Honda intends to begin production of available car Global Hybrid, which will enable many people around the world to take advantage of "clean" technologies that significantly reduce emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere.
The vehicle will be calculated at five passengers and is equipped with 5 doors. In developing the design concept salon used FCX Clarity. The distinctive features of the machine are cost, maneuverability, comfort and stylish design. Costs of production would be considerably reduced by new electronic control unit and light, more compact battery. Using a completely new platform for hybrid battery and control unit will be deployed now under the luggage compartment.
Honda Global Hybrid will come on the market early 2009. HONDA expects to sell 200 thousand machines annually.
Honda Global Hybrid
Honda announced the development of new hybrids
In the coming years in the range of a new line of Honda hybrid vehicles, said Chief Executive Officer Takeo Fukui. In particular, in early 2009, will appear five hybrid Hatchback on a new platform. It will be designed for the U.S. market, while the exterior receives from concept Honda FCX Clarity, running on fuel cells.
In addition, the series will be a hybrid version of a concept sports CR-Z, debuted at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Finally, a hybrid version of the popular will receive compact car Honda Fit.
By 2010, Honda plans to bring annual sales of hybrid vehicles worldwide to 500 000 pieces, it would require in order to enter the second conveyor at the plant in the Japanese city of Suzuka. Now hybrid lineup presented only sedans Honda Civic Hybrid, is sold in North America. Previously released Insight hybrid models and modified Accord.
Honda Begins European Sales of HondaJet
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 20, 2008 – Honda Aircraft Company, Inc., began European sales of the HondaJet advanced light jet at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) by introducing its first customer in the region – F-1 race driver and business entrepreneur, Jenson Button. To provide sales and service support to its customers in Europe, the company announced that it will establish a new European network of three HondaJet-exclusive sales and service centers.
Honda Aircraft Company also announced an expansion of its relationship with FlightSafety International, the world’s leading pilot training company, to provide its customers with flight training in Europe. Further, Honda debuted a new in-flight entertainment (IFE) system concept with cutting-edge features.
"Europe is one of the world’s fastest growing markets for light jets and we have a great number of customers who have contacted us over the past two years about owning a HondaJet," said Michimasa Fujino, Honda Aircraft Company president and CEO. "We approached the selection of our sales and service partners with great attention to detail. And I tried to find people with a challenging spirit, who share our passion for this product and our passion to create a new and higher standard for the private jet aircraft ownership experience in Europe."
HondaJet European Sales and Service Network
Advancing its commitment to provide HondaJet customers with class-leading levels of satisfaction in sales and service support for light jets, the company is partnering with three European companies to establish a network of stand-alone, state-of-the-art centers dedicated exclusively to the sales and service of HondaJet. These new regional facilities are scheduled to begin operation in late 2012 in time for the first European HondaJet deliveries, and will be strategically located in close proximity to customers in the regions surrounding the U.K., Germany and Spain.
Northern Europe and the United Kingdom:
Honda Aircraft Company will partner with TAG Aviation SA to establish HondaJet U.K. & Northern Europe at Farnborough Airport, U.K. This HondaJet facility will provide sales and service support for HondaJet customers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
Central Europe:
Honda Aircraft Company will partner with Rheinland Air Service GmbH to establish HondaJet Central Europe in Frankfurt, Germany. Central European HondaJet customers from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia will be supported by HondaJet Central Europe.
Southern Europe:
Honda Aircraft Company will partner with Aviastec to establish HondaJet Southern Europe in the Madrid area of Spain. HondaJet Southern Europe will accommodate the needs of customers from Spain, Portugal, France, Monaco, Italy, Greece, and Turkey.
First HondaJet Customer in Europe – F-1 Racer Jenson Button
Joining Honda at the announcement was F-1 racecar driver Jenson Button, who is forming a new aviation charter business and has placed orders for two HondaJets to support this new business venture. Button will take first delivery in late 2012.
"We are very enthusiastic about the future potential of the flight charter business and the unique capabilities of the HondaJet in helping us achieve a successful launch of this new enterprise," said Button. "I am especially impressed with the many advanced technologies on HondaJet that provide class-leading performance, efficiency, and agility without sacrificing environmental concerns. My personal experience with Honda and its dedication to performance, quality and engineering excellence in every detail clearly demonstrates the value in flying HondaJet."
New Flight Training Operation in Europe
Honda also announced the expansion of its partnership with FlightSafety International to cover pilot training for all European customers. FlightSafety International is developing a Level-D full-motion flight simulator for HondaJet. The first simulator will be installed at Honda Aircraft Company’s new headquarters facility, and a European location will be announced in the future.
"We are pleased to offer our European customers the world's highest quality of pilot training through our partnership with FlightSafety International," Fujino said. "This symbolizes our commitment to provide class-leading support in every aspect of the light-jet ownership experience.”
New HondaJet Entertainment Concept
Honda further unveiled at EBACE a cutting-edge in-flight entertainment (IFE) system concept. The system offers passengers personal control of in-cabin video and audio entertainment, climate systems, and cabin/cockpit communications through high-definition touch panel displays. The touch panel displays deploy from the ceiling and provide passengers with access to video and audio programs.
"I hope this cabin mockup demonstrates how we are working to innovate every aspect of the customer experience," said Fujino. "We look forward to receiving customer feedback on the system."
Source: Honda.com
Honda Zest Sports G Dynamic Special
Ruler urban minicars Honda company consists of four models (Honda Life, Honda Zest, Honda Vamos and Honda Vamos Hobio), one of which was recently presented in a new set. This is the mikrovene Honda Zest Sports G Dynamic Special.
A car equipped spoiler, 14 - inch discs light, LED lights and tinted the color of the body in inset under the radiator grille. By 5 colour options, only one body has invited the interior colors - naturally black. In saloon cars can be found automatic air conditioning and stereo with CD-player.
The cost of this mini sportcar Honda Zest with a motor volume of 660 cubic meters. (52 hp) and front drive is 1 270 500 yen ($ 12 145), but for the version with full drive will have to pay more - 1 407 000 yen ($ 13 450).
Honda on a Diesel Diet
HONDA has spent decades establishing a reputation for fuel efficiency. But nothing in the company’s current lineup, including its Civic Hybrid, can match the mileage of the diesel Accord that I recently tested in and around New York City.
Minus its diesel powertrain, the European-market 2007 Accord that I drove is nearly identical to the car that Honda had been selling in the United States as the Acura TSX. That Accord should give a solid indication of the mileage and performance American consumers can expect when Honda offers a diesel option for the redesigned 2009 TSX.
The Accord — a demonstration car provided by Robert Bosch, the German technology company, to highlight its fuel injectors and other diesel components — returned a remarkable 53 miles a gallon on the highway, 34 in the city and 44 in combined driving. Those miles included a bumper-to-bumper crawl through Manhattan, the worst possible conditions for fuel efficiency.
The model I drove was powered by a 4-cylinder diesel displacing 2.2 liters and producing 140 horsepower and a stout 250 pound-feet of torque — the force that drivers feel pushing them into their seats under acceleration. That huge torque relative to the engine’s size is a main advantage of modern turbodiesels, making them well-suited to small economy cars and to burly S.U.V.’s that need torque for towing and hauling.
The America-bound Acura will use a new version of the 2.2-liter engine that I tested. The engine is notable for meeting 50-state emissions standards with no need to carry an onboard tank of urea, an ammonia-generating solution that other diesels use to scrub smoggy nitrogen oxides from the exhaust. Honda’s patented pollution system generates its own ammonia to fulfill the same mission. While that cleaner emissions system wasn’t installed on the Honda I tested, engineers expect it to have no discernable effect on fuel economy.
As with other diesels I’ve driven recently, the Honda’s frugal highway mileage and versatile power are important advantages over the typical hybrid. The Accord covered the zero-to-60 run in just under 9 seconds in my testing, which doesn’t sound spectacular on paper. But its passing power from 30, 50 or even 70 miles an hour was terrific, as the Honda easily shot past slower cars.
And as more hybrid owners are discovering, their cars deliver little or no mileage gain on the highway. That’s because battery packs and electric motors add several hundred pounds, and the system also contributes negligible energy at freeway speeds.
Also unlike hybrids, which require drivers to go easy on the gas pedal, watch the speed limit and coast when possible to improve the mileage, the diesel Honda delivered brilliant economy with no special effort. Even spirited driving didn’t dent the mileage much. The Accord delivered 50 m.p.g. even during a 75-m.p.h. cruise and 40 m.p.g. when I flogged it like a Nascar yahoo.
The Acura’s only diesel telltale is an idle that’s slightly louder than a gasoline car’s, though it’s not at all obtrusive. There was no trace of diesel smell or black exhaust and except for the enormous diesel decal on the car’s side, my passengers would have been unaware that a diesel was under the hood.
I also recently spent a week with the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI sport utility, which will go on sale in January. That model, with a 3-liter turbocharged V-6, delivered about 25 m.p.g. on the highway. But the Audi’s mileage seemed more fragile than the Honda’s, dropping sharply in city traffic and in spirited driving. That was probably due to its sheer mass; the Q7 weighed more than 5,000 pounds.
Audi also demonstrates the performance possibilities of diesel with its exotic R8 V-12 TDI concept sports car, which I took for a too-brief test drive. That blood-red, all-wheel-drive Audi had a 12-cylinder diesel mounted behind my head, generating 500 horsepower and an astounding 737 pound-feet of torque. Audi claims the R8 will rocket from 0 to 60 in about 4 seconds and reach a top speed of 190 m.p.h., all while delivering 24 m.p.g. Audi has not said whether it will put the car into production.
Source: NY Times
Honda Racer - Hot Wheels
Honda is announcing the arrival of the Honda Racer™, a much-anticipated 1/64th scale Hot Wheels® car designed by Honda R&D Americas, Inc., in Torrance. The Honda model, along with designs from five additional automakers, were selected as part of the Hot WheelsDesigner's Challenge™ as a way to celebrate the die-cast brand's 40th anniversary. The Honda Racer arrives on store shelves in May 2008.
"The Honda Racer combines the excitement of Honda's racing heritage with Hot Wheels' reputation for speed, power, performance and attitude," says Guillermo Gonzalez, senior designer of Honda R&D Americas, Inc., and designer of the Honda Racer. "The core concept is built around our idea for an 'ultimate racecar' and leverages the design freedom made possible by a scale model car."
The key element to the design of the entire car is that the body is in the shape of the Honda "H" emblem. The exterior shape resembles an imaginative side-by-side racecar of 1960s vintage that encloses a driver and a navigator. The general shape, styling and paint scheme is further inspired by Honda's early participation in Formula 1 racing and its 1967 RA 273™ racecar. The white and red paint scheme, the open cockpits, large exhaust system and open wheels are all elements inspired by the historic Honda racecar.
A powerful Honda V-10 VTEC® engine sits between the piloting team. If brought up to scale, the engine would displace an amazing 2.0 liters per cylinder. A set of velocity stacks and an intake that receives air through the body of the car sits between red DOHC valve covers to provide a technologically-advanced look. The exhaust system is a giant set of twisted, yet balanced tubes that reside high above the engine, complementing the power plant design at the back end of the car. The dynamic expression of technology, history and detail is evident throughout the design of the car.
"Sure, it is awesome to play with the cars on the orange track again, but I discovered that designing a Hot Wheels car is very different and in some ways more liberating than designing a production car," says Gonzalez, a native of East Los Angeles who considers automotive design to be his dream job. "For example, the primary design constraint is that the car had to fit on the orange track and perform a loop. Aside from that, the possibilities are without limit."
Mattel invited auto manufacturers to participate in the Hot Wheels Designer's Challenge as part of the die-cast brand's 40th anniversary celebration. The design of the Honda Racer debuted at the 2007 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas in October as a 1/5th scale model.
Starting in mid-August, the Honda Racer 1/5th scale model and other cars from the Designer's Challenge will be part of the Hot Wheels 40th anniversary road trip traveling along historic U.S. Route 40, stopping at multiple cities along the way. The tour starts at the Mattel headquarters in El Segundo, California, in August and ends at Watkins Glen, New York, in early September. See www.hotwheels.com/40th for more information.
Honda Racer Technical Specifications
Layout: Mid engine/ rear wheel drive
Seating Capacity: 2
Length x Width x Height (cm): 7.0 x 3.0 x 2.2
Curb Weight: 40 grams
Body/ Frame: Real die-cast metal, plastic
Fuel: Gravity and a child's imagination
Engine: Die-cast Honda V-10 (theoretical)
Valvetrain: DOHC VTEC, four valves per cylinder (theoretical)
Displacement: 20 liters/1220 cubic inches (theoretical)
Suspension: Solid front and rear axles
Tires: Low-friction hard plastic
About the Hot Wheels® Brand
Hot Wheels® cars revolutionized boys' toys in 1968 with an original line of super-fast, customized cars built for speed, power, performance and attitude. Now, 40 years later, Hot Wheels® is a global lifestyle brand that represents the coolest cars imaginable in scales from miniature to full-size. Hot Wheels® cars are also popular collectibles for adults and each year, introduces a new line-up of innovative vehicles, track sets and playsets.
New Honda Legend
Honda for South Korea in the ongoing road show presented an updated version of Honda Legend Sedan. This model is similar to the latest version of Acura RL, which she made her debut in February at the Chicago motor show.
From the previous update Legend differs new design exterior and interior. It is expected that the car will be equipped with a 3.5 - liter V6 engine with a system of management of the cylinders (capacity may reach 280 hp). This engine is used on the American Honda Accord, Honda Inspire Japanese SUV and Honda Pilot.
So far no information that the Honda Legend will be used 3.7 - liter V6 SOHC engine from the Acura RL, whose output is 300 hp
Kia, Honda post strong April sales; Acura sees sharp decrease
While the overall auto industry continues to sag, makers of smaller, more efficient vehicles continue to post impressive sales results. Kia announced on Friday that it has a record sales month in April, selling 30,066 units in the U.S. — a 15.6 percent increase over April 2007.
Kia's biggest winners were the Rondo, Rio, Optima and Spectra, with the Rondo crossover being the brand's biggest star. Sales of the Rondo were up a whopping 118.3 percent in April, totaling 4,052 sales. The Optima also saw impressive gains — up 89.3 percent to 4,550 sales, according to Automotive News.
Honda couldn't give precise April sales numbers due to a technical issue, but it is estimated that the Japanese automaker saw its April sales rise by 6.8 percent, totaling 135,000 units. Honda said that its Fit, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V all set April sales figures — thanks to the vehicles' excellent fuel economy ratings.
Despite the impressive month at Honda, it was quite another story at the marque's Acura luxury division. Acura sales were off 14.4 percent in April, likely due to the brand's aging passenger car lineup. All-new TSX, TL and RL models will be phased in in the coming months.
source: leftlanenews.com