HONDA SCRATCHES PLAN TO PRODUCE S2000, CR-Z CONVERTIBLE, AND V8 PROGRAM

Upon reading the report in a British magazine, a lot of car enthusiast and car experts are thinking of good epitaphs for marvelous Honda would-have-been cars like the S2000 speed monster, beefed up Acuras, CR-Z hybrid, and V8 engines.

The Japanese car maker is re-thinking its strategy and line of cars to mold their approach to market amid dwindling car sales around the globe.

Honda experienced an 18% drop of car sales in 2008. The December year over year performance was significantly lower by 35%. The tough times led to Honda’s decision of calling off the production of the NSX supercar scheduled to be out by 2010. The NSX super car was destined to have a V10 power plant in its engine bay.

A rear-driven Acura with a V8 engine was being designed by Honda to rival BMW. Plans of having this car by 2015 were also scrapped off. The V8 was seen as an unsuitable option because of the sky rocketing fuel prices.

Honda executives discloses that Honda will concentrate more on building more fuel efficient vehicles to better survive and deal with the current economic climate.

HONDA TYPE S ACCORD TOURER DIESEL AT 2009 GENEVA SHOW

According to the UK Media Resource, Honda will be introducing a new and more powerful diesel Type S Accord during the 2009 Geneva Motor Show this March. The Accord addition is going to be sportier and higher-powered compared to the rest of the Accord line-up.

The Type S Accord will feature a revised turbo-charger, a 20% power boost from the standard accord model, an increased torque at 380 Nm at 2000 rpm and a 2.2 liter diesel i-Dtec engine.

Fans of Honda will also be quick to note that the Type S looks different from the rest of the batch. It’s based on a new design, with 18-inch alloy wheels and clear indicator covers. The model will be available in two body colors: Basque Red and Premium White Pearl.

There is no sticker price on the Honda Type S Accord yet, but as of now, the model will be available in either Saloon or Tourer body shapes. The type S will also be available in manual transmission.

JJAD’S P1 SPORTS CAR NOW WITH ELECTRIC POWER

Former McLaren designer Jim Dowle (JJAD) first announced details of his eye-catching P1 sports car back in February of last year. The response was universally positive and the subsequent progress has been both rapid and dramatic – in particular, a switch to electric power means the P1-E is destined to be one of the world’s first purpose-built electric sports cars. With stunning acceleration (0-60mph in 2.9 secs), practical range (230 miles), low weight (1,055kg) and a price around £55,000, this gullwing–doored, pocket rocket will be the electric car enthusiasts really will want to own.

Having worked on such landmark projects as the McLaren F1, Dowle knows what it takes to make a drivers’ car. The P1-E’s twin electric motors and attendant lithium-ion batteries are placed for optimum weight distribution and low centre of gravity, while the long wishbones front and rear ensure ideal suspension geometry. Four-wheel drive endows the car with maximum traction. It also allows regenerative braking on each wheel, the energy gained from which is used to top up the batteries.

Said Dowle, “All the electric car produced to date have been compromised in one way or another and most have been of little attraction to the enthusiast driver. We decided it was time to create an affordable electric sports car that combined the advantages of conventionally-engined machines with those of electric ones, without the disadvantages of either – in short, a drivers’ car for the 21st century.

“Since February we’ve been busy finalising the specification, fine-tuning the styling and seeking appropriate funding, and plan to have our first prototype up and running during 2009. Most of the programme’s key partnerships are now in place, though we’d still welcome approaches from any companies interested in investing in our mould-breaking performance car. Another remaining task is to agree its final name, P1-E being the project’s code.”

THE DODGE TOMAHAWK CONCEPT MOTORCYCLE

The Tomahawk is a Viper V-10 based motorcycle, a 500 horsepower engine with four wheels beneath it. The engine breathes through twin throttle bodies mounted right up front (the two round things above the front tires are). While the Tomahawk has the same number of tires as a CAR, it keeps the motorcycle form factor otherwise. This is no sedan...VIPER V10 ENGINE:

• 500 bhp (372 kW) @ 5600 rpm (60.4 bhp/liter); 525 lb.-ft. (712 Nm) @ 4200 rpm
• 10-cylinder 90-degree V-type, liquid-cooled, 505 cubic inches (8277 cc)
• 356-T6 aluminum alloy block with cast-iron liners, aluminum alloy cylinder heads
• Bore x Stroke: 4.03 inches x 3.96 inches (102.4 x 100.6)
• Two pushrod-actuated overhead valves per cylinder
• Roller-type hydraulic lifters
• Sequential fuel injection with individual runners
• Compression Ratio: 9.6:1
• Max Engine Speed: 6000 rpm
• Fuel: Unleaded gasoline, 93 octane (R+M/2)
• Dry sump oil system takes 8 quarts of oil
• Cooling: Twin aluminum radiators mounted atop engine intake manifolds, force-fed from front-mounted, belt-driven turbine fan. Takes 11 quarts of antifreeze.
• Exhaust: Equal-length tubular stainless steel headers with dual collectors and central rear outlets

SOME HYBRID CARS

The Honda Accord was available as a hybrid from 2005 to 2007.



Luxurious, roomy, comfortable, and fuel efficient perfectly describe the Lexus RX400h





The Lexus GS 450h was one of the first luxury hybrids available to the public. Lexus has added another model to their hybrid line-up..




The Toyota Highlander is available as a hybrid model which gets about 21-mpg EPA city and 31-mpg EPA highway..



One of the most recognized Hybrids on the road, the Toyota Prius is designed for fuel efficiency and ultra low emissions.

ALL ABOUT HYBRID CARS..

Have you pulled your car up to the gas pump lately and been shocked by the high price of gasoline? As the pump clicked past $20, $30, $40 or even $50, maybe you thought about trading in your car for something that gets better mileage. Or maybe you're worried that your car is contributing to the greenhouse effect.

The auto industry has the technology to address these concerns. It's the hybrid car. There are a lot of hybrid models on the market these days, and most automobile manufacturers have announced plans to manufacture their own versions.

How does a hybrid automobile work? What goes on under the hood to give you 20 or 30 more miles per gallon than the standard automobile? And does it pollute less just because it gets better gas mileage? In this article, we'll help you understand how this technology works, and we'll even give you some tips on how to drive a hybrid car for maximum efficiency.

Many people have probably owned a hybrid vehicle at some point. For example, a mo-ped (a motorized pedal bike) is a type of hybrid because it combines the power of a gasoline engine with the pedal power of its rider. In fact, hybrid vehicles are all around us. Most of the locomotives we see pulling trains are diesel-electric hybrids. Cities like Seattle have diesel-electric buses -- these can draw electric power from overhead wires or run on diesel when they are away from the wires. Giant mining trucks are often diesel-electric hybrids. Submarines are also hybrid vehicles -- some are nuclear-electric and some are diesel-electric. Any vehicle that combines two or more sources of power that can directly or indirectly provide propulsion power is a hybrid. Most hybrid cars on the road right now are gasoline-electric hybrids, although French car maker PSA Peugeot Citroen has two diesel-electric hybrid cars in the works. Since gasoline hybrids are the kind you'll find at your local car dealership, we'll focus on those in this article.

CONCEPT CARS