2012 Honda Ridgeline gains New Sport Trim

As you probably expected after the introduction of the 2012 Pilot, Honda also announced the first details on its updated for the new model year Ridgeline pickup truck.

The big news is the addition of a new member to the Ridgeline family called Sport that supposedly targets customers looking for more personalized and slightly sinister looks.

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Official: Honda Announces 2012 CR-V Concept, on Sale in America by the End of 2011, and in Europe in Fall 2012

An online leak resulted to a photo of Honda's 2012 CR-V Concept appearing on the internet earlier today, but now the Japanese carmaker has given in and released a high-resolution image as well as initial information on the crossover model.

Honda said that the concept will make its first public outing at the Orange County International Auto Show in Anaheim, California, in September 2011, and go on sale in North America by the end of the year, and in Europe in Autumn 2012. This means we will probably see the final production model at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.

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2012 Honda Pilot Goes Under the Knife, gets a New Face

Tis' the season for changes at Honda. After the news on the 2012 CR-V Concept that previews the soon-to-be-launched production model, yet another official photograph of a new Honda model is making the internet rounds. This time it is the redesigned 2012 Pilot SUV.

The facelift comes three years after the introduction of the second generation Pilot in 2008. The most noticeable change is the brand-new and simpler looking three-slate front grille that replaces the oddly styled fascia of the outgoing model.

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2012 Honda CR-V Concept: First Official Photo Leaked Onto the Web

Circulating around the internet today is an official photograph of the 2012 Honda CR-V Concept that previews the production model that is scheduled to follow by the end of the year.

In June, Honda had announced that it would present a new generation of its popular compact crossover model; however, the Japanese company had not disclosed any specific details on the vehicle other than it would sport a "new design inside and out, new features and new possibilities".

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Honda Odyssey Wears its Carlashes to the Beach

Truth to be said, the third generation of the Honda Odyssey is about as exciting to look at as a bowl of cheerios. And no, adding carlashes will definitely not change our view on the Japanese minivan’s styling or rather, the lack of it. Read more »

Video: Honda’s CR-Z Mugen Special Driven by Fifth Gear

A few weeks ago at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Honda unveiled a concept study of the hybrid CR-Z prepared by Mugen’s European division.

The fettled CR-Z retained the regular model’s mechanical hardware including the IMA electric motor and the 1.5-liter gasoline engine, but the upgraded internals and the addition of a supercharger increased its performance by more than 50% over the normal model, to 200+ horsepower and 215 Nm (158.6 lb/ft).

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Rising Yen won’t Hurt Nissan’s Sales, says Ghosn

Nissan CEO, Carlos Ghosn, has predicted that Japan’s second biggest carmaker will achieve its sales targets, despite the yen’s 9.6% climb over the US dollar in the past year. However Ghosn admitted that the strength of the Yen may cause problems: “The high yen is definitely a headwind. What I worry about is not just Nissan, but Japanese manufacturers losing their motivation to maintain production in Japan”. Read more »

Toyota and Honda want to Win Back Sales Share from Hyundai Sonata with New Models

Not too long ago, if someone told you that a South Korean model would challenge America’s best selling sedan, the Toyota Camry, you would have probably laughed in his or her face.

Needless to say, a lot has changed over the past few years with Hyundai and in particular its latest Sonata sedan, not only challenging, but this past May even surpassing the Camry in U.S. sales for the first time in history.

Of course, the fact that Toyota’s production capabilities were seriously affected by the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan, played a significant role in Hyundai’s accomplishment.

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Race-Prepped Honda Mugen CR-Z RR Concept Ready for Track Action

The almost production ready Honda Mugen CR-Z Concept wasn’t the only product from the Japanese automaker’s in-house tuning company to debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Along with the street-legal CR-Z Concept Mugen also brought along a competition version bearing the ‘RR’ moniker. The conceptual Mugen CR-Z RR sports a more dynamic aero package comprising of bespoke parts such as the wider front and rear bumpers with air-vents, side skirts, a rear diffuser and larger rear wing.

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Honda Vision 110 scooter

Honda has announced that its new Vision 110 scooter, which replaces the Lead 110, will arrive in UK dealers this August.



Priced at £1,800 on the road, it comes with a four-stroke fuel injected engine that manages to achieve a very impressive 140 mpg (2.0 l/100km).

Being a twist-and-go scooter the Vision 110 should be easy to ride, even for novices. For enhanced manoeuvrability it only weighs 102 kg (224 lbs), while the seat height is a confidence-inspiring 760 mm (29.9 inches).



Standard features include underseat storage, compartments in the leg shields and Honda’s linked Combined Braking System. An alarm, top box and high windscreen are all on the options list.

Vision 110 buyers will be able to choose from Pearl Procyon Black, Candy Aluja Blue, Boss Grey Metallic, Candy Lucid Red or Pearl White paint finishes.

Honda Vision 110 scooter

Honda has announced that its new Vision 110 scooter, which replaces the Lead 110, will arrive in UK dealers this August.



Priced at £1,800 on the road, it comes with a four-stroke fuel injected engine that manages to achieve a very impressive 140 mpg (2.0 l/100km).

Being a twist-and-go scooter the Vision 110 should be easy to ride, even for novices. For enhanced manoeuvrability it only weighs 102 kg (224 lbs), while the seat height is a confidence-inspiring 760 mm (29.9 inches).



Standard features include underseat storage, compartments in the leg shields and Honda’s linked Combined Braking System. An alarm, top box and high windscreen are all on the options list.

Vision 110 buyers will be able to choose from Pearl Procyon Black, Candy Aluja Blue, Boss Grey Metallic, Candy Lucid Red or Pearl White paint finishes.

What a Tease…Honda Announces All-New 2012 CR-V on its U.S. Website

Honda is trying to build some suspense around its forthcoming, brand-new 2012 CR-V crossover by making an announcement on its U.S. market website. All we get for now is a picture of a tunnel and a press blurb that doesn’t really say much other than that Honda will be revealing the successor to the current CR-V bit by bit in the next few months. Read more »

Ford and Dodge Flop, Lexus and Honda Top JD Power’s 2011 U.S. Initial Quality Study

The results are in for JD Power’s latest 2011 U.S. Initial Quality study that looks at the first 90 days of ownership and the news is not good for Ford Motor Company. The Dearborn-based company tumbled from fifth place and highest-ranking non-luxury automaker last year to 23rd in 2011 with 116 problems per 100 vehicles. Analysts claim that Ford’s freefall is due to complaints related to the company’s onboard MyFord Touch infotainment systems.

Even worse, Dodge was placed last in the list with 137 problems per 100 cars. Scion, MINI, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi and Suzuki didn’t fare well either occupying the last places in the study.

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Honda CR-Z Mugen: All you Need to Know about Honda’s Hottest Hybrid Yet

We’ve already shared initial information and a video on the Mugen-fettled CR-Z that Honda is about to launch at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, but today, the Japanese carmaker came out with all the juicy details, as well as more photos of the sporty hybrid concept.

According to company’s European division, the CR-Z Mugen sets out to prove that hybrid cars can be exciting to drive, with the one-off special producing “Civic Type R-like performance” while also remaining true to the original, eco-friendly character of the run-of-the-mill CR-Z.

Colin Whittamore from Mugen Euro explains the philosophy behind the creation of the CR-Z Mugen:

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Turbo cars lead BTCC

The 2011 British Touring Car Championship is now already midway through its season.



So far, it has been rather dominated by the contentious issue of performance parity between the turbocharged and normally-aspirated cars, although another boost reduction introduced for the most recent round at Croft seems to have helped a lot.



That said, the championship table remains dominated by cars running NGTC engines, with sixth-place Jason Plato in his Chevrolet Cruze seemingly the only non-turbo entrant with any realistic prospect of taking the title.

Chevrolet Cruze Super 2000

The series now takes its long summer break, with the next event taking place at Snetterton on 7th August.

2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship: Standings After Five Rounds
Pos.	Driver	Team	Car	Points
1	Matt Neal	Honda Racing Team	Honda Civic	140
2	Mat Jackson	Airwaves Racing	Ford Focus	131
3	Gordon Shedden	Honda Racing Team	Honda Civic	120
4	Andrew Jordan	Pirtek Racing	Vauxhall Vectra	111
5	James Nash	888 Racing with Collins Contractors	Vauxhall Vectra	104
6	Jason Plato	Silverline Chevrolet	Chevrolet Cruze	100
7	Robert Collard	WSR	BMW 320si	66
8	Tom Chilton	Team Aon	‘Global’ Ford Focus	64
9	Alex MacDowall	Silverline Chevrolet	Chevrolet Cruze	47
10	Paul O’Neill	GoMobileUK.com with tech-Speed	Chevrolet Cruze	32
11	Tom Boardman	Special Tuning Racing	Seat Leon	31
12	Nick Foster	WSR	BMW 320si	27
13	Tony Gilham	888 Racing with Collins Contractors	Vauxhall Vectra	12
14	Jeff Smith	Pirtek Racing	Vauxhall Vectra	12
15	Tom Onslow-Cole	Team Aon	‘Global’ Ford Focus	10
16	Andy Neate	Team Aon	‘Global’ Ford Focus	9
17	David Newsham	Geoff Steel Racing	BMW 320si	9
18	Lea Wood	Central Group Racing	Honda Integra	4
19	Liam Griffin	Airwaves Racing	Ford Focus	2
20	Rob Austin	Rob Austin Racing	Audi A4	0
21	Frank Wrathall	Dynojet	Toyota Avensis	0
22	David Pinkney	Rob Austin Racing	Audi A4	0
23	John George	GoMobileUK.com with tech-Speed	Chevrolet Cruze	0
24	Daniel Welch	Welch Automotive	Proton Gen-2	0
25	Tony Hughes	Speedworks Motorsport	Toyota Avensis	0
26	Chris James	Team ES Racing.com	Chevrolet Lacetti	0
27	Shaun Hollamby	AmD Milltek Racing.com	Volkswagen Golf	0

Related posts:

Avensis NGTC racers debut

2011 BTCC entries

Snetterton corner names

Turbo cars lead BTCC

The 2011 British Touring Car Championship is now already midway through its season.



So far, it has been rather dominated by the contentious issue of performance parity between the turbocharged and normally-aspirated cars, although another boost reduction introduced for the most recent round at Croft seems to have helped a lot.



That said, the championship table remains dominated by cars running NGTC engines, with sixth-place Jason Plato in his Chevrolet Cruze seemingly the only non-turbo entrant with any realistic prospect of taking the title.

Chevrolet Cruze Super 2000

The series now takes its long summer break, with the next event taking place at Snetterton on 7th August.

2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship: Standings After Five Rounds
Pos.	Driver	Team	Car	Points
1	Matt Neal	Honda Racing Team	Honda Civic	140
2	Mat Jackson	Airwaves Racing	Ford Focus	131
3	Gordon Shedden	Honda Racing Team	Honda Civic	120
4	Andrew Jordan	Pirtek Racing	Vauxhall Vectra	111
5	James Nash	888 Racing with Collins Contractors	Vauxhall Vectra	104
6	Jason Plato	Silverline Chevrolet	Chevrolet Cruze	100
7	Robert Collard	WSR	BMW 320si	66
8	Tom Chilton	Team Aon	‘Global’ Ford Focus	64
9	Alex MacDowall	Silverline Chevrolet	Chevrolet Cruze	47
10	Paul O’Neill	GoMobileUK.com with tech-Speed	Chevrolet Cruze	32
11	Tom Boardman	Special Tuning Racing	Seat Leon	31
12	Nick Foster	WSR	BMW 320si	27
13	Tony Gilham	888 Racing with Collins Contractors	Vauxhall Vectra	12
14	Jeff Smith	Pirtek Racing	Vauxhall Vectra	12
15	Tom Onslow-Cole	Team Aon	‘Global’ Ford Focus	10
16	Andy Neate	Team Aon	‘Global’ Ford Focus	9
17	David Newsham	Geoff Steel Racing	BMW 320si	9
18	Lea Wood	Central Group Racing	Honda Integra	4
19	Liam Griffin	Airwaves Racing	Ford Focus	2
20	Rob Austin	Rob Austin Racing	Audi A4	0
21	Frank Wrathall	Dynojet	Toyota Avensis	0
22	David Pinkney	Rob Austin Racing	Audi A4	0
23	John George	GoMobileUK.com with tech-Speed	Chevrolet Cruze	0
24	Daniel Welch	Welch Automotive	Proton Gen-2	0
25	Tony Hughes	Speedworks Motorsport	Toyota Avensis	0
26	Chris James	Team ES Racing.com	Chevrolet Lacetti	0
27	Shaun Hollamby	AmD Milltek Racing.com	Volkswagen Golf	0

Related posts:

Avensis NGTC racers debut

2011 BTCC entries

Snetterton corner names

Honda Launches New Fit Shuttle Small MPV in Japan [ 46 Photos]

After briefly postponing the presentation of its all-new Fit Shuttle due to a variety of problems that arose from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Honda on Thursday officially launched its mini MPV.

While keeping the five-seat layout of the regular Fit (called Jazz in Europe), the Shuttle is longer and taller, with the extra space benefiting both the rear passengers and the cargo area.

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Finally a Tumblr made for guys who are turned on by women who ride motorcycles "themotolady.com"

You didn't think I was just going to post perfectly unreal beautiful women on cafe racers and sports bikes did you? You ought to know by know I'm going to pass on them and see about the woman on the Flying Merkel straight away.

A bit of everything motorcycle on http://themotolady.com/ and it's not strict on the women on bikes theme, but its about 90/10 women to men. Great site, enjoy

Honda unveils NSF250R

Honda Racing Corporation has revealed its NSF250R at the Circuit de Catalunya. The brand new racer has been built to compete in Moto3, the class for four-stroke, 250 cc machines that replaces the current two-stroke 125 cc category from next season.

The NSF250R’s engine is a single cylinder unit, which is tilted back 15 degrees in the bike to help concentrate mass and improve stability. Producing 47.6 bhp (35.5 kW / 48.2 PS) at 13,000 rpm, it features double overhead camshafts plus titanium intake and exhaust valves. Drive is via a six-speed, cassette type gearbox.



Both the aluminium frame and suspension geometry are based on those of the RS125R, although efforts have been made to improve torsional rigidity. This has been necessary to combat the extra bulk of the four-stroke motor, with modifications including the fitment of a revised swing arm. Kerb weight, ready to ride, is 84 kg (185 lbs).



Customer teams will be able to buy the NSF250R at a confirmed price of €23,600. That’s around £21,000 or US$34,500 at today’s exchange rates.



Related posts:

Honda WSB team launch

Honda CBR250R first look

Honda unveils NSF250R

Honda Racing Corporation has revealed its NSF250R at the Circuit de Catalunya. The brand new racer has been built to compete in Moto3, the class for four-stroke, 250 cc machines that replaces the current two-stroke 125 cc category from next season.

The NSF250R’s engine is a single cylinder unit, which is tilted back 15 degrees in the bike to help concentrate mass and improve stability. Producing 47.6 bhp (35.5 kW / 48.2 PS) at 13,000 rpm, it features double overhead camshafts plus titanium intake and exhaust valves. Drive is via a six-speed, cassette type gearbox.



Both the aluminium frame and suspension geometry are based on those of the RS125R, although efforts have been made to improve torsional rigidity. This has been necessary to combat the extra bulk of the four-stroke motor, with modifications including the fitment of a revised swing arm. Kerb weight, ready to ride, is 84 kg (185 lbs).



Customer teams will be able to buy the NSF250R at a confirmed price of €23,600. That’s around £21,000 or US$34,500 at today’s exchange rates.



Related posts:

Honda WSB team launch

Honda CBR250R first look