The Honda Civic is currently in its eight generation, but the company is already preparing the ninth one. After only four years of production, the current Civic will be replaced in 2011 and, apparently, this is the first image of the car. The new Civic will target models like Hyundai Elantra and the Suzuki Kizashi. Sales should begin in 2012.
However, if this is indeed the next Civic, there are no major changes in terms of its design. Previous reports said the next Civic would feature a CR-Z inspired exterior design with a little futuristic edge. It is rumored the biggest changes will be made under the hood with Honda focusing on reducing consumption and fuel economy. Expect to see a new generation of the low emission three-cylinder engine and a hybrid version featuring the same powertrain as the CR-Z: a 1.5-liter petrol engine assisted by an electric motor that delivers a total of 124 HP and 131 lb-ft of torque.
We have some terrible news to report. Honda will be discontinuing the Civic Type R in Europe due to emission regulations. Sales should come to a close by the end of the year.
The motor, a 2.0-liter VTEC, doesn’t pass the EuroV emission rules and Honda has decided that it just isn’t worth it to make it compliant. We say that this is absolute bull.
What makes this situation even worse is that the Civic Type R will still be produced at the Swindon plant in the UK. The only difference is that they will now be producing them for other markets.
As a final farewell gesture, Honda will hold a Civic Type R meeting at the Silverstone raceway during the British Touring Car Championship. There will be special parking for owners of the car and the winner will get to do a lap of Northamptonshire circuit.
We hope that Honda decides to grow a pair and recreate the Type R for the upcoming Civic because they have already taken away the NSX and the S2000. Pretty soon, Honda will become just another middle-aged company with boring old sedans. Sort of like Toyota, but even they’re creating a sports car.
Hit the jump for the press release.
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The first running of the Goodwood Moving Motor Show was the scene of a horrifying car accident that occurred when a spectator sitting inside a running Honda Civic Mugen R accidentally stepped on the gas pedal, causing the car to plow straight into two pedestrians and two parked Jaguars, the oldest surviving Jaguar E-Type and a new Jaguar XKR.
Not exactly the kind of start it was hoping for.
Details are still limited, but witnesses present during the entire incident suggested that the driver of the Civic Mugen R was sitting cozy on the driver’s seat of the car before mistakenly revving up the running car and sending careening across the main pedestrian hallway and straight into the Jaguar booth before crashing into the back wall on the other side of the pavilion.
It took a while for the scene to be cleared up but in the end, the show eventually reopened to the public except for one event: the much hyped ‘Ride and Drive’.
Incidents like this could have been avoided if people just exercised a little sense of caution. But since it already happened, the most important thing is that while a number of people were hurt, it doesn’t appear to be too serious to have caused any serious injuries.
Buying a car can be great fun, but no matter how good your new vehicle is, there is always room for improvement. Most car and truck manufacturers leave room for us normal people to improve, or ruin their products. That’s not to say the original vehicle isn’t good, but in that good old American fashion, we always want to better our situation, in this case, our cars.
One of the easiest and cheapest upgrades one can do is an exhaust system. Sadly, many people add exhausts to cars that don’t need them, like Dodge Neons. A performance exhaust can free up some of the power in your engine by allowing the gases to escape a bit easier. When the gases can escape, your engine runs smoother.
Anyway, when the exhaust flows better, the fuel and air exit the combustion chamber faster and new fuel and air can be burned to create more power.
This works well for certain cars, but for some, the only effect that a bigger exhaust has is more noise. Putting a performance exhaust on a 1.8-liter Honda Civic won’t help the power all the much, but it’ll make it sound like a fart can.
Hit the jump for the rest of the article.
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The large car craze in the United States is at the end of its life cycle, at least we hope. Gas prices are still a bit high, but they will need to rise just a bit more in order to really bring the small car back into our thoughts again.
That being said, some of the most popular cars on the market today were once considered way too small to be safe. Take the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris for example. The three-door Yaris is a pretty popular car, but many still find it to be the size of a shoebox rather than the size of a proper car. The Fit is a little bigger, but Americans still find it a bit too small for their tastes. Maybe the seats just aren’t wide enough.
Modern safety laws and design have helped these small cars earn five-star safety ratings, but size still matters in some people’s minds. It’s going to take a few very special small cars, and even a few minivans and wagons, to shake America’s love with large, oversized vehicles. Here are the top ten cars that aren’t available in the United States.
Hit the jump to see the list.
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