The Honda CR-Z has not even landed in showrooms, and already we are hearing rumors about a new, bigger hybrid sports coupe in Japan. At a recent chance meeting, a Honda insider revealed that company is busy working on a next generation hybrid sports coupe that will dwarf the all-new CR-Z in performance. Details of the powerplant are still sketchy, but our source tells us that in place of a planned V-6 hybrid, engineers are leaning toward the incorporation of a cleaner, more fuel efficient 2.5-liter, four-cylinder gas engine attached to Honda's well-known IMA hybrid system, which would lift this coupe's engine capacity by one full liter over the CR-Z. He adds that the V-6 hybrid is being considered as a main powerplant for U.S.-spec minivans and SUVs, which need more grunt.
The vehicle referred to here is a new sports coupe around the same size as the Accord Coupe, and would have four seats. The beauty of a sports hybrid, according to one Honda engineer, as that you can easily tune the car to lean more towards performance or more towards fuel efficiency depending on what you want. And it seems as though a lot of people (in Japan at least) want the new CR-Z, which has already taken in nearly 9000 orders in just one month.
Our source also mentioned that Honda is currently testing a system similar to the Chevy Volt's range extender plug-in hybrid system for the Japanese firm's medium to large passenger cars and SUVs. The difference is that Honda would employ an engine and electric motor setup, which, when all the stored electricity is used, would automatically switch to an on-board capacitor that would further extended its range. This system would reportedly be fitted to vehicles including the next Accord.
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