Honda

MPG, Mazda, Paris Motor Show Mazda Kiyora concept Mazda is using its new Kiyora city car concept as a platform to demonstrate how it plans to achieve fuel efficiency improvements of 30 percent in the next few years. The Kiyora takes the design themes seen on recent Mazda concepts like the Furai and Ryuga and applies it to a 12.4 ft long 4-seater. The water theme of this design has a drag coefficient 10 percent lower than the recently introduced Mazda2. The 1.3L four cylinder engine features the latest generation direct injection system along with variable cam phasing and valve lift on both cam shafts. Power is transferred to the wheels via a lightweight new 6-speed automatic transmission. (Read the full post about ‘Paris 2008: Mazda Kiyora city car concept’…)

MPG, Mazda, Lightweight With its most recent entries, the mid-sized 6 and sub-compact 2, Mazda has demonstrated that new generations of cars don’t necessarily have to get heavier. Each of the recently introduced new models are at least 100 lbs lighter than the predecessors. For its next generation of new cars, Mazda intends to step up its game even more, aiming for reductions of over 400 lbs. Mazda engineers will completely re-examine the structural design of the cars. One of the areas of focus will be to direct crash forces through the floor pan rather than the body. The large surface area of the floor apparently requires less reinforcement to achieve similar load bearing capacity than the upper body structure. (Read the full post about ‘Mazda plans to chop 400lbs from next-generation vehicles’…)

Hybrid, MPG, Lexus, Toyota, Detroit Auto Show, European Union, UK, USA, Paris Motor Show It’s been rumored and alluded to so many times that we just began accepting it as fact, and now it is: Toyota has confirmed that Lexus will indeed get a version of the Toyota Prius. Based on the third-generation of the Prius hatchback that is set to debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show, the Lexus is expected to be a bit less fuel efficient, a bit more sporty and a lot more opulent. We have no idea what Toyota’s luxury division will charge for its new hybrid, but it’ll definitely be sold for a premium over its Toyota sibling. A second dedicated hybrid model will join the new Lexus Prius. (Read the full post about ‘Confirmed: Lexus to build Prius-based hybrid’…)

Diesel, Land Rover, Paris Motor Show Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4_e Land Rover vehicles are not renowned for their fuel efficiency, at least not in a good way. Now that the English SUV builder is owned by India’s Tata it has to make do without input from Ford and will have to meet future CO2 emissions limits without averaging with its former parent. As a step in that direction, Land Rover unveiled a new variant of the Freelander 2 (LR2 here in the states) at the Paris Motor Show. The TD4_e version adds a new “Intelligent Start/Stop” system along with an upshift light in the instrument cluster. When the TD4_e replaces the current TD4 next year, it will also get lower rolling resistance tires. (Read the full post about ‘Paris 2008: Land Rover Freelander 2 TD4_e’…)

MPG, Hyundai, Lightweight Hyundai is already near the top of the fuel economy ranks in the U.S. market, but that’s not enough to meet future requirements. Currently, Hyundai trails only Honda and Toyota in the CAFE race. Going forward, Hyundai plans to upgrade its powertrains and reduce mass to get its conventional vehicles to use less fuel. On the propulsion front, the Korean manufacturer plans to shift to direct injection with both normally aspirated and turbocharged engines. Sister brand Kia already showed the Koup concept last spring in New York with a gasoline turbocharged direct injection engine. That engine will likely appear in Hyundai and Kia production models in the coming years. (Read the full post about ‘Hyundai going down the DI and weight reduction path for more MPG’…)

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Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL

3-year sponsorship supports hockey in the U.S. and Canada Text Only NHL_sponsorship_Rls.doc 10/06/2008 - TORRANCE, Calif. -

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda Canada, Inc., and the National Hockey League (NHL) have entered into a 3-year agreement naming Honda as the official vehicle of the NHL, the companies announced today. Elements of the agreement include Honda sponsorship of NHL television and Internet coverage along with active participation at NHL events in both the United States and Canada, such as NHL Face-Off Rocks 2008, NHL Winter Classic and NHL All-Star Weekend.

“With more than 53 million fans in the United States and Canada, the NHL is a big part of the sports landscape in North America,” said Steve Center, vice president of advertising and public relations for American Honda.

(Read the full post about ‘Honda Becomes Official Vehicle of the NHL’…)

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Acura Cars Have Tough Luck In Petit Le Mans With A Series Of Mishaps On The Tight Road Atlanta Circuit

De Ferran Trio Takes 5th In LMP2 After Three Acuras Are Taken Out of Action Text Only PetitRaceReport2008.pdf 10/05/2008 - BRASELTON, Ga. -

Acura’s battle for the 2008 American Le Mans Series LMP2 class titles in the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta ended Saturday in a mass of crash damage after the 1,000-mile endurance classic.

Ready to challenge the three-car assault of Roger Penske’s Porsches, the four Acura teams prepared for a flat-out 10-hour challenge on the tight 2.54-mile, 12-turn road circuit northeast of Atlanta.

(Read the full post about ‘Acura Cars Have Tough Luck In Petit Le Mans With A Series Of Mishaps On The Tight Road Atlanta Circuit’…)

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Honda Insight Concept Hybrid Vehicle Revealed at Paris Motor Show

The concept will make its U.S. debut at Los Angeles Auto Show; production version will debut at North American International Auto Show Text Only Honda_Paris_Motor_Show_Rls.doc 10/02/2008 - PARIS -

Honda today revealed a concept version of its new small hybrid vehicle, named Insight, at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. The new Insight Concept shares styling cues with the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicle and provides an early look at the highly anticipated five-passenger hybrid vehicle.

Takeo Fukui, president and chief executive officer of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., presided over the reveal and presented information about the new vehicle set to go on sale in the spring of 2009.

(Read the full post about ‘Honda Insight Concept Hybrid Vehicle Revealed at Paris Motor Show’…)

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Honda Insight Concept

Honda introduced the Insight Concept hybrid vehicle at the 2008 Paris Auto Show. download - 2.1 MB

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2008 Paris Motor Show Remarks by Takeo Fukui, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., LTD

Text Only Paris_CEO_Fukui_speech.doc 10/02/2008 - PARIS -

Good morning ladies and gentlemen… and thank you for joining Honda. It is great to be in Paris again… a trendsetting city where… today… we plan to introduce the concept for a trendsetting new vehicle.

The need to reduce CO2 emissions is a global challenge that transcends all national borders. Honda is addressing this challenge with technologies for the current, near and long-term.

Today we are introducing an all-new Jazz in Europe… with an enhanced design…

(Read the full post about ‘2008 Paris Motor Show Remarks by Takeo Fukui, President and CEO of Honda Motor Co., LTD’…)