Away on Holidays, I'll be Back Aug 2nd!

Off to the Wisconsin Dells we go! There won't be any new posts until I get back on Aug 2nd. Thanks for stopping by!

Honda's Changes for 2009 Lineup

Accord: New V-6 rating adds three horsepower for a total of 271 and six pound-feet of torque for 254.

Civic: A new grille and front bumper, revised taillight lenses, and a sporty three-spoke steering wheel are the major changes. The Civic hybrid now has stability control and, though it may dim the car’s green aura slightly, a leather interior option.

Element: Honda will restyle its flower-delivery van with revised sheetmetal and upgraded interior amenities and electronics. The platform and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine remain unchanged.

Fit: An all-new and larger Fit hits in October, up about two inches in wheelbase and overall length. Inside, there is more room in the five-passenger, five-door cabin. A 1.5-liter four makes about 120 horsepower, and the front strut, rear torsion beam suspension is hung on a stiffer unibody and has been retuned for better ride quality but with the same lively steering as the previous Fit. Sounds phat.

Odyssey: Honda’s minivan gets an output restatement for models with cylinder deactivation; horsepower goes up three to 244 and torque goes up three pound-feet to 245.

Pilot: All-new for 2009, the seven-passenger Pilot returns slightly larger, a bit roomier (especially in the second- and third-row seats), significantly stiffer, and with more rectilinear styling. Another 2.9 inches were added to the wheelbase, but the overall dimensions remain almost the same. The 250-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 has an enhanced cylinder-shut-off mechanism that adds 1–2 mpg to the EPA ratings.

Ridgeline: The grille and some interior amenities are new. The V-6 is retuned with a new camshaft profile for more low- and midrange torque, and the transmission ratios are now taller for better fuel economy.

CRV: Unchanged

S2000: Unchanged

Source: http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/hot_lists/car_shopping/what_s_new_for_2009_car_news/browse_by_make/honda_car_news

More Pic's of Honda's OSM from the British Motor Show

Source: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/225318/wraps_off_next_s2000.html

2009 Honda FIT

Spec's
-1.5 Litre 4 Cylinder Engine
-118 Horse Power with i-Vtec
-5 Speed Automatic or 5 Speed Manual Transmission
-Paddle Shifters for Automatic Transmission (Sport model)
-Front and Rear Stabilizer Bars
-15" Wheels with Covers or 16" Alluminum Alloy Wheels (Sport model only)
-USB Port located in the Upper Tier Storage Box (Reportedly on All Trims)
-4 Channel Anti-lock Brake System (All Trims)
-Electronic Brake Distribution (All Trims)
-Front, Side, and Curtain Airbags (All Trims)
-Drive by Wire Throttle (All Trims)
-Air Conditioning with Micron Filter (Rumoured to be on ALL Trims)
-Tilt and Telescopic Steering Wheel
-Electronic Cruise Control (not on base model)
-Keyless Remote Entry System (not on base model)
-Voice Activated Navigation System (US only)
-CD Player with Mp3 Playback
-Auxillary Input for i-pod or Mp3 Players
-Power Windows (All Trims)
-Power Door Locks (Rumoured to be on ALL Trims)
-Power Mirrors (All Trims)
-Keyless Remote Entry (not on base?)
-Maintenance Minder System (All Trims)
-Steering Wheel Mounted Audio Controls (Sport model Only?)
-Vehicle Stability Assist (All Trims)
-Traction Control (All Trims)
-Roofline Spoiler, Ground FX (Sport model)
-Underbody Kit (Sport model)
-Rear Driver's Seat Hidden Bin
-Active Head Restraints (All Trims)
-NO Need to Remove 2nd Row Headrests to Fold Seats Flat (Magic Seat)
-Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body structure

The wheelbase has been increased 2 inches to 98.4 inches, while the overall length goes up 2.2 inches to 153.5 inches. The Fit is also 0.8 inch wider, while the front track is 1.4 inches wider and the rear track is 1.2 inches wider. It's surprising that the overall weight gain is a meager 22 pounds.

the stretched wheelbase of the new Fit primarily improves rear-seat legroom, which has increased 1.6 inches.

LOW EMISSION HONDA ROADSTER BREAKS COVER

Two-seat design study unveiled at British International Motor Show

Honda’s low-emission sportscar study model has been revealed at the British International Motor Show, at ExCel, London.

The lightweight roadster design study displays one of Honda’s core engineering principles – to design stylish and exciting cars that are also environmentally responsible.

Named the OSM (for Open Study Model), the two-seater joins the confirmed-for-production CR-Z sports hybrid and FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell car on the Honda stand at the show.

“We’re trying to show that low emission cars can be attractive,” says Andreas Sittel, Project Leader for OSM. “There is no reason why a car that’s more environmentally friendly can’t look great too – and be sporty and fun to drive.”

The concept for the project was ‘Clean and Dynamic’ – and this direction was followed for both the exterior and interior design, ensuring a joined-up, consistent ‘language’ between the two. One example of this can be seen at the rear of the car, where the body actually extends into the cabin between the seats.

The exterior design is a balance of smooth, rounded curves and sharp lines to provide definition in key areas. The headlights are cleverly integrated into the front end, stretching from the nose to the top of the wheel arches to look more like a part of the original body.

Inside, this uninterrupted, fluid approach is continued, with long sweeping curves extending from both door panels to form a frame for the instrument display. The concept for the dashboard was to avoid creating the traditional block of ‘heavy’ colour and material in front of the driver; in keeping with the clean and lightweight theme. For that reason, the dash is broken into sections, with the most important instruments in direct line-of-sight of the driver.

Key information is displayed in a rounded, enclosed central binnacle, with levels and figures in bright blue on a black background. This matches the trim inside the car, with the seats and door furniture trimmed in a new, gloss-effect blue leather, accompanied by white leather sections, in line with the exterior body colour, a one-off paint called Mystic Pearl.

The driver’s main controls and functions are distributed in an intuitive layout, close at hand on a panel that curves downwards to the right of the driver. A centrally-mounted semi-sequential gear-shift points towards a fun-to-drive transmission, along with paddle shifts either side of the steering wheel. Integrated into the gearshifter itself is a red ignition ‘start’ button, which reinforces the sporty direction of the car.

The Honda OSM was designed by Honda’s R&D facility in Offenbach, Germany. It’s the latest example of the young talent being developed within Honda’s design studios in Europe – following the Honda Small Hybrid Sports Concept (Geneva 2007) and the Accord Tourer Concept (Frankfurt 2007).

At present, the Honda OSM is a design study model, and there are no plans for it to enter production.

Source: http://www.hondauk-media.co.uk/

More 2009 Acura TL Spyshots

There was one other photo of the interior but I didn't bother to post it b/c a towel is covering the dash. Here's the link though in case you want to check it out anyway.

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/21/spy-shots-2009-acura-tl-in-the-buff/

Honda Increases Civic Production and Slows Down on Odyssey and Pilot's

Honda announced today that it will cut production of the Odyssey minivan and Pilot by 10,000 units total at its Lincoln assembly plant. Honda produced 158,316 Odysseys and pilots at the plant in the first half of 2008, down by 2.4 percent during the same period last year.

“Honda is not immune to the shift in the market,” Honda spokesman David Iida told Automotive News. “We don’t want inventories to get too high.”

The production cut will take place from August up through October. The plant will close on August 1st and August 29th after which the second shift will be canceled each Friday during the three month period. Iida said that there will be no layoffs during the cuts and Honda will use the remaining time for employee training.

Iida also said that Honda’s Ridgeline production will be moved from Alliston, Ontario to Lincoln, making room for an increase Civic output.

Source; www.autonews.com (subscription needed).

Honda's BIG Plans for Hybrid Sales

I found a nice article from Business Week online;

by Ian Rowley

TOKYO - With a solid lineup of small cars and superflexible factories that can quickly shift from SUVs to subcompacts, Honda Motor (HMC) has prospered lately. In June the Japanese automaker saw its sales jump by 14% even as its biggest rivals slumped.

But Honda's satisfaction with its results is tempered by the knowledge that they might have been far better if the carmaker had gotten its hybrid strategy right. While the company was the first major automaker to offer a hybrid in the U.S.—the Insight, introduced in 1999—Honda's efforts have long been overshadowed by Toyota Motor's (TM) success with the Prius. Honda misread what customers wanted, acknowledges research and development chief Masaaki Kato. As a result, the company has sold just 277,000 hybrids to date, compared with Toyota's 1.5 million. Honda stopped making the two-seat Insight in 2006 and last year ditched an unpopular Accord hybrid. Today, the company sells only one hybrid model: a version of the Civic compact. "I must admit that Toyota was better with its strategy of focusing on the Prius and trying to build an environment-friendly image," he says.

Now, Honda is fighting back. By early next decade, it aims to sell 500,000 hybrids annually, up from just 55,000 in 2007. Next year it expects to offer a new compact in the U.S., Japan, and Europe that, like the Prius, will be sold only as a hybrid. Honda has high hopes for the car, and wants to sell 200,000 units a year eventually. In 2010, Honda will launch a hybrid sportster based on a sleek concept car called the CR-Z that it unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. That same year, Honda will likely release a new hybrid Civic, and it's planning to market a hybrid version of the Fit subcompact soon thereafter.

As sales pick up and Honda gets better at making hybrids, the company expects to reduce costs sharply. R&D boss Kato says he can bring the price differential between a hybrid and an equivalent gasoline-only car below $2,000. While not as powerful as Toyota's hybrid technology, the Honda system is lighter and less complex, so its new models may offer better gas mileage. Honda hasn't disclosed pricing, but the compact hybrid due next year could retail for around $18,000-$3,000 less than a Prius, reckons Tatsuo Yoshida, an analyst at UBS (UBS) in Tokyo. He adds that while selling 500,000 hybrids a year will be a challenge, the new cars could also help Honda steal some of the green limelight back from Toyota. "Publicity-wise, the new hybrids are very good news for Honda," he says.

For the rest of the article, follow the this link;
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_30/b4093062857546.htm?chan=autos_autos+--+lifestyle+subindex+page_top+stories

2009 Honda Civic Hybrid Caught Testing - Minimal Changes

The changes are so minimal that I am just going to provide the link to the other photo's.
Link;
http://jalopnik.com/398624/2009-honda-civic-hybrid-sedan-gets-a-face-lift

New Shots of Next Gen NSX's Driver's Side Dash

Source;
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/07/2010-honda-acura-nsx-spied-again-on.html

Even More Pics of Honda's Global Hybrid from KGP Photography

Link;
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/16/spy-shots-hondas-hybrid-prius-fighter-caught/

Priddy & Co. Catch the New Global Hybrid in the Wild

Looks alot like a morph from the FCX and the Prius.

Source;
http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=776084

200th POST! And Even More Next Gen Acura NSX Pic's

200th POST!!!!!!!
Wow, this car has almost achieved cult status with the amount of renderings it is getting!

Btw; 200th post.

2009 Acura TL Rear Shot

We've already seen the offical Front End of the vehicle, now here's the rear end.

"According to our sources, here's what you can expect:
The much more exciting news lies in the next generation TL Type-S. Under the hood you will find the 3.7-liter V6 from the MDX CUV. That's an engine already rated at 300 HP in the MDX and our industry sources tell us to expect this motor to be good for around 330 HP in the TL's hot rod version. That said, we've also heard whispers that a number in the 340-350 HP range is not totally out of the realm of possibility.
If those horsepower numbers get your blood flowing, remember that power will also be coursing through Acura's torque-vectoring, SH-AWD system on the Type-S. That leads us to hope those rumors about a number closer to 350 HP turn out to be true.
The last bit of good news on the Type-S is the slush box. A 6 speed, manumatic DSG gearbox will be standard equipment on this faster-than-average sports sedan. Expect to be able to shift the gears through steering wheel-mounted, flappy-paddle shifters, or with the "stick" itself via a "+/-" gate.
Watch for the regular 2009 TL to go on sale during the summer or fall of 2008 and we expect the meaner S-Type following 6-12 months later. "

Source;
http://jalopnik.com/398513/2009-acura-tl-type+s-shows-us-all-four-pipes-in-tacoma

Honda's Walk Assist

Corporate June 30, 2008

Honda to Conduct Collaborative Testing of its Walking Assist Device

Japan, June 30, 2008– Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will begin collaborative testing of its experimental walking assist device as from July 1, 2008, with Shinseikai Medical Group, Kasumigaseki-Minami Hospital (Kawagoe, Saitama prefecture). The device was created to support walking by the elderly and other people with weakened leg muscles.*

The compatibility and effectiveness of Honda’s walking assist device will be evaluated during rehabilitation training to help people relearn to walk safely and efficiently, that is conducted at Kasumigaseki-Minami Hospital. The testing also will identify and study areas of effectiveness and potential issues from different perspectives by the trainees, physical therapists, doctors and researchers.

Honda began research of a walking assist device in 1999 with the goal to provide more people with the joy of mobility. The cooperative control technology utilized for this device is a unique Honda innovation achieved through the cumulative study of human walking just as the research and development of technologies was conducted for Honda’s advanced humanoid robot, ASIMO. With this device, the user’s stride will be lengthened compared to the user’s normal stride without the device and therefore the ease of walking is achieved.

Currently, the device is in the feasibility stage and Honda has been showcasing and gathering feedback from a wide range of people who experienced the device at relevant trade shows including the International Trade Fair on Barrier Free Equipments & Rehabilitation for the Elderly & the Disabled (BARRIER FREE 2008) held in April (at Intex Osaka) and at the Welfare 2008 in June (at Nagoya International Exhibition Hall).

* people who can still walk on their own

Rumours on the NSX and RL V10 Getting VCM....

Found a nice piece on Autoblog with an article from 7tune, I am at work now and have 'Fortiguard' which is blocking the site (7tune) stating that it contains explicit material, so I will provide the link to the site. www.7tune.com/2010-acura-nsx/ is the link to some more renderings.

"is news that the 5.5L V10 engine expected under the hood of the supercar will include relatively aggressive cylinder deactivation technology. The V10 will reportedly be able to cut its cylinder count in half by running as a 2.75L inline five-cylinder when its full capacity isn't needed. We would imagine that would be quite often, as the car's expected power output of six-hundred horses attests."

For more....
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/15/rumormill-honda-nsx-and-acura-rl-to-get-v10-with-cylinder-deact/

Plus, here's a link to the VCM explanation;
http://thehondaportal.blogspot.com/2008/07/how-vcm-works-in-2008-honda-accord-v6.html

Official 2009 Acura TL Pic and Info

Two TL flavors will be offered, confirming the preview report that ran on Autoblog in April. Honda doesn't announce powertrain specifics other than to confirm that the new TL will be available with Acura's SH-AWD system and also offer the marque's "most powerful engine ever." We assume that to mean the 300-horsepower 3.7L engine used in the RL and MDX will also be making an appearance in the TL. Based on what we were told back in April, look for a 280-horsepower 3.5L to serve as the base engine in the FWD car.

Source; http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/11/2009-acura-tl-shows-its-face-awd-confirmed/

Wow, Shortage on Honda Civic's and Fit's

Well, almost everybody knows that there is a shortage on all things Hybrid, but now there is a shortage on all things Honda Civic and Honda Fit! As a dealership (moderate size for Canada) we usually have an incoming list 8 or 9 pages long, now it is only 3 1/2 pages. I personally have never experienced a shortage like this. Heaven forbid anyone be colour specific right now! Manual Transmissions are next to non existant, part in parcel to the ECO rebate and Automatic Transmissions are becoming a rare breed as well!

2009 Stock is not expected to arrive until September or October and I don't think we will have enough stock to last! Part of this is due to the US gobbling up as many Civic's as possible and the other half has to do with the current gas prices - everybody is trading in their SUV's, Trucks, and large sedan's. This is crazy.