Honda and Nissan are looking for ways to make cars lighter, better, and more recyclable, both for their own benefits and their customers. We've heard about the increased use of aluminum to save weight; next on the heavy R&D frontier could be carbon fiber. Both companies have teamed up with Japanese carbon fiber company Toray, and Mitsubishi Rayon -- a Japanese version of DuPont -- to research new, less expensive carbon fiber for cars.
Their efforts will be helped by the government, which is injecting two billion yen into the project over five years. The plan is that by the middle of the next decade, they'll be able to mass produce a cost effective carbon fiber and use it to reduce the weight of cars by 40-percent. And when they're finished with it, they will also be able to recycle it to reduce production costs.
The current price of carbon fiber makes its use prohibitive except for ornamentation or for use on the most expensive cars. With the price of steel -- and cars -- expected to keep climbing, the mass produced, recyclable carbon fiber will make financial sense in the not-too-distant future. Add in the fuel savings from lighter vehicles, and fewer emissions, and it looks like everyone wins. Thanks for the tip, David!
Honda says that the OSM roadster on display at the 2008 British Motor Show is merely a design study, but given that "design study" is frequently a euphemism for "future design language," we wonder if we're seeing the next iteration of Honda car styling. Frankly, we hope so, because this is worlds better than what we've seen from the automaker of late, from the Accord right on up to the bland and bloated Pilot. The OSM, short for Open Study Model, is a shapely two-seat convertible that we'd be happy to drive today. Well, maybe with headlamps that weren't lightsaber-sized. Other than that, we love the jaunty look, especially in back, where the taillamps sweep gently from one side of the car to the other. Since it's a styling exercise, there's no specific powertrain combination associated with it, but Honda assures us that the car is an indication that lightweight, low-emissions motoring needn't be boring. No kidding, guys. Inside, the cockpit basically evolves the two-tier instrument panel you'll find in the current Civic into a far more attractive driving environment that we hope to see in road cars sooner than later. While Honda says there's no plan to create a production sport/econo roadster like this anytime soon, somebody's obviously thinking about it. Future S2000 replacement, maybe? "Design studies" such as this don't happen by accident.
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Honda Pilot
Honda has got to be happy that it has a hot selling compact car to take some of the pain out of the slowing minivan and SUV markets. Hurt by the sky-high price of gasoline, both the Odyssey and Pilot, both recently redesigned, are sitting on dealers lots longer than Honda would like. In order to match production with consumer demand, Honda will close its plant in Lincoln, Alabama for two days next month and cut second shift production at the plant every Friday in August through October. Displaced workers can choose to take either unpaid time off or use paid vacation leave. Some of that unused capacity will be taken up by the Ridgeline, which will now be assembled at the Lincoln plant instead of in Ontario where it is currently being built.
The Civic, on the other hand, will see its production boosted at the East Liberty, Ohio plant and in Alliston, Ontario, where capacity will be available due to the Ridgeline's departure. Score another point for Honda's modular manufacturing techniques.
Click above for a high-res gallery of Honda's new hybrid.
Honda's oft-discussed, yet never spied Prius-fighter has been caught by the merry minions at KGP. A parade of three cars were shot in the desert, including the prototype you see above, a facelifted Civic Hybrid and the new model's arch rival, the Toyota Prius.
While the cloaked mule's shape could be easily mistaken as a Prius, the two-tier instrument cluster is a dead giveaway of the prototype's Honda origins. The nose is notably lower than its Toyota competition and although the hatch is an obvious rip on the Prius' aerodynamic rear, the fenders have a discernibly steeper angle, along with a trunk lid sporting a small spoiler.
We've seen plentyof shots of the Honda/Acura NSX hangin' 'round the 'Ring, but unlike previous photos, the crew at Cartribe was able to catch a brief glimpse of the cloaked mule's interior. A clearer view of the gauges reveals a clean chronograph-like arrangement, with large numerals framed by chrome rings. Although the rest of the dash is covered by camera-proof camo, the three-spoke, flat-bottom steering wheel and integrated switchgear certainly speaks to the V10-powered super coupe's intentions. We're hoping to see the next NSX debut during the upcoming show season, reportedly packing over 500 hp and sending power to all four wheels.
So you settled for the USDM, factory-built Honda Civic MUGEN Si because: a.) you don't live in Japan and b.) even if you did, you probably wouldn't have gotten your filthy mitts on a limited-edition MUGEN RR anyway. However, if you're still looking to get yourself something related to the RR, you're in luck. MUGEN has found another way to vacuum up fanboy dollars appeal to its enthusiast customers by offering up original artwork. First up in "The Art of MUGEN Power" series is "The Art, MUGEN RR", a 300-piece limited-edition print that shows the car in cutaway form. ¥39,000 ($368) puts one on your wall. Want a numbered plate for the frame? Tack on another ¥2,100 ($19.80). It's art a la carte, courtesy of MUGEN. The company website has all the details (in Japanese, natch -- the English pages are perpetually "under the construction").
Click above for more high-res shots of the 2009 Honda Ridgeline.
After Honda showed its new schnoz on the redesigned Pilot, we knew what was bound to happen to the Ridgeline. And it's as unfortunate as expected. These newest spy shots show Honda's unibody pickup with a similar nose job as its fully enclosed sibling, complete with an upright grille framing an angular trim piece, and new headlamps. The only other discernable difference on the outside are redesigned taillights, and here's hoping that the interior gets some much needed material love when the new Ridgeline debuts later this year.
The London Motor Show opens up on July 22nd and with it, comes a new concept from Honda, the Open Study Model or OSM. The lightweight, two-seater, open-air sports car is another design study by Honda that attempts to blend performance and sustainable motoring into a comprehensive package. Designed by Honda's R&D center in Offenbach, Germany, the OSM is a vehicle in the same environmentally friendly vein as the CR-Z concept unveiled in Tokyo last year, considered to be a low emissions alternative to the traditional sports coupe.
The CR-Z is still slated to be released sometime next year, but Honda insists that the OSM is strictly a design study and is not confirmed for production. However, as OSM (read: awesome) as it may be, it's not the next S2000, according to Honda spokesperson Steve Kirk.
Automakers across the globe are in a frenzy to produce highly efficient, fuel saving vehicles that remain relatively inexpensive, yet still offering the modern conveniences and safety features consumers have grown to expect. While development on advanced drivetrains is going strong at almost every automaker, Japan's big four (Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Mazda) realize that performance and efficiency gains aren't the exclusive purview of what's under the hood. The hood itself is part of equation.
The Honda S2000 has been on the US market since 1999, and although it's long in the tooth, the rev-happy two-seater still brings joy to drivers with its well-balanced RWD goodness. We're looking forward to an all-new S2000, and according to a few Japanese magazines, we can expect to see the S2K's replacement in 2010. One mag commissioned the above rendering, which incorporates clean, angular lines, similar to those found on recent concepts from Honda and Acura. The topless rendering also exhibits an improved rendition of the aesthetically questionable Honda grille, along with some US-centric chrome rims.
The next generation S2000 is rumored to be powered by a choice of four- or six-cylinder engines, with the four still packing 2.4 liters, but producing around 250 hp, and the a larger 3.5-liter unit putting out around 350 ponies. While a modestly enhanced 2.4 makes sense as the base engine, we're unsure if a larger, heavier V6 is a good call for a vehicle that prides itself on its 50/50 weight distribution and 8,300 rpm redline. Adding a turbocharger would help to keep weight issues at bay, while still providing the added pop enthusiasts crave.
Here it is in all its glory, Episode #100 of the Autoblog Podcast. We've finally made it. There's a new graphic, a big group of five people all talking on top of each other, and new music. Stay tuned, as we've got an excellent giveaway coming up soon (i.e. when fearless leader Neff gets back from his nuptials). We'd thought that #100 might go 100 minutes, but for your sake, that's not the case and we occupy only 50 minutes of your time this week. Thanks for listening and keep the feedback, commentary, and questions rolling in to podcast at autoblog daught com. See you next week!
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At this rate, by the time Honda actually releases the production version of the successor to the NSX, we may well have seen more video and photos of the prototypes running at the 'Ring than we ever saw of the original. Thankfully, for those of us into really fast cars, the Nürburgring is a public place with a variety of roadside vantage points where people can view the latest and greatest supercars in action. The crew at Germany's Auto Motor und Sport seem to have staged videographers at all the available viewing locations to capture three minutes of footage that they have posted on YouTube for the rest of us to enjoy. There's some good stuff here, including the last few seconds where the driver is clearly pushing the new Honda as the back end slips a little wide before coming back. We're all waiting anxiously to see how this one matches up against the GT-R, ZR1, and LF-A. Check out the video after the jump.
AutoExpress is just as interested in the styling of the next NSX as the rest of us are, so they pressed a digital artist into action to 'chop the shots of the car running on the Nurburgring. What they've come away with isn't nearly as bad as we thought it might be on our last podcast. It still looks like a hotted-up Accord Coupe in some ways, though the lines and proportions are rather classic, and the anti-flamboyance creates a car that wouldn't look ridiculous next to an F430, except for the quad stacked exhaust tips. Of course, all the renderings really do is muddy the waters until we see the actual car, but at least if these images ring true, the NSX won't suck. It won't stand out, either, but who ever bought an Acura to stand out?
What would you call this thing? A Prelude SUC*? A Preludamino? A Prelude Brat? A Ridgelude? The seller, for his part, bills it as a "Cruck." With the careful adaptation of a Datsun Pickup liftgate, this cut and restyled 1989 Prelude Si was possibly a prelude to the atrocity wonder that would eventually be known as the Honda Ridgeline. It is said to feature a four-cylinder with an automatic, and able to get 38 mpg. Thank goodness it "was built under professional supervision of experienced body technicians," as we'd hate to think that any average schmo cut and pasted this Prelude. The work must be halfway decent, as it serves as daily transport for the seller and still features such luxuries as "power windows, sunroof, heat and a/c, cd player, power steering and functional tailgate." As it sits it's a fitting testament to ingenuity and another answer to a question nobody asked. Only $2,500 though. Thanks for the tip, Tom!
Surprise! Honda's controversially styled Ridgeline truck is about to get the Pilot's controversial snout. First released for the '06 model year, the unibody truck has not seen any real changes to this point and it's high time for a mid-cycle model refresh. Considering that the Pilot and Ridgeline share plenty in common, it's no shocker that Honda would share styling cues between the two vehicles. Also included in the refresh are some oddly-placed dual front foglights, new tail lights and redesigned bumpers front and rear. Not much seems updated in its profile, but some new 18-inch rims have a nice, chunky look to them.
So far, nobody at Honda is talking regarding powertrain updates for the Ridgeline. As we've reported in the past, though, a new diesel V6 engine of undertermined displacement seems very possible for both the Ridgeline and Pilot. With gas prices continuing to rise, Honda's Ridgeline may continue to be a popular option for those who use their trucks only for occasional hauling or towing and don't mind being seen in one ugly mutha trucka.
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Honda Fit
Like most other manufacturers doing business in the U.S., Honda has been caught by surprise by the sudden shift in demand to smaller cars. When the Fit debuted in the U.S. two years ago, it proved more popular than expected then and allotments were increased for the upcoming redesigned 2009 models. However, the spike in fuel prices has caused a corresponding increase in demand for small fuel efficient cars like the Fit. Sales of the old Fit from January to May of this year jumped 64 percent compared to 2007. Honda has now decided to bump production from 60,000 to 80,000 cars for the 2009 model year. The 2009 Fit has been rated at 28/34 mpg city/highway and will start at $14,620. U.S. production is limited because Honda only has capacity to build 500,000 Fits a year right now for the entire world, and if we get more in the U.S., someone else has to get less elsewhere in the world.
Who needs Blade Runner technology to get the details in a photo when you've got Photoshop? The folks over at Temple of VTEC have gleaned the dimensions of the Acura NSX mule by starting with the widths of a German license plate and the Honda S2000 door. The mule appears to be shorter, but taller and wider than the previous NSX, with a longer wheelbase. VTEC also has a chart comparing the estimated dimensions with those of the Nissan GT-R, Porsche GT2, and Corvette Z06. While the exact measurements could be slightly off, they should fit together in relation to each other. We expect that in design and dimension the mule's bodywork has little to do with the final NSX -- but we probably have a year and change before we find out... Thanks for the tip, Eugene!
This is just the kind of car company that Honda is. Sure, it sinks tons of R&D into its automobiles so they go faster, handle better, feel nicer and get better fuel economy, but while they're at it, the good folks at Honda also do things like build jets and revolutionize rail transport. That's right, along with cars and planes, Honda has worked its magic on trains and developed the Auto-Max railcar. You see, Honda transports 82% of all its soon-to-be-sold autos via rail in the United States. Why? Because it's more "environmentally responsible" than using trucks. Well, Honda had an issue with current bi-level rail cars outfitted to transport vehicles because they can only hold 10 cars and operate for 20 years. So Honda did what it does and developed the Auto-Max, which will hold 22 cars and run for 50 years. And now its got a fleet of 400 operating in the U.S. The Japanese automaker also upgraded the rail infrastructure around its Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio assembly plants so trains can pull in and out faster and shipments get on their quicker. Being from Ohio, I can tell you that this state really is the heart of it all when it comes to rail, so it's not surprising that Honda has taken advantage of this shipping method to save some cost and look a little more green. We can't wait to see what the Auto-Max Si can do.
By now we've all seen the spy shots showing Acura's NSX revival bombing around the Nürburgring in Germany. There's a reason those drivers are pushing their prototype hard enough to get air through the turns. Inside Line is reporting the Honda CEO Takeo Fukui wants his NSX to toast both the Nissan GT-R and the Lexus LF-A around the Green Hell. Considering that the GT-R has posted lap times on the 'Ring that utterly defy what it should be able to do on paper, and that the LF-A is still a moving target that's trying to best the GT-R too, Honda engineers have some serious work to do developing the NSX over the next two years. IL suspects the next NSX will get a 5.5L V10 producing 550 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque that's derived from a V8 that's slated for the next-gen, rear-wheel-drive Acura RL. They also surmise that it will use an 8-speed auto with paddle shifters, feature an advanced version of Honda's Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive system and use lots of aluminum in its construction to keep weight down. Unfortunately, by the time the NSX arrives, the GT-R V-Spec will have moved the bar again.
Click above for high-res gallery of the Honda CR-Z concept
First Honda said it was going to press the reset button on its hybrid efforts and come out with something bolder than the Civic Hybrid. Then it laid out plans for a number of hybrids that would be priced considerably more aggressively than the Toyota Prius. One of the concepts, the funky CR-Z, has already got people abuzz.
More details have emerged about the first hybrid to appear, a 5-door hatch with unique styling that's based on the Fit, but three inches taller and one inch wider. It will use the Civic Hybrid's Integrated Motor Assist technology and mate that car's 1.3-liter engine with 94 hp to a 15kW electric motor powered by a nickel-metal-hydride battery pack. Fuel economy, according to insider predictions, will be somewhere around 71 - 82 miles per gallon, but that's based on Japanese domestic use. Expect a drop for U.S. comparison.
Honda is considering a return to the name "Insight" for its first new hybrid, which we're all for. The Insight was a brilliant little ride, and we never understood why Honda let it go. Though it was low on practicality with only two seats and not much storage, it was a purpose-built vehicle for big mpg numbers. This potential new Insight will be Honda's global hybrid, and the company expects to sell 100,000 of them in the U.S. annually. Add this to the other three hybrids Honda is planning, and Honda's hybrid future -- assuming it delivers as promised -- looks quite bright.
