Honda

Mugen CR-Z powertrain details come to light

Apr 22 2011

Mugen CR-Z powertrain details come to light

Mugen CR Z powertrain details come to light
The Honda CR-Z is an interesting little hybrid that has mostly disappointed us with a dire need for more power if it ever hopes to live up to its promise as a sports coupe. The tuners at Mugen have promised to change all that with a souped-up version of the unique little hatch, and CAR reports the result is a 50-percent power increase via forced injection.

The British mag says the Mugen Euro will feature a supercharger mated to the standard 1.5-liter four-cylinder, which bumps the power output to 197 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. That’s a far cry from the stock 113 ponies and 107 lb-ft, yet the engineers at Mugen reportedly managed to find a way sync Honda’s integrated hybrid assist system. That should make for a fairly efficient little screamer, and Mugen is reportedly hoping induction and exhaust upgrades will help its hot hatch improve upon the CRZ’s 38 miles per gallon. Not if you’re using all 197 of those ponies on a regular basis.

[Source: CAR]

2012 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe

Apr 20 2011

2012 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe

2012 Honda Civic Sedan and Coupe
Regardless of her stance on baked goods, Marie Antoinette didn’t quite grasp the severity of country’s condition until the French Revolution was in full swing and her husband was conspicuously absent of his head. Just as General Armstrong Custer dismissed the might of the Northern Cheyenne and Captain Edward John Smith failed to accurately read the waters of the North Atlantic, human history is filled to the brim with figures who didn’t discover the danger they were in until it was much too late.

When Honda unveiled the 2012 Civic at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, many critics were quick to put Honda in the same illustrious company. With an army of all-new compacts from automakers like Ford, Chevrolet and Hyundai all set to kick down the Honda gates, fans were thirsty to see a vehicle that was as innovative in design as it was in engineering. Instead, the Japanese manufacturer unveiled a compact car that looked startlingly similar to its eighth-generation predecessor.

We shouldn’t have been surprised. Since the Civic first hit the market 38 years ago, Honda has stuck to a tried-and-true update regimen for its star model. Every other generation has delivered a mild revision of the preceding design, and the ninth take on the vehicle is no different. With a tweaked body, slightly adjusted interior and nudges to the suspension and drivetrain, the 2012 Civic is effectively generation 8.1, but that just might be enough to keep the hordes at bay and Honda out of history’s dog house.

Source: Autoblog

2011 Honda Pilot 4WD Touring Review

Apr 5 2011

2011 Honda Pilot 4WD Touring Review

2011 Honda Pilot 4WD Touring Review
The family Crossover Utility Vehicle segment is, to put it mildly, crowded. Every major automaker has at least one option from which to choose. Ford has four choices, while Toyota makes due with three options. Some models feature two rows of seating, while others boast room for up to eight. Then there are the more off-road capable options to contrast with the docile soft-roaders.

Though most automakers have gone crossover crazy, Honda has made due with a simple two-CUV lineup. The perennially top-selling CR-V takes care of those who desire a smaller footprint, smaller price tag and higher fuel economy, while the larger Pilot takes on the three-row crowd. The Pilot has been mostly successful during its nine-year production run, with high marks for safety (the 2011 model has an overall score of four stars from the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration) and reliability (Consumer Reports gave it the organization’s coveted Recommended rating). But has Honda made enough changes to the Pilot to keep it competitive with stiff competition like the Toyota Highlander and Chevrolet Traverse? We spent a week with a well-appointed 4X4 Touring model to find out.

Source: AutoBlog

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