Temple of Vtec Member danielgr finds 2013/14/15 Honda Plans/Rumours

Great find Danielgr!

Here the main infos by order of arrival:

2013
- 20th/21st June : Accord Hybrid, which they call Accord, and Hybrid (not the PHEV already selling in the US). Expected JC08 rating 30km/L, i.e. about that of the standard Prius.

- September: Fit is coming, expected to deliver 36km/L, which would put it right ahead of Toyota's Aqua (aka Prius C)'s 35.4km/L, made it the most efficient car in Japan. They also claim length has increased by 60mm outside, up to 80mm inside.

- October: Arrival of the new Life and new Odyssey (said to become a replacement of both the Odyssey/Elyssion) based on the M-concept shown in China earlier this year. Life is said to lead the 660cc minicars FE ranking at a staggeringly high 33.5 km/L, without using any hybrid tech... Odyssey expected to use both a 2.4L gasoline engine as well as Accord's hybrid powertrain, which would help it lead the segment in FE (they claim 20 km/L, which is what the current gasoline Fit achieves, but on a full-size minivan).

- December, time for the global compact SUV, expected to be rated nearly as high as the Fit hybrid at 34km/L (that's better than a Prius).

2014
- April: new City is coming, not much info on this one, but expect similar stuff to the Fit under the robe.

- May : Stream, which originally wasn't planned for Japan, but recent economic trends have made Honda changed their minds. Said to be available with the brand new ED 1.8L

- June : eSH-AWD Legend

- September : new Beat, 3-cyl turbo with 6MT

- December : it's NSX time.

Source;
http://www.vtec.net/forums/one-message?message_id=1150601

Honda’s EVster Concept Needs to Be the New Honda Beat in 2014

by Joe Borras of www.gas2.org

This is the Honda EVster concept … and, after seeing it myself, I am ready to go on the record. The Honda EVster needs to be the new Beat.

For the uninitiated, the Honda Beat was the last Honda to be overseen by the great Soichiro Honda himself. It was a tiny, 600 cc roadster that topped out at speeds that might have gotten it crushed on US highways, but on a tight and twisty mountain road on a sunny day, it was (by all accounts) a sublime piece of simple, light-handling fun. Back in 1991, it looked like this …

1991 Honda Beat

… the EVster above, though, is a bit more exciting. It’s looks a bit heavy on the Michael Bay, I know, but the photos don’t convey how tiny this thing really is. It’s cute and adorable, it’s fun and light and breezy and if you don’t want one you’re probably dead inside.

I know there’s some debate on the new Beat, which Honda has been promising (threatening?) for a decade or so, now. Other outlets are pointing to the CRZ roadster concept and saying that’s the new Beat – but, if it is, then Honda has truly lost its way. A new Honda Del Sol? Sure, make this thing a new-age Del Sol, if you must. No one misses that frog-eyed runabout … but the Beat? The Beat, like the NSX, is a legend, and Honda needs to get this one right.

How right does the EVster get? Honda’s electrics are proven, reliable, and deliver 100% of their torque off the line, making for a new-age Honda Beat that will be quick and squirty in heavy traffic, where the diminutive Kei cars compete with scooters for the title of “fastest way to get from A-B in rush hour”. In other words: it will be perfect.

EVster for 2014 Honda Beat.

Source;

http://gas2.org/2013/02/18/honda-evster-is-the-new-honda-beat/

Honda Beat on Track for Production

by Noah Joseph

 

New roadster from Honda could be based on Fit/Jazz. 

 

Back in the early 90s, Honda made a small mid-engined, rear-drive roadster called the Beat, a tiny Kei car roadster designed by Pininfarina. It was the last car overseen by company founder Soichiro Honda before he died, when Honda's current president Takanobu Ito was working on developing the original NSX. "I was kind of envious of the little cute sports car," admitted Ito in a recent speech in the United States, in which the Japanese auto exec revealed that Honda would bring revive the Beat with a new compact sports car.

 

We first reported on plans for a Honda Beat revival back in June 2011, when it seemed that the roadster would be based on the CR-Z hybrid sport-hatch. Now it seems, however, that the Beat will more likely borrow its underpinnings from the Fit with a design derived from the EV-STER and OSM concepts, though its powertrain could go either conventional or hybrid. One way or another, don't expect the Beat to retain the mid-engine/rear-drive layout of its predecessor, as the new roadster is more likely to go front-drive. Whether that proves enough for Honda to take on the likes of the Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT86/Scion FR-S, or even the Mazda MX-5 Miata, remains to be seen.

Source;

http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2012/10/15/Honda-Beat-on-Track-for-Production-7711168/

Japan Car Design Corner: Honda may be readying a Small Convertible (Honda BEAT?)

This is not a new rumour and Japanese Best Car Magazine has revealed another rendering of Honda's upcoming open top sports car. It seems that the new sports car won't be a Kei car, but instead, it will be based on the CR-Z. Also, Honda is also about to reveal an updated CR-Z

Source;
http://jp-cardesigncorner.blogspot.ca/2012/09/honda-readies-small-open-top-sports-car.html

Honda EV-STER headed for production - report

The Honda EV-STER concept was one of the stars at the Tokyo Motor Show and now it appears destined for production.

In an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Honda CEO Takanobu Ito said the roadster could be offered with electric and petrol powertrains. Additional information is limited, but the magazine speculates the vehicle could be launched as early as 2012.

As we have previously reported, the EV-STER could accelerate from 0-60 km/h (0-37 mph) in 5.0 seconds and travel approximately 160 km (99 miles) on a single charge.

Source;
http://www.worldcarfans.com/111121439030/honda-ev-ster-headed-for-production---report

Next Gen Honda Beat getting closer?!?

Straight from www.woodyscarsite.com ;

"Only 33,600 sold from 1991-1996. It is already a classic by Honda standards and the last model to be approved from Mr. Honda himself. The Beat's aim was to challenge the Suzuki Cappuccino and the future Smart Roadster if the model would have continued. It's failure might have been the lack of power. No turbo or supercharger was ever offered to its 656cc engine. Can you blame customers?20 some years later with the advancement of VTEC, Honda can easily afford to spawn a newer version. With the S2000 out of the spotlight, it is an easy win."

Source;
http://www.woodyscarsite.com/2011/06/revival-new-honda-beat-convertible.html

Below are some earlier sketches of the vehilce. I think this would fit nicely into Honda's lineup.