit as refined as the Nissan Cube—with which it directly competes—although not as sporty. At $13,900, though, it's a three-base steal.



MANUFACTURER: Honda Motor Company

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 5-door wagon

PRICE(Japan): $13,900

ENGINE TYPES: DOHC 8-valve 4-in-line, aluminum block and head, Honda PGM-FI engine-control system with port fuel injection

Displacement: 91 cu in, 1497cc Power (SAE net): 89 bhp @ 5600 rpm Torque (SAE net): 97 lb-ft @ 2700 rpm

TRANSMISSIONS: continuously variable automatic

DIMENSIONS:Wheelbase: 67.9 in Length: 159.6 in Curb weight: 2800 lb



Source;

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/03q3/ten_japanese_cars_you_can_t_have-feature/honda_mobilio_page_8

Honda FCX Clarity debuts in UK at the EcoVelocity Show



by Abhishek Chaliha

The hydrogen powered next generation Honda FCX Clarity has been around for a couple of years now and it makes electric cars look like dinosaurs. Read on to know more about the vehicle that is undoubtedly the future of motoring





Honda’s advanced FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell car is the world’s first production fuel cell car. This zero emissions vehicle is as practical and convenient as a fossil fuel powered car. The car runs on hydrogen and the only end product is water. But unlike electric cars that have a confined driving range limited by the battery and take an eternity to charge the FCX Clarity can be refuelled at a hydrogen filling station just the way a gasoline powered car is refuelled, it takes about the same time to fill up its hydrogen tank as it takes to fill up a normal fuel tank.



The vehicle is based on an entirely new fuel cell platform called Honda V Flow which is powered by an efficient, highly compact and powerful Honda V Flow fuel cell stack. This new fuel cell stack by Honda featured huge improvements over weight, efficiency, driving range and power over that of other fuel cell stacks. The new fuel cell stack and hydrogen motor have overcome all the drawbacks of a traditional hydrogen vehicle, which means that the FCX Clarity looks like a normal car with none of the drawbacks of a car that uses alternative sources of fuel. With the FCX Clarity Honda have proved the real world performance and appeal of a hydrogen powered car can be the same as that of a traditional car powered by fossil fuel. The Honda FCX Clarity has a range of 432 kilometres on a single tank of fuel.




The reason for the failure of electric cars and hybrids is because they fail to meet the real world practicality and performance of a gasoline powered car. Electric cars have a terrible driving range and have poor cabin space because of all the batteries packed in here and there. Hybrids prove no point at all as there are small diesel cars that are more economical. The ride, handling and performance of these vehicles are not at all good due to heavy batteries and uneven weight distribution.




The Honda FCX Clarity has none of those drawbacks. The hydrogen motor upfront has only one moving part so reliability will be very good. The performance of the vehicle is at par with other four door family sedans of its size. In short the FCX Clarity will do to the gasoline powered family car what it has been doing to electric cars, it renders the other completely useless.




The FCX Clarity uses compressed hydrogen from its hydrogen tank and combines atmospheric oxygen in the fuel stack where energy from the reaction is converted into electricity to power the electric motor which drives the wheels of the car. The main components of the car include an electric motor, hydrogen tank, fuel cell stack and a battery pack. All the components have been made compact and distributed throughout the vehicle for optimising space, comfort and drive dynamics.




As with any invention initially the cost of the product is high. But given a mass production of these vehicles the FCX Clarity will cost the same as a normal four door family sedan to buy and maintain. Hydrogen is one of the most abundant substances in the atmosphere but it is very complex and expensive to extract from the atmosphere and store. Once technology develops and can extract and store hydrogen on a large scale there will be no looking back, hydrogen is the fuel of the future. As of now it is only limited by technology.



The Honda FCX Clarity was made available to the public on lease for a fixed amount of time in the United States of America and Japan, so that customers could experience the car over a period of time. Elsewhere in the world it did not make its presence felt primarily due to the lack of hydrogen filling stations. Between the 8th and 11th of September 2011 it will make its UK debut in the low carbon motor festival called the EcoVelocity Show. Alongside the FCX Clarity will be Honda’s range of eco-friendly hybrid cars, the Jazz Hybrid, CR-Z and the Insight. Visitors will get a chance to test drive these cars on a ‘just turn up’ basis. The EcoVelocity Show held at Battersea Power Station will showcase to prospective buyers the latest in eco-friendly automobile technology.




Source;




Next Generation Hyundai Genesis Coupe Spied

Well, I guess the next generation Genesis Coupe will get the corporate look, in my humble opinion, this look is a step backwards, I really liked the look of the current Genesis coupe below....



For more shots of the car, follow the link to Mr. Thompsons excellent site;

http://www.woodyscarsite.com/2011/08/genesis-reveals-itself-in-dark.html



Acura Announces Special Edition Model for TSX Sports Sedan

Exterior and Interior Upgrades Make for an Even Sportier TSX

08/29/2011 - TORRANCE, Calif.

Continuing the celebration of its 25th anniversary, Acura today announced the availability of a new version of the popular TSX sports sedan for the 2012 model year. Designed to evoke the fun-to-drive 4-cylinder Acuras of the past, the TSX Special Edition will add even more sportiness to the TSX lineup thanks to numerous exterior and interior upgrades for Acura's entry-level sedan.



"The Acura TSX has long been known for its high-revving 4-cylinder engines and sporty driving nature," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales. "With the new Special Edition, the TSX becomes even more youthful and sporty in character, furthering its appeal to performance-minded buyers."



The 2012 TSX Special Edition package consists of numerous upgrades to the exterior including a more aggressive front spoiler, a new rear bumper fascia, unique side sills and an exclusive "Special Edition" badge on the trunklid. Finally, the TSX's 17x7.5-inch, 5-spoke aluminum wheels will feature a polished finish with dark grey background, unique to the Special Edition model.



Inside, the TSX Special Edition makes use of sport-minded appointments including exclusive seating surfaces with perforated black Lux Suede® inserts with red backing. Unique red stitching, used for the seats, steering wheel and the shift knob, combines with red lighting for the instrument cluster gauges, overhead lighting and footwell lighting. Adding more appeal to the driver's footwell are aluminum pedal covers with a race-inspired look. Rounding out the Special Edition's interior upgrades is the use of bright silver plating for the steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters along with black headliner material (standard TSX have grey headliner material).



The TSX Special Edition package makes use of Acura's acclaimed K24 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and will be available with either the close-ratio 6-speed manual or Sequential SportShift 5-speed automatic transmissions. The TSX Special Edition will go on sale in late September and will make its public debut at the Orange County International Auto Show on September 22nd.



Acura

Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced performance luxury vehicles through a network of 271 dealers within the United States. The 2012 Acura lineup features six distinctive models including the RL luxury performance sedan, the TL performance luxury sedan, the TSX sports sedan and Sport Wagon, the turbocharged RDX luxury crossover SUV, the award-winning MDX luxury sport utility vehicle and the ZDX four-door sports coupe.



Along with every new Acura, the 2012 TSX is covered by a comprehensive 4-year/50,000 mile new vehicle limited warranty and a 6-year/70,000 miles powertrain limited warranty. Additional benefits include Acura Total Luxury Care® (TLC®), which provides free 24-hour roadside assistance, concierge service and trip routing.



Source;

http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/acura-announces-special-edition-model-for-tsx-sports-sedan

Monday, August 29, 2011

Acura adds hybrids to revamped lineup

Sales have begun to rebound for American Honda Motor's luxury brand, and a product renaissance in 2012--complete with a big entry into hybrid power trains--could provide a further boost.



Acura's two crossovers will be redesigned. And while the RL flagship won't have the rear-drive V-8 version--those plans were killed in 2009--it will be significantly re-engineered. Subsequent model years will see other major redesigns and other lineup changes.



Acura also will take a step back from its polarizing "keen edge" design philosophy. An early hint of a more refined look can be seen in the 2012 TL midcycle change. The angular front "beak" was replaced by a more traditional grille.



RSX: An entry-luxury sedan will come in the spring of 2013, to compete with the Lexus CT 200h and BMW front-drive cars. The RSX is based on the Honda Civic platform and will be powered by a 210-hp version of the Civic Si's four-cylinder engine. After the failure of the Canadian-market CSX, Acura knows it can't just deliver a warmed-over Civic. This model will be larger and have more differentiated sheet metal.



RSX coupe: Plans call for a midcycle addition that arrives in the spring of 2015. Dealers have asked for a convertible hardtop.



TSX: There is talk within Acura that the TSX will go away after its cycle ends in 2013. Four low-volume sedans that are close in size may not be a healthy business plan.



TL: The Honda Accord-based midsized sedan got a major fascia change this year, meaning a redesign won't come until the fall of 2013. Because it is too close in size to the RL, expect a shorter wheelbase and less overall length.



At launch, Honda's large-car hybrid system will be available as an option on the base V-6. The V-6 will be lighter and will include a new cylinder deactivation system and stop-start ignition. The 3.7-liter V-6 may come down in displacement to 3.5 liters.



RL: Look for a re-engineering of the all-wheel-drive RL in late 2012 as a 2013 model. Pride will not let Acura get rid of its flagship--which is on an expensive standalone architecture--even though Honda is looking to kill the vehicle in Japan, where it is called the Legend.



RDX: After a six-year cycle, the small crossover will be redesigned for the summer of 2012. It will be offered in both front- and all-wheel drive. The twitchy turbo-four version will go away, replaced by a standard 2.5-liter inline-four engine on the base model, and a hybrid-four as an option. There won't be a V-6 because the Civic platform that underpins the RDX can't accommodate it. A midcycle addition of a seven-speed sequential transmission is possible.



ZDX: It was new for the 2010 model year, so no changes are planned for now.



MDX: A redesign is scheduled for the fall of 2012. A running change will include a hybrid version to augment the base V-6 engine. For fuel economy, the base 300-hp 3.7-liter engine may be replaced with a new 270-hp, 3.5-liter V-6. The MDX mostly missed out on the keen edge design era and will stay with more restrained luxury styling.



NSX: Honda Motor President Takanobu Ito says a new version of the Ferrari-fighter is in the works. He should know; he was an engineer on the original. But killing the sports car in 2009, after misfires on two concepts, means it will likely be 2014 before one hits the road.



(Source: Automotive News)

Source; http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20086374-48/acura-adds-hybrids-to-revamped-lineup/#ixzz1WQcSLPmA

Inside Line: Comparison Test: 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid vs. 2011 Toyota Prius Five

Here's a really good article featuring two really good hybrids....

The New and Improved Honda Takes on the Undisputed King of Hybrids

By Mike Magrath, Features Editor Published Aug 26, 2011





As an only child, I missed some valuable life lessons. Sharing for example. Group dynamics are confusing, too. And finally, my last character flaw as influenced by my parents' halted procreation, to me compromise is a dirty, dirty word.




But, with each new phase in life, the C-word becomes more prominent. Bless those who can drive their caged Miatas, track-ready BMWs or cherry-bombed Corvettes on a daily basis. For the rest of us, though, a balance must be struck. Rear seats, fuel economy and tolerable in-cabin decibel levels become priorities and all of a sudden, a hybrid starts looking like a good idea.




Two of the best hybrids available right now are the 2011 Toyota Prius and the all-new 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid. They have four doors, reasonable cargo space, affordable prices and big-time fuel economy numbers. Each one has its own compromises, so we set out to find which car we found more tolerable, or maybe even likable.




One Old, One New


The 2011 Toyota Prius is, mechanically, the same car we've seen before. It features a pair of electric motors and a 27 kW nickel-metal hydride battery pack that provides a 36-horsepower shove for the electric half of the equation. A 98-hp 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder represents the conventional internal-combustion half. A planetary-type continuously variable transmission (CVT) figures out how to get the power to the front wheels. It's a respectable system that transitions smoothly between electric and full-blown hybrid mode.




The Honda Civic Hybrid, on the other hand, utilizes a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine and newer 20kW lithium-ion batteries, which have a higher energy density than nickel-metal hydride batteries. The electric motor in the Civic Hybrid is parked between the CVT and the car's conventional engine. This means that any time the motor spins, the engine spins and vice-versa. Honda calls this system IMA for Integrated Motor Assist. Unlike with the Prius, there's no pure electric drive, but there is some engineless coasting available at certain constant speeds. In the Civic, if the engine can be off without ruining the ride quality, it will be off thanks to the car's automatic start/stop functionality and active Eco mode.




Because You Deserve It


There was already enough sacrifice going on in a test of two hybrids, so we skipped over the base model cars ($22,120 for the Prius One and $24,050 for the Honda Civic Hybrid) and went straight to the top. Our 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid with leather and navigation carried a sticker price of $27,500, which includes heated leather seats, navigation, Bluetooth, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, 15-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls.




The top tier of Priusdom is the Prius Five. (Do not confuse this with the Prius V.) For the privilege of being the most pampered, you get to shell out $29,080. And that's before options. We'd skip the $5,080 Advanced Technology package seen here (nav, dynamic cruise, pre-collision, advanced parking system, lane keeping assist) and opt for the $2,380 nav system instead. That move would lower the Prius from our MSRP of $34,719 to a more reasonable $32,489.




With all of this trimming, it's easy to forget that these cars start out as relatively inexpensive compacts. But beyond the leather, beyond the multimedia information screens and beyond the atypical powertrains, the way these cars drive makes you forget their natural station in life.




On the Road


With a steeply raked windscreen, thin pillars and a low dash afforded by the centrally mounted everything, the Prius feels twice as big as it is — in a good way. There's no small-car intimidation factor. Perhaps this explains the way Prius drivers try to own the road.




The ride, too, mimics that of a large car, with minimal noise and harshness and a tendency to rebound a fairly impressive sine wave after severe impacts. And, like any decent large car, the Prius' steering and brakes are unobtrusive to the point of being annoying. The steering is weightier than that of previous Prii, but this is a result of reprogrammed steering electrons and not a revised, improved connection to the wheels.




On the Road


With a steeply raked windscreen, thin pillars and a low dash afforded by the centrally mounted everything, the Prius feels twice as big as it is — in a good way. There's no small-car intimidation factor. Perhaps this explains the way Prius drivers try to own the road. The ride, too, mimics that of a large car, with minimal noise and harshness and a tendency to rebound a fairly impressive sine wave after severe impacts. And, like any decent large car, the Prius' steering and brakes are unobtrusive to the point of being annoying. The steering is weightier than that of previous Prii, but this is a result of reprogrammed steering electrons and not a revised, improved connection to the wheels.




The real surprise in this test was the ride quality of the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid. It's good enough to ignore the painfully slow 0-30 time and the confused start/stop system that gets behind itself in slow traffic. It's good enough that every editor who had it came back with pretty much the same impression: "Dude, the ride."




It's an enviably good mix of damping and spring rates that results in a ride that isn't floaty or harsh. And despite its compliance over rough pavement, when the road gets bendy, the Civic Hybrid sets firmly without the body roll you'd expect from a hybrid. It is still a Civic after all. You'll never confuse this for a large car ride, yet you'll wonder why everyone talks up those big cars so much anyway.




We've had experiences with light cars where a few hundred pounds of gear really makes for a marked improvement in ride quality, and we think that's what's happening here, as the non-hybrid 2012 Civic wasn't this impressive. As impressive as the ride is, the Civic does suffer from higher levels of in-cabin noise than the Prius. From wind noise to tire noise to the crude stutter of the engine firing back to life, there's little peace found inside the Civic.




Because Driving for Fuel Economy Is Boring


Before we donned our fuel-saving caps and glass-soled shoes, we had one last foray into the world we know best: the test track.




It feels wrong, but throttling the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid on a closed track actually sounds right. It sounds normal. Like a Honda. Of course, it also comes to a stop like a Honda.




Digging into the pavement from 60 mph, the 2,830-pound Civic managed to stop in a barely-Dodge-Power Wagon-beating 137 feet. Blame rear drums. Blame low-rolling-resistance Bridgestone Ecopia EP20 tires. Blame whom or whatever you want, the effect is a braking system that instills no driver confidence.




If you are presented with enough room to hold down the throttle without having to worry about any sort of emergency stop at the other end, the Civic Hybrid hits 60 in 10.1 seconds (9.7 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip) and goes on to complete the quarter-mile in 17.5 seconds at 80.1 mph.




The Prius lacked both the Civic's drama in braking and its familiar-if-not-pleasant engine note. Thanks to the slick CVT, the Prius' engine droned for 10.2 seconds when we hit 60 mph (9.8 seconds with rollout) and then for another 17.4 seconds as we ran the quarter-mile at 79.3 mph. When asked to stop from 60, the 3,138-pound Prius dug in and clawed out a perfectly standard 124-foot stop.




Things continued to be a relative tie in our handling tests. Despite the Prius being the poster child of terrible dynamics and the Civic's legacy as the real driver's economy car, the numbers were remarkably similar. The Toyota squealed around our skid pad at 0.79g while the Civic pulled 0.76g. The Toyota finished the slalom averaging 61.2 mph, behind the Civic's 62.8 mph.

And because this is that kind of test, the Honda recorded 20 mpg during track testing and the Prius flattened it with a whopping 24 mpg.




Because Gas Is Expensive


The first thing you should know about this portion of our journey is that we did not do a fuel economy loop. Fuel economy loops are designed to simulate some ideal mix of traffic-free, low-and-medium-speed events with few stops, little incline and a slew of otherwise idealistic environments. They've got as much to do with real-world driving as a strip club does with dating. Sure, it's a neat benchmark, but you can't get disappointed when the real world doesn't quite live up to it.




Could we have squeezed out more — potentially double — the miles per gallon by ignoring the flow of traffic, side-stepping hills and swapping our work schedules to reduce the chance of seeing another car? Sure. But we could do that with our current vehicles. The draw of a hybrid is that you don't have to change your behavior to improve your environmental impact.

So we picked editors with different commutes — heavy city traffic, light off-hours highway traffic and a near 50:50 mix of city and highway — and let them have at it with the charge that they're to drive as if their own dollars are on the line.




So we drove these two hybrids like we owned them and tabulated the results.




In our unstandardized, unstaged, real-world tests, the Toyota Prius fell below its 51 city/48 highway/50 combined EPA mpg estimate. We averaged just 39.8 mpg, with a best tank of 45.8 mpg and a worst tank of 34.9 mpg. The worst tank was a result of a long drive on a very empty freeway.




The Civic is rated by the EPA at 44 mpg. Everywhere. City: 44. Highway: 44. Combined? Yep, you guessed it. 44. And unlike the Prius, we managed to catch a glimpse of the elusive EPA number with one 44.8 mpg trek. Overall, though, we only squeezed 38.8 mpg out of the Civic Hybrid.




A 1 mile-per-gallon difference in the real world? Slight advantage to the Prius.

Because in Every Compromise, There's a LoserWe know why people buy hybrids. Be it carpool stickers or fitting in at the local Starbucks, there's an external motivator in the purchase that no math can dent.




Though it has a slight edge in ride quality, the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid — with its normal dash, conventional shifter, traditional engine note and Civic-like driving dynamics — is almost too normal. It doesn't look special, it doesn't feel special and the IMA system compromises practicality and drivetrain smoothness. Each time the engine jumps back to life, hooking up to the transmission with the subtleness of a first-time clutch user, the compromises of a mixed drivetrain smack you square in the face.




The 2011 Toyota Prius was designed as a hybrid with a unique, instantly recognizable shape that emphasizes function over form and a drivetrain that channels the flow of power as seamlessly as runoff trickles into the Mississippi.




There are times to rebel, to swim against the school, and then there are times to fall in line. The easier compromise here is the car that makes you forget what real cars are like, that coddles and amuses as it delivers superlative fuel economy. In this case, that would be the Toyota Prius.



The manufacturers provided Edmunds these vehicles for the purposes of evaluation.




Source;




The New Honda Civic (Euro)

Honda will launch the new Civic at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Developed specifically for the European market, the Civic will be offered exclusively as a five-door hatchback and will compete in the C-segment. It will reach European showrooms in early 2012.



In the build-up to the reveal of the new Civic, Honda is releasing a series of short form films detailing its development. The third of these films focuses on noise and refinement.



NEW HONDA CIVIC: class-leading refinement



One of the focuses of the development team for the new Civic was optimising the interior refinement. The engineers worked intensively to hone every detail of the design, build and aerodynamics. The results add to a car that is relaxing to drive on all roads and in all conditions.



The engineers have spent a lot of time testing the car in Europe, tuning the new Civic to suit the distinctive road conditions. The team used Honda's anechoic chamber in its R&D Facility in Swindon, England, to fine-tune the cabin insulation. One of the results of this research was to modify the design and construction of the roof lining, and how it interacts with the bodywork.





The new Civic's aerodynamic efficiency also plays a key role in maximising its refinement. Several members of the development team have Formula One experience, which they used to deliver a car that combines a low coefficient of drag with excellent high-speed stability. Hours of meticulous work in the Honda wind tunnel has improved performance, reduced fuel consumption and resulted in an exceptionally quiet interior.



"We did not improve the noise and refinement of the new Civic through just one technique," says Kazuo Sunaoshi, Development Leader - Chassis. "It was the accumulation of lots of little details. My big challenge was to match the noise and vibration levels of our European competitors. I am proud to say that we have achieved our goals."



Find out more by watching the new ‘noise and refinement' film release. The film is hosted on an interactive media player where all the films will be shown and automatically updated. You can easily download films and images or even embed the whole player in your site http://multivu.com/players/English/51356-honda-motor-europe/




Source;




Friday, August 26, 2011

Honda Civic Noise & Relaxation 2012



High Levels of Refinement For The New Honda Civic

In order for the new 2012 Honda Civic to provide a quieter and more refined driving experience, the development team focused on sharpening every detail of the design, build and aerodynamics resulting in optimal interior refinement.



The new Honda Civic was tested across Europe in order to tune the car to the varying road conditions found throughout the region. To fine tune the cabin insulation, the Civic was also tested in Honda's anechoic (echo-free) chamber in the Research & Development facility located in Swindon. As a result of the tests in the anechoic chamber, the design and construction of the roof lining and how it interacts with the bodywork was modified.

The aerodynamic efficiency of the new Honda Civic also has a key role for maximising refinement. Formula One experience offered by several members of the development team helped to provide a car combining low coefficient of drag in combination with high-speed stability. Performance, reduced fuel consumption and the quiet interior were the result of hours of meticulous work in the Honda wind tunnel.

"We did not improve the noise and refinement of the new Civic through just one technique," commented Kazuo Sunaoshi, Development Leader – Chassis. "It was the accumulation of lots of little details. My big challenge was to match the noise and vibration levels of our European competitors. I am proud to say that we have achieved our goals."

Source;

http://www.carpages.co.uk/honda/honda-civic-26-08-11.asp

Honda Installs Wind Tunnel Amid $355 Million Ohio Plant Upgrades

Honda Motor Co. is making $355 million of upgrades at plants in Ohio where it opened its first U.S. wind tunnel, seeking productivity and fuel-economy gains for models designed and built in North America.



The Ohio projects for Japan’s first company to make cars in the U.S. include $166 million of improvements to its factory in East Liberty and a $64 million stamping press at its Marysville plant, said Ron Lietzke, spokesman for the company’s assembly unit. Honda wouldn’t provide the cost of the wind tunnel or other additions to its engineering center in Raymond.



“The driver of the projects is to improve all our characteristics,” Lietzke said in an interview, declining to say whether the changes will lead to greater output. “If we end up increasing production capacity as a result, that’s fine,” he said, without elaborating.



Honda is refurbishing factories as it prepares to restore full North American production next month after parts shortages triggered by Japan’s March earthquake left Honda and Acura dealers short of models. The Tokyo-based company’s U.S. sales fell 2.6 percent this year through July, and market share shrank to 9.3 percent from 10.6 percent as industrywide deliveries rose 11 percent.



Output at Honda’s auto-assembly plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico dropped 26 percent to 559,981 through July from 754,807 a year ago, according to company data.

Efficiency



Having opened Marysville in 1982, before Toyota Motor Corp. (7203), Nissan Motor Co. and other Asian companies began making cars in the U.S., Honda’s North America engineering and production units are among the region’s most sophisticated, said Jeffrey Liker, professor of engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.



“By the most common productivity metrics, they’re among the most efficient,” said Liker, who studies automotive- assembly operations. “They have a history of developing exceptional people and actually keeping them. That allows them to accumulate knowledge and continue to learn.”



The Raymond R&D center, near the Marysville and East Liberty plants, is Honda’s main vehicle-development facility for the Americas. It’s responsible for designing and engineering the Pilot and Acura MDX sport-utility vehicles, Ridgeline pickup, Acura ZDX wagon and TL sedan, and North American version Odyssey minivan, all of which are built only in the region.



Fuel-Economy Push

Boosting fuel-economy on those models to meet tightening regulations is also its responsibility, Frank Paluch, senior vice present of Honda R&D Americas, said in an interview this month.

Last month, carmakers agreed to double the Corporate Average Fuel Economy, or CAFE, to 54.5 mpg by 2025. The first phase for the industry is to reach a U.S. average of 35.5 mpg by 2016.



“We are very aware of those targets and where our responsibility is for CAFE within the lineup. There are set plans how to meet them,” Paluch said. “By the 2016 model introductions, we’ll target about an 18 percent improvement, specifically for our areas.”



Improvements will come through enhanced engine and transmission performance, lighter-weight materials, and smaller and more-efficient components, said Paluch.



Such “evolutionary” changes were used when Ohio engineers revamped the Odyssey last year, raising fuel economy 17 percent, he said. Hitting the 2025 goal is a “bit more gray,” he said.



“If consumers are buying a lot more hybrids, we can easily meet those requirements,” Paluch said. “If consumers don’t buy a lot more hybrids or don’t buy more battery-electric vehicles, we’re going to have to think about other ways to meet those goals.”



Wind Tunnel

Honda hasn’t previously acknowledged the Ohio wind tunnel that was built in late 2010. It will help engineers improve vehicle aerodynamics for further efficiency gains, said John Dirrig, a manager and chief engineer at the Raymond center.



“The ability to do that type of analysis as early as possible in the development phase of new vehicles is a big deal,” he said.



Toyota, Nissan and Hyundai Motor Co. (005380) don’t have wind tunnels in the U.S. Toyota’s Technical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, uses one nearby operated by affiliate Denso Corp., said Bruce Brownlee, a Toyota spokesman.



Honda’s is a “half-scale” tunnel, intended for early prototypes.



‘Not Just a Big Fan’

Such a device may cost $25 million, while a full-size wind tunnel is at least $100 million, said Frank Ohlemacher, project manager at the Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research in Columbus. “This is sophisticated equipment, not just a big fan,” Ohlemacher said.

Honda won’t say how much it’s invested in Raymond, where more than 1,000 engineers work at desks in a central hall the length of 2.5 football fields, or 750 feet. It also has a crash- test center and laboratories to test electromagnetic interference and the effect of heat, rain and cold on vehicles.



Along with the Ohio upgrades, Honda said in March it’s spending $94 million to modify its Lincoln, Alabama, plant that builds Odysseys and Pilots. This month Honda said it will build an $800 million plant in central Mexico that will make 200,000 small cars a year after it opens in 2014.



Honda’s American depositary receipts, representing one ordinary share, rose 69 cents, or 2.3 percent, $31.30 yesterday in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Its U.S. unit is based in Torrance, California.



Source;

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-25/honda-adds-wind-tunnel-in-ohio-amid-355-million-in-auto-plant-upgrades.html

Autoblog: 2013 Nissan Altima taking shape

Out of respect for Priddy and Co. I am just supplying a link at the bottom of the page to the spyshots;

Now that we've seen the updated Toyota Camry and Chevrolet Malibu, not to mention the already-on-fire Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima, it's time for the rest of the mid-size sedan players to freshen up their offerings. Nissan looks to follow suit later this year with the all-new 2013 Altima, which our spy photographers recently caught testing with a very revealing camouflage treatment.



Up front, the new headlights and grille take a swoopier shape, as do the foglights below. (Squint, and you may see a bit of Hyundai Genesis in that front end – just sayin'.) Out back, the taillights get a similar dose of rakishness, probably akin to what we've been seeing on Nissan's latest designs – the Maxima, 370Z and Juke.



Reports have indicated that Nissan will offer a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the Altima, and if so, it's unclear whether or not the older, 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four will stick around. Expect the 3.5-liter V6 to still be the range-topping powerplant, with six-speed transmissions (manual and CVT) to be offered throughout the range.



Source;

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/25/2013-nissan-altima-taking-shape/

Thursday, August 25, 2011

2012 Toyota Camry - walkaround Video

Honda FCX Clarity fuel-cell car shown off

Honda has announced that it will be showing off what it claims is the world's first production fuel-cell car, the FCX Clarity, at the EcoVelocity show next month.



The FCX Clarity is designed to use hydrogen fuel cells as its power source, offering far greater performance than a traditional all-electric vehicle while maintaining the same zero harmful emission baseline.



While fuel-cell cars are nothing new, they've never made it to a production model before - and Honda claims that's exactly what it will be showing off at the EcoVelocity event, held between the 8th and the 11th of September at the Battersea Power Station.



The company is keeping full details of the Clarity's specifications under wraps until the show starts, but has explained that the vehicle offers an impressive 270-mile range per fill, is capable of topping up its hydrogen reserves as easily as a petrol or diesel car can refuel, and has water vapour as its only emission.



It's also keen to point out that the Clarity isn't an experiment, or a concept car, but a fully-certified road-legal vehicle built at the same factory as Honda's other models..



The company will also be showing off a redesigned five-door Insight, the CR-Z sporty hybrid, and a hybrid edition of the popular Jazz that extends its fuel economy to an impressive 64.2mpg - a 23 per cent improvement over the standard Jazz edition.



Author: Gareth Halfacree



Source;

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/car-tech/1286842/honda-fcx-clarity-fuel-cell-car-shown-off

Kelley's Blue Book: Big Things From Small Cars: Four new compacts compared



Like microbreweries, Lady Gaga hits and bad Ryan Reynolds movies, compact sedans are an inevitable part of the American consumer landscape. It is a given that at some time in our lives, each of us will drive a relatively affordable - starting at or below $17,000 and reaching up to the $24,000 mark - four-door like the four new cars we review in this comparison test. College car, commuter car, second car, empty nester car, rental car. Whatever the purpose, a small, fuel-efficient, utilitarian four-door is exactly right at some time in everyone's life.





The four compact sedans in this test -- a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, 2012 Ford Focus, 2012 Honda Civic, and 2011 Hyundai Elantra - each represent a fresh-foot forward for their manufacturers.

The 2011 Chevy Cruze is a new face in this field, with many advocates pointing to it as the weather vane for the coming era in American cars. Recent sales and strong consumer interest in the Cruze despite on-again/off-again economic forecasts point to a healthy wind blowing in.






New for 2012, the Ford Focus is a "world car" with European sensibilities trying to find a home in America. Riding on a new platform, running with new engines and staring at itself in the mirror with new sheet metal, the 2012 Focus is a more substantial small sedan than the car it replaces.

Also new this year, the 2012 Honda Civic bears a lot of responsibility as the next generation of a wildly popular car. With every player in the compact-sedan segment getting stronger overall, Honda had to decide: Do we take a risk, or do we stand firm with a proven formula? The 2012 Honda Civic stands firm.






The most anticipated major redesign among small-car fans and auto-show enthusiasts belongs to the 2011 Hyundai Elantra. After what seemed like permanent also-ran status, Hyundai scored back-to-back styling and value wins with its new Genesis and Sonata four-doors, but what about the small sedan that needed to be a numbers car for the Korean carmaker?






And thus our stage is set: Can the new kids from Detroit - the all-new 2011 Chevy Cruze and 2012 Ford Focus - and a principled, compact upstart from Korea - the all-new 2011 Hyundai Elantra - dislodge the fully redesigned 2012 Honda Civic from its perch in the hearts and minds of American drivers? Take a seat at your desk, pop the top off some Redhook Ale and read on to learn. If for no other reason than to avoid seeing "The Change-Up."










Fourth Place: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ

Strengths: The inside story - quiet, comfortable, stylish - is excellent

Weaknesses: Frustratingly low fun-to-drive factor

Synopsis: The Chevy Cruze just misses being very good by thaaat much



It's impossible to know for sure how Chevy Cruze sales might have fared in a world that never suffered a devastating earthquake in Japan that hobbled Honda Civic production over the past five months, but the fact remains: The Chevrolet Cruze is selling hot like fire. (Our test car was priced at $23,565.)



The 2011 Chevy Cruze LTZ that came to do battle in our comparison is a good example of why it's a popular choice - the Cruze is an easy place to relax.



For starters, the standard leather interior is one of the nicer environments we've seen in this class. The front seats took top honors in the competition for support and comfort over the long haul, and the interior design was easily up to the competitive standards set by the class. In the rear seats, headroom abounds, but like every vehicle in this test, long legs had no room to stretch.



In our back-to-back drives, the Cruze tied with the Honda Civic for ride comfort and as being the easiest car to see out of and maneuver through traffic. But the Chevy stood alone at the top of the quiet standings, making it a cinch to have a regular conversation with your passengers even blasting along at highway speeds.



Despite having a turbocharger attached to its 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission, the Chevy Cruze LTZ powertrain didn't gain our favor, either in sprints or while trying to accelerate to escape the gravity of slower cars on the Interstate. Having standard sport suspension and 18-inch wheels, on the other hand, did move the Cruze LTZ up in our esteem, giving it sporting authority in corners.



Just below the clean-if-not-flashy exterior lines of the Chevy Cruze LTZ skin, there lurks a safety story that stands tall all on its own. Superb five-star frontal and side-impact results can be your best friends on a bad day. A full guard of airbags - including side-impact protection for the outboard rear passengers - add to a rather impressive protection roster.



Certainly, the elements are all there to put the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ on America's compact-sedan wish list. It belongs in the bigs. But until the Chevy Cruze really excels at something, something that raises it above all of its unforgiving competitors, Chevy will have to console itself with healthy sales rather than comparison-test wins.



Comparison Test Results: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ

Overall Editors' Rating
: 6.7 out of 10

Interior: 2nd

Exterior: 4th

Performance: 4th

Comfort & Convenience: 3rd

Value: 3rd

Read Consumer Reviews for the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ



Third Place: 2012 Ford Focus SEL

Strengths: Most horsepower in this field of competitors

Weaknesses: Senseless user interface for audio and phone system

Synopsis: The Ford Focus SEL is the athlete of this bunch



The reinvented-for-2012 Ford Focus SEL is the most macho compact sedan in this test. Certainly it's the triathlete. The new Focus inherits its firm-riding platform, big power and attitude from Europe (where attitude comes from). And it enjoys the fruits of all three.



For attitude, it carries a snarly face around -- part rally car, part predator. Trust us, you'd lose a stare-off. That attitude is backed by a 160-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that lifts the Focus SEL to freeway speeds with a serious dose of quick. Even more serious, and infinitely more European than any of the other sedans in this test, was the way the Focus took the stress out of corners. The Ford didn't hesitate or complain, it just dove into corners and did the work with self-assured poise.



The only performance category that the Focus SEL didn't absorb was braking. Responding more with a shrug than any kind of responsive absorption of speed, the four-wheel discs were out of character with the Ford's unmistakable personality strengths.



That personality begins to thin when you go inside the Focus SEL. While the interior is generally a match for the exterior, and a very good shot at modern-angular styling, there's very little about the SEL cockpit that makes you want to take up residence there. And it's not just because leather doesn't come standard (as it did in our other test cars). And it's not just because the Focus suffered from being the smallest interior of the group.



Nope, the 2012 Ford Focus SEL's problem is one of abandonment. When you enter the car, you are greeted by 10,000 controls leading to as much chaos. Whether the task is connecting a phone or presetting a radio station, it's a labor of love, not logic. That alienation-level is upped by the presence of a touchscreen, which should ease the frustration, but only serves to elevate it.

If your task as a driver is intimidate, or rather announce your sporting presence as you arrive, the 2012 Ford Focus SEL, starting at $20,300, might be the calling card you're looking for. Its strengths are all so good, but beware its weaknesses. It takes gifts just to run in this crowd, and sometimes the Focus SEL runs at the very front.



Comparison Test Results: 2012 Ford Focus SEL

Overall Editors' Rating: 6.9 out of 10

Interior: 3rd

Exterior: 2nd

Performance: 2nd

Comfort & Convenience: 4th

Value: 3rd

Read Consumer Reviews for the 2012 Ford Focus SEL



The Winners, Part One: 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited



Strengths: Striking exterior, lovely interior, gorgeous price

Weaknesses: Competent performance, but no better

Synopsis: The 2011 Hyundai Elantra is the fashionista of this test



When the 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited sedan showed up for our test, it arrived as a gut-shot to the entire compact sedan class. It started with the all-new Elantra shape, a small-sedan variation of the look that we already love on the Genesis and Sonata. It continued with a leather-lined, feature-filled interior that would have been considered excessive in a car from the next class up. And it ended, as all automotive transactions do, at the cash register. At $22,830, the Hyundai Elantra Limited was the least expensive compact sedan in our quartet. It also got the highest fuel economy and Hyundai's new-car warranty is legendary.



The Chevy Cruze LTZ had a nervous breakdown. We spotted sweat on the Ford Focus SEL's lip spoiler. And even the 2012 Honda Civic was having trouble catching its breath.



In spite of what network television and TMZ are trying to convince us, looks alone are not the most assured road to success. Winning a comparison test in a field as tight and terrific as this one requires talent too.



The Hyundai Elantra Limited is loaded with talent. Its 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic transmission don't brag the most power in the compact-sedan class, but the 148 horsepower it does have stretches out nicely across the powerband - it won't leave you hanging when you want to get up to speed or get around a rolling paperweight. And getting 29 mpg in the city along with 40 mpg on the highway is a segment-winning argument all its own.



The Elantra Limited isn't the quietest car in our test, or the softest riding. Nor does it have the roomiest rear seat (though none of the cars in our test should brag). What it does have, however, is a keen eye for what matters when you're living with a car: a moonroof, an audio system that rock and roll can be proud of, a generous, usable trunk. And the leather upholstery is nice. Really nice.



If this were a beauty contest or a price war, the 2011 Hyundai Elantra would win it hands down. Instead, this story has a second act, and a second winner: the 2012 Honda Civic EX-L Navi.



Comparison Test Results: 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited

Overall Editors' Rating
: 7.5 out of 10

Interior: 1stExterior: 1st

Performance: 3rd

Comfort & Convenience: 1st

Value: 2nd

Read Consumer Reviews for the 2011 Hyundai Elantra Limited



Winners: 2012 Honda Civic EX-L Navi









Strengths: This is the Mercedes-Benz of compact sedans





Weaknesses: No longer a class style leader





Synopsis: A superb example of balance, value and pedigree







To understand why the 2012 Honda Civic EX-L Navi (you call that a car name?!) shares the top honors with the Hyundai Elantra Limited in this comparison test, you need to understand what made Mercedes-Benz great. Once, in an era when luxury cars were great and the competition was strong, Mercedes-Benz was the greatest luxury carmaker in the world.







Now, other automakers build faster cars than Mercedes-Benz, and prettier cars than Mercedes, and more reliable cars, more comfortable cars, better-handling cars, more value-laden cars than Mercedes...but not all at once.







That "nobody does it better all at once" territory is prime Honda real estate, and the all-new Civic still rules that land. How the Civic does it, however, is a bit of a mystery.







In the heat of our four-car comparison, the 2012 Civic tanked on its exterior styling, and also bottomed the list on interior styling. Same goes for its limited trunk space. And while the 1.8-liter engine was completely competitive in its fuel-economy numbers, the power output was nothing to brag about and the Civic's five-speed automatic transmission seems iffy at best in a class where six forward gears is now the norm.







Yet somehow, the 2012 Honda Civic EX-L Navi pulls it off. The underpowered engine and under-geared transmission work together beautifully, seamlessly to make certain that you're never stranded at the deep end of the onramp. Like most Honda engines, the Civic's 1.8 really shines at higher revs. The four-wheel disc brakes do a superb job of nestling the Civic to a stop, and while the ride/handling balance places ride far above handling, the steering feel and response belong in a "How to Do Everything Right" textbook.







Slipping inside the Civic EX-L Navi, you'll note that the "L" stands for standard "Leather" and the "Navi" stands for standard "Navigation" - the only compact sedan in our test that came with standard Nav (although the $24,225 price made the Civic EX-L Navi the most expensive car in our test).







Also worth noting is that the Civic was the only vehicle in our test that was ready (or even able) to accommodate a long-legged passenger in the rear seats.







To our surprise and delight, the all-new 2012 Honda Civic EX-L Navi succeeds a lot and fails nowhere. To our even bigger delight the four compact sedans in this comparison can all see the top of the mountain from where they stand, because each of them fits the needs of a certain buyer with his or her own set of priorities.







Comparison Test Results: 2012 Honda Civic EX-L Navi

Overall Editors' Rating
: 7.5 out of 10





Interior: 4th





Exterior: 3rd





Performance: 1st





Comfort & Convenience: 2nd





Value: 1st

Read Consumer Reviews for the 2012 Honda Civic EX-L Navi





Source;





http://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/2011-2012-compact-sedan-comparison-test/



Dodge pulls the plug on the Caliber this coming November 2011

Last year's update to the Dodge Caliber, which saw the high-riding small car get a revised interior and little else, will likely be its last.



Reports have circulated for some time that a replacement for the small crossover is on the way, and according to Chrysler enthusiast website Allpar, dealers in the US have been advised to get final orders placed before November.



The report follows talk earlier this year of Chrysler and Fiat developing an Alfa Romeo Giulietta-based Caliber replacement, with a debut planned for January's Detroit Auto Show.



Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat and Chrysler, has previously confirmed that a new Dodge small car will be built on the Giulietta's underpinnings, known internally as the C-Evo platform.



“The new architecture, which debuted with the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, is the most advanced mass-produced car Fiat has ever had. At Chrysler, Dodge will use it first,” he said.



Marchionne's comments and the new reports are in line with the company's roadmap, pointing to a Fiat-based model replacing the current Dodge Caliber in 2012.



While little else is known, Marchionne promised the new model will deliver fuel consumption figures of around 5.5 to 6.0 l/100km - suggesting power will come from one of Fiat's smaller-capacity MultiAir engines.



The new model's styling remains shrouded, although concept art that surfaced online last year (above) offers a glimpse at what could be the sportiest compact car to wear a Dodge badge in a long time.



Source;

http://www.themotorreport.com.au/52365/dodge-caliber-retiring-in-november-report

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

2012 Honda CRV Trim Levels and Colours for Canada

Same trim levels as 2011 anyway....

2012 Honda CRV LX-2WD

NH-731P Black ext / Black int

NH-700M Silver ext / Black int

G-532M Green / Grey int



2012 Honda CRV LX-4WD

same as above adding;

B-570M Blue ext / Grey int



2012 Honda CRV EX-2WD

same as above adding;

NH-737M Grey ext / Black int

changing int colour for B-570MX Blue ext / Beige int



2012 Honda CRV EX-4WD

same as above including both Blue interiors and adding;

NH-731PX Black ext / Beige int



2012 Honda CRV EX-L 4WD

same as above



2012 Honda CRV EX-L Navi 4WD

same as above



Source;

Honda Canada

Honda Motor Assigned Patent

08/23/2011

By Targeted News Service



ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 23 -- Honda Motor, Tokyo, has been assigned a patent (7,997,070) developed by Yuji Yasui, Saitama-ken, Japan, and Ikue Kawasumi, Saitama, Japan, for an "exhaust emission control device for internal combustion engine."



The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "An exhaust emission control device for an internal combustion engine, capable of supplying a just enough amount of reducing agent to a selective reduction catalyst even when a NOx purification ratio of the catalyst is changed by various causes, thereby enabling a high NOx purification ratio and very low exhaust emissions to be maintained. An ECU calculates a filtered value based on a signal from an exhaust gas concentration sensor, calculates a moving average value of a product of the filtered value and a reference input, calculates a control input such that the moving average value becomes equal to 0, and adds a reference input to the control input to calculate an FB injection amount. The ECU calculates an FF injection amount with a predetermined feedforward control algorithm, and adds the FF injection amount to the FB injection amount, to thereby calculate a urea injection amount."



The patent application was filed on June 6, 2008 (12/134,670). The full-text of the patent can be found at http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,997,070.PN.&OS=PN/7,997,070&RS=PN/7,997,070



Written by Shabnam Sheikh; edited by Jaya Anand.



Source;

http://www.power-eng.com/news/2011/08/1484687165/honda-motor-assigned-patent.html

Ferrari auctioned for record $16.4 million

By Greg Wilson

NBCLosAngeles.com

updated 8/22/2011 5:44:11 PM ET



A 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa fetched $16.4 million at a California auction, setting the record for the highest price ever paid for a car at auction.



The car was the first Testa Rossa built, and served as the prototype for Testa Rossa race cars. It has a 300-horsepower 3.0-liter V-12 engine and a four-speed manual transmission. The gavel came down Saturday at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance at Monterey Car Week in California, where hundreds of other pricey classic cars were sold.



The buyer was not identified.



''The ultra-rich remain ultra-rich,'' Swiss-based Ferrari historian Marcel Massini told the Sydney Morning Herald. ''The very, very best sells easily and incredibly high.''



The bright red, Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, which competed in the Le Mans 24-hour race, won first place in the 2006 Concours d'Elegance, where classic cars are judged based on their looks and condition.



The previous record for a car sold at auction was the $12 million sale of another 1957 Testa Rossa in Maranello, Italy in 2009. The price paid on Saturday includes a 10 percent fee for auctioneers Gooding & Company, according to CNNMoney.



Going unsold at the auction was a 1925 Rolls-Royce New Phantom that had been expected to fetch $1 million. Also unsold was a 1963 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Drophead Coupe owned by Sammy Davis Jr.



Source;

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44231559/ns/business-autos/#.TlOr6F18tP8

Subaru BRZ Revealed as Name of Subie’s Toyota FT-86



Subaru has announced its name for the joint sports car project developed with Toyota, dubbing the rear-drive coupe the BRZ.



The news comes in a release by the Japanese automaker, announcing it will show a second rendition of the Boxer Sports Car Architecture, cumbersomely named “Subaru BRZ Prologue – Boxer Sports Car Architecture II” at the Frankfurt Auto Show.



The BRZ name stands for “Boxer engine”, “Rear-wheel drive” and “Zenith”. Subaru has also created a teaser webpage for the car which can be viewed here.



Source;

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2011/08/subaru-brz-revealed-as-name-of-subies-toyota-ft-86.html

Monday, August 22, 2011

Toyota EV racing prototype unveiled

Toyota has released new details about their attempt to set an electric vehicle speed record at the Nürburgring on August 29th.



Seen here for the first time, the unnamed racing prototype has a 41.5 kWh lithium-ceramic battery which powers two electric motors that produce 381 PS (280 kW / 375 hp) and 800 Nm (590 Nm) of torque. This setup will enable the 970 kg (2,138 lb) sports car to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 260 km/h (162 mph).



If everything goes according to plan, Toyota will be beat the current EV record of 9 minutes and 1.338 seconds which was set by the Peugeot EX1 concept.



Source;

http://www.worldcarfans.com/111081935892/toyota-ev-racing-prototype-unveiled#ixzz1VmsptxSG





R.I.P. Mazda RX-8 and Chrysler/Dodge Dakota Truck

Well, I guess for Mazda this paves the way for a new RX-7....







Mazda Motor Corp. has canceled production of its RX-8 rotary engine sports car, citing falling sales and stringent global emissions standards.




Production in Hiroshima, Japan, ended in early July and global sales of the car will conclude later this year.




The RX-8 and the three generations of the RX-7 that preceded it have long been the foundation the brand's fun-to-drive aura. The car's high-revving 1.3-liter, twin-rotor rotary engine produces 232 hp at 8,500 rpm--a big punch in a relatively small package.




But Mazda sold just 1,134 RX-8s last year, a 49 percent decline from 2009. Sales through July this year were down another 21 percent.




The RX-8, which has a base price of $27,590, including shipping, peaked at 23,690 sales in 2004. But the first-generation RX-7 surpassed 50,000 units throughout the early 1980s.




Mazda's U.S. dealers had 300 units in stock as of Aug. 1 for a 118-day supply, according to the Automotive News Data Center.




Mazda pulled the RX-8 from the European market last year after the car failed to meet local emissions standards. Without volume from Europe, Mazda couldn't justify selling the RX-8, a Mazda source said.




Exporting vehicles from Japan also has become more difficult. The yen's rise vs. the dollar was a major reason why Mazda's North American operating losses from April through June grew nearly threefold to ¥7.9 billion, or about $97.6 million, from the same quarter last year.




This isn't the first time that Mazda has dropped its rotary engine sports car from the U.S. lineup. The RX-7 was pulled after the 1995 model year. A rotary-powered car didn't return to American showrooms until the 2003 introduction of the RX-8.




And the RX-8's demise may not be the end of the rotary engine at Mazda. A source says engineers in Hiroshima are still working on the next generation, 1.6-liter rotary engine, code-named 16X, that is said to have lower emissions, better fuel economy and more power.




When unveiled at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, the 16X had an enlarged elliptical shape for the combustion chamber and an enlarged eccentric center stroke in the rotor. Mazda also planned direct-injection fuel delivery in a rotary engine for the first time.




But the 16X project has been on the back burner since the financial crisis. The company chose to focus its r&d resources on its fuel-saving SkyActiv technologies that debut later this year.




Still, Jim O'Sullivan, CEO of Mazda North American Operations, said "the rotary is alive and well within Mazda." While declining to comment on the progress of the 16X, O'Sullivan said: "We are studying what's the best way to come back to the market with the rotary."



Source;






********************************************************




It’s the end of the line for production of the Ram Dakota, The Detroit News is reporting. The neglected and forgotten Dakota has long been an afterthought to the Ram 1500, the bread and butter of the Ram line.




The Warren Truck Plant where the Dakota is built also builds the Ram 1500. So far 39 temporary workers have been let go due to the end of Dakota production. The UAW expects the number could reach 150 or more.




As we reported last year, Chrysler has been mulling over the Dakotas replacement for some time now. The consensus seems to be that the slow-selling Dakota will eventually be replaced by a unibody compact pickup truck, aimed more at customers who buy trucks for their looks, not their utility. Think Dodge M-80 concept, or Rampage concept, as the Dakota’s replacement will be more show than go when it debuts within the next few years.




No decision has yet been made about where to build the Dakota’s replacement.




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