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Have cars become multi-racial?
 
Sure, you have American car companies, German car companies, Japanese car companies, and so on and so forth. These determinations are based pretty much on where auto manufacturers are headquartered, but when you get right down to it, are the labels really accurate? One would assume that when he/she buys an American car, that car was more or less manufactured in America, with American parts. And the same would go for German, Japanese, etc nameplates. This is simply not so in a lot of cases. For example, according to the Internet Auto Guide, Toyota, a Japanese nameplate, uses mostly American-built parts in its models. In fact, they use more American parts than any of the American manufacturers - Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet included. Some of those Toyota models are also assembled in the United States. The AIG site recently published a list of the seven cars with the most American parts under the hood. Granted, the top two were models from American manufacturers - the Dodge Avenger and the Chrysler 200 - but, according to the report, Toyota uses more American parts, across the board, than any of the so-called American manufacturers. Their models ranked third (Camry) and fourth (Avalon) on the list. These two vehicles not only used American parts, but are also built in the U.S. at a facility in Georgetown, KY. In a sense, aren’t these really American cars then? Full story after the jump. Full story 2011 Honda Civic Ti Limited Edition
The British market is once again receiving a pretty cool car: a limited edition Honda Civic TI. There will only be 500 units built, with sales beginning in March 2011 at a price of £15,995 for the 1.4 i-VTEC and £16,995 for the 1.8 variant. The new Civic TI is inspired by this season’s Honda Racing British Touring Car challenger and comes painted in Premium White Pearl contrasting with matte black wheels and ‘GP’ body kit finished in Crystal Black. The body kit includes: front spoiler, rear spoiler (finished in white), side skirt inserts and rear body skirts. For the interior, the new Ti model is offering Pioneer Navigation Multimedia System, which offers full-scale sat nav, entertainment and communication with a 3D graphic touch screen. The navigation system includes a map database covering 44 countries, multiple sensors to ensure more accurate positioning, a traffic message channel receiver to avoid traffic jams and a hands free telephone system. It also plays CD, DVD, iPod, iPhone and USB devices, with on-screen controls. 2012 Honda Civic
The Honda Civic has been around for what seems like ages, from the first generation in 1973 to the eighth generation which began in 2006, and now Honda’s little star sedan is entering its ninth generation with a couple more variants for the 2012MY. We first saw this new generation Civic in concept form at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, and now the 2012 Honda Civic is getting an "HF" high fuel economy and a hybrid version for its lineup that will allow the Civic to become one of the most efficient models on the market, with an economy estimated at 40 mpg. The full lineup will includes these two new models, plus the sedan and coupe versions with conventional gasoline engines, two sporty "Si" performance versions, and a natural gas alternative-fuel variant. "The Civic is the only model in the industry that can deliver on all fronts – fuel economy, sporty performance, smart packaging, alternative fuel and long-term value," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda Motor Co.,Inc. "For the ninth-generation Civic, we are emphasizing improved fuel economy across the board, from the hybrid sedan to the sporty Si model." Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Honda Civic. Full story Honda CEO officially confirms new NSX
Honda stopped production of the NSX supercar back in 2005. And ever since then there were lots of rumors about a successor for the famous car. But now Honda CEO made it official: "I feel that we need to meet the calls from the public asking (for a successor)." However, do not expect to see a production version before 2015. After the NSX was officially dropped, the only car that had some connection with it was the HSV revealed last year and considered a race-car successor to the NSX. As for the future sports car there are lots of rumors: first of them said that it will be powered by a 4.5 liter high-rev V10 engine producing around 550 HP. That is actually not the case as Acura has recently patented a new V6 engine that will deliver up to 400 HP, making it a more ideal choice for the sports car once it is coupled to a combination of electric motors. So, the 3,5 liter V6 offered in a supercharged version remains the strongest possibility. 2011 Detroit Auto Show Recap
As the first major international auto show of the 2011 calendar year, the North America International Auto Show sees no shortage of manufacturers all looking to break in the new year with a bang. Some make a tremendous impression on all of us, whereas others just fade into obscurity as soon as the show ends. The challenge for these automakers is to make sure that they bring out products, whether its of production material or it’s a concept that will stand out from the rest. All the happenings of the Detroit Auto Show took at the Cobb Center in Detroit a few weeks ago so we felt it was an opportune time to provide a heads-up of what vehicles served notice at the event. This recap will cover all the cars that were officially unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show. Check out the list and let us know which of these new toys on the block you’d want to be taking home to with you. Check out the list after the jump. Full story
2011 Honda Native Concept
Of all the aesthetic advancements that are expected to be applied to automobiles in the future, a color-changing exterior ranks right up there with flying wheels, a talking engine, and a car that runs on pure H20. Suffice to say, it’s unlikely, if not improbable to see any of those things in the near future. Having said that, artist Liviu Tudoran is undaunted, having thought up of a Honda concept that is not only made of light material, but also uses a photo-chromic technology that allows the car to change its color. Calling it the Honda Native, Tudoran’s concept is powered by an electric engine that gets its energy from high-voltage lithium-ion batteries. In terms of design, Tudoran creates another notable concept that has an interior made of light aluminum while taking advantage of the new OLED technology and using it as a display for the Native’s speedometer and touch screen controls. We can’t honestly say that this is Tudoran’s best work, but for a designer of his skill, his best is still pretty impressive compared to other concept renderings we’ve seen in the past. This Honda Native, if it does somehow come to life, looks like a formidable Beetle squasher. 2012 Honda Civic Sedan Concept
In addition to the Honda Civic SI Concept, Honda also brought the new Civic Concept Sedan to the Detroit Auto Show. Together with the SI Concept, the two new Civic models give us a good idea on what the latest generation of Honda’s legendary Civic line is going to look like. As for the Civic Concept Sedan, Honda designed the car using clean and powerful lines and overall pronounced character lines in the front while having lower character lines towards the rear fender, enhancing the car’s dynamic outlook of vibrancy and forward energy. Similar to the Si Concept, the Civic Concept Sedan also features a front fender surface treatment that forms a complex, three-dimensional look, further enhancing the sedan’s depth and sophistication. Moreover, the Civic Concept Sedan features a completely new front grille that’s defined by crisp lines and a solid bar that integrates a chrome Honda emblem to go along with a set of 19” machined alloy wheels. Apart from the Sedan and Si models, the ninth generation Honda Civic line-up will include a sedan, a coupe with conventional gasoline models, and two sporty "Si" performance versions, along with one hybrid and a natural gas alternative-fuel variant. According to John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda, the new and redesigned Civic is going to be the best one yet. “The Civic is known for providing a balance of ’just-right’ packaging, fun-to-drive character and outstanding fuel economy, at a price that even first-time buyers can afford," he said. 2011 Honda Civic Si Concept
Gracing the showroom floors of the 2011 Detroit Auto Show is the new Honda Civic Si, a concept that offers us a first glimpse of the ninth generation Civic Si going on sale later this spring. The Si concept is defined by clean-yet-powerful lines with a steeply raked windshield, wide stance, and pronounced character lines along the profile. The new Civic Si Concept features a more angular front fascia, mesh grille, and a tapered rear roofline that flows smoothly into the trunk. Its aggressive look is completed by a rear air diffuser, a center-mounted exhaust outlet, and a rear deck lid spoiler with dual vents. The concept sits on 19" machined alloy wheels with an impressive red exterior paint making it look better than ever. The ninth generation Honda Civic line-up will include a sedan, a coupe with conventional gasoline models, and two sporty "Si" performance versions, along with one hybrid and a natural gas alternative-fuel variant. 2011 Honda Accord Crosstour HFP Concept
Despite what we consider as bland styling, the Honda Accord Crosstour still has plenty of room for improvement. During the SEMA Auto Show, we saw the potential of the Accord Crosstour to look exponentially better once you add a few dinks and dunks on the car’s aesthetic design. Looking a lot more aggressive than its standard looks, the SEMA-spec HFP Accord Crosstour certainly looks as if it has been dressed to impress. Featuring a full body kit courtesy of HFP, the Accord Crosstour’s overall look is further improved by the installation of a new front grille as part of the tuner’s body kit. The Accord Crosstour was also given a prototype lowered HFP sport suspension, color-matched door handles, a special black-out door sash trim, and a set of 19” HFP PDS-10 wheels wrapped in Yokohama ADVAN ST 245/50-series tires. All the additions certainly brought out the Accord Crosstour’s fresh and aggressive look, something the standard version somehow failed to do. With the changes, the car now looks a whole lot more presentable than what it used to look like without the styling changes. Kudos to HFP on a job well done. 2011 Honda TS-1X concept
The lights for the Detroit Auto Show haven’t even dimmed and already Honda is announcing its lineup of vehicles for the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon starting Friday, January 14th to Sunday, January 16th, 2011. So far we gather that the line-up will include both automobiles and motorcycles, with the most impressive model being the TS-1X test study based on the CR-Z. No details have been revealed on any of the models scheduled for Tokyo yet, but this image released by Honda reveals a matte black exterior paint with a revised front fascia, extended side skirts, and a massive rear spoiler for the TS-1X. Not bad for a test study, eh? Also headed to Japan for the Tokyo Auto Show are accessorized production automobiles and motorcycles, along with a variety of specially designed vehicles. These vehicles include the Freed Spike caravan car, the Acty Truck and the Enepo generator special coloring editions, and the HSV-010 GT machine. On the motorcycle front, the most impressive appearance will be made by the RC212V, which competed in the MotoGP class races. | featured reviews:Honda cars reviews2014 2013 2012
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