In today’s world, spec series racing is only limited to the virtual world of Gran Turismo. Sure, it’s a fun and affordable way to get some racing burn on a race track, but the truth of the matter is, it’s constrained to nothing more than video games. Real world racing of this kind costs a lot of money and resources, and people that have neither of those things are left out of luck.
Despite the fact that there are no B-spec professional series out there, Honda and Mazda are setting a goal of providing close racing in affordable cars by jointly announcing the formation of "B-Spec" Showroom Stock racing. The performance divisions for each brand – Honda Performance Development and MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development – recently unveiled their entries for a proposed new low-cost B-Spec series, using the Honda Fit and the MAZDA2 as their respective platforms.
As one of the fastest-growing segments in the entire automotive industry, B-segment vehicles have grown in popularity because they’re affordable and, more importantly, have enjoyed a tremendous following from younger demographics. That success has translated into the idea of producing cheap(er) B-Spec racers with the Fit and Mazda2 being two of among a number of other hatchbacks that would fit into this category. Other vehicles include the Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent, Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, and Chevrolet Aveo.
As one of the most esteemed auto magazines in the world, Car and Driver’s annual “Top 10 Cars” is always a good barometer for automakers to see if one – or maybe two – of their vehicles made it to the list. With a readership that spans the entire world, Car and Driver’s Top 10 list is read by millions of people so it’s kind of a big deal for these companies. From the usual suspects to a number of new surprises, the “Top 10 Cars” will reveal what cars the magazine is highly recommending for the next calendar year.
In determining which cars make it to the list, editor-in-chief, Eddie Alterman explains: “In our testing, we are looking for those automobiles that deliver spectacular value, real driver engagement, and the highest fulfillment of their intended mission.”
He continues: “Our testing takes place over a week on real roads in the real world, marshaling more than 60 new test cars and our entire editorial staff. It’s a real workout, and the best cars on the market emerge victorious."
For 2011, the list has a number of old guards that have made multiple appearances while there are others that are making their inaugural face-time. Just to give you an idea on what to expect, three American, German, and Japanese models made it to the list with the other spot going to a model from South Korea. There are also three cars – the Audi S4, the Mazda3, and the Ford Fusion Hybrid – that dropped out of the list, which means that you’re going to be seeing a number of new entries making it to the Top 10.
So without further ado, Car and Driver’s “Top 10 Cars for 2011” after the jump.
Honda may have unveiled the Fit EV Concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show, but that doesn’t mean they have forgotten about their petrol version of the Fit. For 2011, the Honda Fit gets more comfort, more convenience features, and VSA as standard. The car is already on sale with prices starting at $15,100 for the standard version and $16,860 for the Sport version.
The 2011 Fit is offered with a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 117 HP at 6,600 rpm and 106 lb-ft. of torque at 4,800 rpm. The engine can be mated to either a 5-Speed Manual or a 5-Speed Automatic transmission.
The Fit comes with standard amenities such as air conditioning, cruise control, remote entry, an AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, USB audio interface2, auxiliary audio input jack, MP3/WMA playback capability, Radio Data System (RDS), power windows, power mirrors and power door locks. The Fit Sport adds or replaces: carpeted floor mats, alloy wheels, an underbody aero kit, rear roofline spoiler, fog lights and a security system.
Hit the jump to read full details on the 2011 Honda Fit Sport.
Here in the US, we know this car as the Honda Fit, but in other parts of the world, it goes by another moniker; ‘the Honda Jazz’.
In Australia, the Jazz is currently in the middle of a hilarious promotional campaign called ‘Jazz Packing’. It’ hilarious because we watched the set of videos the campaign has released and we couldn’t stop our eyes from getting teary-eyed from all the hysterical laughing.
Basically, the ads were made to show exactly how versatile the Jazz really is. It’s got loads of room on the interior, it’s got 10 cup holders – that’s right, 10! – and it’s a practical ride for just about anybody, even if you’re a bodybuilder, a rapper, a hipster, and, of course, a ninja.
Check out these four hilarious ads and be sure to adhere our warnings that there will be massive loads of skimpy Speedos, “mystical” windows, tied-up pirates, and a reference to Haruki Murakami. We’re not making this stuff up.
More often than not we associate Honda’s in house tuner, Mugen, with fire breathing high horsepower GT500 NSXs on the racetrack and big winged hot hatch Civics Type Rs for more civilized use, they also cater to a few less likely members of the Honda family. In this instance we are talking about the compact Honda Fit hatchback, and Mugen’s Euro Sport package. The kit is made up of a sporty aero package starting off with a more aggressive front bumper and a subtle yet stylish hatch mounted wing. The Japanese tuner goes to meticulous lengths to ensure top quality fit and finish, just look at the carbon fiber license plate frame and engraved Mugen mounting screws.
On the inside Mugen dresses up the little Fit with a set of their signature kick plates at the base of the doors, race inspired oil and water temperature gauges mounted in a dual pod just outside the instrument cluster. The shifter gets a fancy knob made from a machined piece of billet aluminum as well as matching sport pedals for the Fit no matter whether you want to shift it yourself or let Honda do it for you. As far as performance is concerned, Mugen offers a free flowing sports exhaust for that perfect tone, a sport tuned suspension to allow the compact Fit to dance around chicanes and upgraded brake pads in the event that unavoidable objects make themselves known. However the best part of the Mugen package are the XJ and NR rims, available as either a multi spoke mesh design or a thick eight spoke design compete with the Mugen logo for each corner of your new car.
