Acura NSX Approved for Production! Concept to Appear at 2012 Detroit Show

Much to the delight of rabid, froth-mouthed fans—and more than eight years of teasing on Acura’s part—a proper second-generation NSX sports car is on its way. The concept version debuts at the Detroit auto show in early January. (You can dive into the NSX 2.0’s decade-long gestation here, from its shifting engine placement to prototype spy photos to being repurposed as a race car. And those are just the tip of the iceberg.)

The first NSX was a technological tour de force when it arrived in 1990. The mid-engine sports car packed a dual-overhead-cam V-6 under an all-aluminum wrapper. The engine made 270 hp, a staggering number for a six-cylinder engine at the time. For all that, it was the car’s handling that was the most impressive—piloting an NSX is like having the controls hard-wired to your gray matter.

Acura has decided that the new NSX will again use a mid-engine layout and that it will follow the first car’s general philosophy: The second-gen model will be relatively lightweight, efficient, and make use of lots of new technology.

The company is still quiet about powertrain specifics, but we can offer some educated speculation. The engine will again be a V-6, but this time the gasoline engine will play a role in an ensemble hybrid-electric drivetrain. One or more electric motors likely will power the front wheels, and translation services between the gasoline engine and the tarmac will probably be provided by Honda’s new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. If this all sounds familiar, it’s because you read our own Mike Austin’s piece on Acura’s new hybrid AWD system. The impression we have is that the NSX’s powertrain will be inspired by the front-engine system Austin recently sampled in an Accord.

Styling-wise, the NSX concept we saw isn’t terribly far off from the sports car that Tony Stark (that’s Iron Man’s civilian name—or “Robert Downey, Jr.” if you want to get technical about it) drives in the upcoming Avengers movie. Proportions are similar to those of the original NSX: There’s a short, low hood, a relatively big canopy over the cabin, and a low, wide rear end. (The original car is pictured above—Acura hasn’t released official images of the concept yet.) This one’s also got side scoops to feed air to the engine.

When the car is unveiled at the Detroit show, Acura’s spokespeople are going to say this is a concept only. They may even say a decision is still yet to be made. But we hear it’s already received a green light for production, and will arrive sometime in 2012 or early 2013. It won’t be cheap, but Acura has no intention of approaching Lexus LFA pricing, either. We’d guess on a sticker in the $90,000-to-$130,000 range.

Source;
http://blog.caranddriver.com/acura-nsx-approved-for-production-concept-to-appear-at-2012-detroit-show/

New Acura Sedan to be Built at Award-winning Plant in Greensburg

12/12/2011 - GREENSBURG, Ind.
Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC (HMIN) today announced that it will be the exclusive manufacturer of the Acura ILX, an all-new luxury sedan going into mass production in Indiana in the spring of 2012. The new Acura ILX sedan will be positioned at the gateway to the Acura lineup and will be offered with both gasoline and gas-electric hybrid powertrain options. The new Acura ILX will be Acura's first-ever hybrid model, as well as the first Acura model to be produced in Indiana.

"Building this all-new Acura vehicle as the exclusive global source is a big responsibility for our associates," said HMIN President Jun Nishimoto. "I am very proud of what our Indiana team has accomplished in such a short time, and we have great confidence in our ability to produce a world-class luxury vehicle that exceeds the expectations of Acura customers."

The Acura ILX will join the TL sedan, ZDX crossover vehicle, and the MDX and RDX sport-utility vehicles as the fifth Acura model produced exclusively in North America. Acura finished second among all luxury brands in the J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 Initial Quality Study.

HMIN was recognized earlier this year for its outstanding quality as one of only three automobile plants globally to earn a Platinum Award for outstanding quality based on the results of J.D. Power and Associates' 2011 Initial Quality Survey℠ (IQS). The plant recently added nearly 1,000 associates to support the move to two-shift production, which started on Oct. 24, 2011, doubling the plant's capacity to 200,000 vehicles per year. The Acura ILX will be the first hybrid vehicle to be made in America at a Honda plant. Gasoline engines for the new Acura ILX will be produced at the Anna, Ohio, engine plant of Honda of America Mfg., Inc.

Acura will unveil a concept version of the new ILX sedan at the 2012 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit during media preview days, Jan. 9-10, 2012. Acura also will debut a new RDX sport-utility vehicle and a concept version of the next-generation Acura NSX supercar at the show, as it moves to further strengthen its product lineup with new products, new technologies and a sharper brand focus.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/new-acura-sedan-to-be-built-at-award-winning-plant-in-greensburg

2013 Honda Accord Coupe Concept to Make World Debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show

12/11/2011 - TORRANCE, Calif.
A concept vehicle revealing the styling direction of the next-generation Honda Accord Coupe will debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show January 10, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.
The Accord Coupe Concept will convey the dynamic and aggressive profile of the ninth-generation 2013 Honda Accord set to go on sale in the fall of 2012. John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president of sales, will introduce the concept vehicle at a press conference, which will also be broadcast live via webcast at http://hondanews.com/live/2012naias-honda (link will be live Jan. 10).
A leader in style, performance, safety, efficiency and value since the introduction of the first generation model in 1976, the Accord remains one of the best-selling cars in America. The 2012 Accord was recently named to Car and Driver Magazine's '10Best' list for a record 26th time and was ranked as having the highest initial quality in its segment in the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Initial Quality Study (IQS). The introduction of the ninth-generation Accord marks 30 years of U.S. production of the model at the Marysville Auto Plant in Marysville, Ohio, the first Japanese car assembly plant in the U.S.
For high-resolution photos and media information on the current Honda lineup, please visit http://www.hondanews.com/. After the press conference, images and video of the Accord Coupe Concept will also be available for download on the site.


Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/2013-honda-accord-coupe-concept-to-make-world-debut-at-the-2012-north-american-international-auto-show

Acura to Debut Three New Vehicles at the 2012 North American International Auto Show

12/11/2011 - TORRANCE, Calif.
Acura announced today that it will unveil three all-new vehicles at the 2012 North American International Auto Show including an all-new compact sports sedan, a redesigned RDX crossover sport utility vehicle, and a concept version of the next generation Acura NSX super car.

The Acura ILX Concept is a styling study of an all-new luxury compact sedan scheduled for launch in spring 2012. To be positioned at the gateway to the Acura lineup, the ILX will feature three powertrains including Acura's first-ever gas-electric hybrid. Acura also will unveil a prototype of the 2013 RDX, the second generation of Acura's five-passenger SUV. Finally, Acura will debut the NSX Concept, which represents the styling direction for the next generation of Acura's super sports car.

"Acura has a steady cadence of exciting new models coming to market and it will all begin in Detroit," said Jeff Conrad, vice president and general manager of Acura sales and service. "From the all-new Acura ILX at the gateway of the lineup to the pinnacle of performance with the Acura NSX Concept, Acura vehicles are being created for luxury customers who aspire to the highest levels of quality and value, with beautiful styling and the right balance of technology, performance and environmental responsibility."

All three vehicles will be introduced at the North America International Auto Show on January 9, 2012. The press conference will be webcast live on www.acuranews.com.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/acura-to-debut-three-new-vehicles-at-the-2012-north-american-international-auto-show

Putty Puddy From Seinfeld Pitching Honda Outtakes Most Hilarious Commercial Ever

This gets so much funnier once we realize that he's parodying the eharmony cat lady below....

Dramatic unseen footage of Japanese tsunami

Wow....

source;
www.autoblog.com

Honda: Let's try that again

HONDA is working flat-out on improvements to its all-new Civic after a lacklustre start to the car's life.
The latest model of the Japanese compact has been criticised for its lack of innovation and quality. For the first time, it has been struck from the list of recommended models in the influential Consumer Guide in the US.
The new Civic sedan arrives here towards the middle of next year, with the five-door hatch to follow, as global head of Honda, Takanobu Ito, promises significant upgrades to counter the criticism.
"We will continue to make improvements on a daily basis," Ito says.
He takes responsibility for the car's shortcomings and admits Honda underestimated its opposition, as well as the level of improvement needed over the outgoing model.
"I believe that the ultimate responsibility for the Civic rests with me," Ito says.
"Right now we are trying to work out the best actions possible in response.
"We might have underestimated the competition to a certain extent."In Honda's defence, Ito says he believes the previous-generation Civic was well ahead of its rivals and that might have led to decisions that did not push hard enough on the new car.
"The previous Civic was something of a major surprise to the world, it was extremely advanced, and therefore the concept for this current Civic was trying to carry over the concept.
"We look at the history of the Civic model. We are constantly aiming towards more advanced features and carrying out development of the new Civic."
He admits Honda has been stung by the poor reception for the car.
"In this situation it is true that we lacked the capability to understand beforehand that such reactions might have come about. We should have studied these things more carefully."
He believes Honda's effort with the previous Civic also spurred rivals to develop the cars that are now making things tough for the maker and the model.

Source;
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/honda-lets-try-that-again/story-fn9y0ah4-1226217398926

Honda Jazz (FIT) EV

by Graham Hope
The Honda Jazz has always been a pioneer, and now it’s blazing a new trail in all-electric guise. It was one of the first supermini-MPVs when it was introduced a decade ago, and now finds itself at the cutting edge of technology, with an electric version to be launched in Japan and America next year. This will be badged the Fit, and will initially arrive in California and Oregon before being rolled out to six east coast US states in 2013.

The blanked-off nose distinguishes the model from the standard Jazz, plus our car features Fit EV livery. It also gets new five-spoke alloys, while a unique blue paintjob is available in the US.
Under the floor is a lithium-ion battery pack with a capacity of 20 kilowatt-hours (less than the Nissan Leaf’s 24kWh). The maximum output is 100 kilowatts. The 92kW coaxial electric motor, meanwhile, is derived from the hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity.

Inside, the most obvious additions are the buttons which let you choose which mode to drive in: Normal, Econ and Sport, as seen on the CR-Z.

As with all EVs, what stands out most is the silence at start-up. And with all the power available from a standstill, the car gets off the mark quickly.

Econ, as the name suggests, offers the most energy-efficient driving, with Sport optimistically claiming to deliver “exhilarating performance”. That’s pushing things somewhat, but there is a tangible difference between the modes: in Sport the drive is surprisingly fun, and claimed performance is on par with that of a 2.0-litre engine.

At low city speeds, the EV is very nippy and guaranteed to cause a few surprises when pulling away from the lights. Ride quality is similar to that of the standard model, though, so it doesn’t take much for the little Honda to get unsettled.

Do the numbers stack up? The US version of the Jazz claims a range of 76 miles in combined city and motorway use, or 123 miles in town alone, with the battery taking three hours to fully recharge when connected to a standard 240V socket.

Will the car come here? Honda bosses remain tight-lipped, but if this happens it won’t be for another three years at least. They do recognise, though, that one thing an electric Jazz would have in its favour is a familiar badge – they believe this would encourage sales.

Source;
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/276067/honda_jazz_ev.html