Future products: Acura will push for luxury credentials without V8, RWD

The dreams of getting a V8 engine, rear-wheel-drive platforms and a sports car to replace the NSX have died for Acura dealers. Now the question is whether Acura can follow Audi's lead and elevate its brand from premium to luxury with front- and all-wheel-drive platforms.

Meanwhile, Acura may return to two segments that it had abandoned by adding a compact car and a coupe.

Compact car: An Acura compact would be based on the next-generation Honda Civic, which means a spring 2012 launch as a 2013 model at the soonest. Acura left the compact segment at the end of the 2006 model year when it dropped the RSX. Acura doesn't want merely to homologate the Canadian market CSX, which is a badge-engineered Civic.

TSX: A wagon variant comes this fall, based on the European market Honda Accord wagon. The wagon will be available with fwd only and a four-cylinder engine. The sedan version of the TSX offers awd and a V6 option.

TL: The mid-sized sedan is due for a redesign for the 2014 model year. At that time, Honda's large-platform hybrid system should be ready. Expect a freshening for the 2012 model year.

Coupe: Although the CL coupe was dropped several years ago, Acura is considering re-entering the segment on the TSX platform, shared with the European Accord. But there are no plans now.

RL: The rwd V8 sedan that had been expected won't happen, the result of recession-driven cost-cutting. Honda Motor Co. has said the RL is not going to be redesigned, but U.S. executives insist that there will be another edition.

The RL is based on an outdated, stand-alone platform that may be re-engineered for the 2013 model year to make it last a couple of years more while the brand figures out what to do next. T

The RL also would be restyled at that time. The solution may be to stretch the next TL platform. So much for a flagship.

RDX: A redesign is slated for the 2012 model year.

ZDX: No significant changes are planned.

MDX: The redesign was planned for the 2012 model year, but that may be pushed back a year, when Honda's large-platform hybrid powertrain will be ready. The MDX currently comes only with a 3.7-liter V6 engine, which may raise concerns about fuel economy.

Source;
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20101001/CARNEWS/101009998

I'm Forcing Myself To See Parallels

Think back, if you can, into the past. To the way, way back year of "2007", when men were men, Weeds was having its best season and Twitter was a mystery to most of the world. Specifically think back to October 1, 2007, when a much maligned New York Giants team beat up on the Eagles on Sunday Night Football to the tune of a 16-3 win, the highlight being Osi Umenyiora's team-record six sacks as the G-Men piled up 12 in total. The game brought the Giants to 2-2. That same day, if you recall, a brutally painful Mets season was put to rest as they completed their first of two major collapses on the last day of the regular season. To cheer me up for having now-useless playoff tickets, the Mets sent me an apologetic e-mail promising changes.

And now lets fast-forward to last night. The Mets, once again, had polished off another bitter year early in the day, which prompted yet another apologetic e-mail -- though this one was due to ineptitude rather than heartbreak -- and the Giants, were set to face the Bears on Sunday Night Football. These same Giants, coming off two straight losses, have been heavily criticized and left for dead with even former players claiming Tom Coughlin doesn't have his house in order. The result? Another sack-crazy win, as the Giants whupped on the Bears, 17-3, with 10 sacks and two knocked-out Chicago quarterbacks. The defense was almost dominant enough to distract you from the fact that both offenses were completely discombobulated and that it was, possibly, the worst played football game ever played by two teams in the NFL.

And now the Giants are 2-2.

If you recall, in 2007 the Giants did fairly well after that victory, jumping up to 6-2 before, you know, winning the fucking Super Bowl. If you put the pieces together, these very, very vague bits of circumstantial point to one piece of irrefutable truth.

The New York Giants are going to win the Super Bowl this year. Juuuuuust wait for it.

So yeah, I'm also back from Minnesota, which was a pretty sweet experience. I had never really spent much time in downtown Minneapolis, but I found it to be a very pretty, if unexciting area. I don't really blame it for this. The downtown area is mostly for business and not for fun, after all. But it does feature a totally sweet statue of Mary Tyler Moore. Because yes, she did make it after all. Shockingly, however, having my world turned on with her smile wasn't the highlight of the jaunt. That, obviously, was the hour or so I spent meticulously scoping out the awesomeness that is Target Field. That stadium was just one of many that I decided to waste hours checking out during the weekend, but it was almost certainly my favorite. It's an interesting break with the popular retro stadium architecture, giving a design that is modern and yet also totally fucking awesome. It also manages to pull off a feat only matched so far by the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in that the entire place is completely infused with franchise history in an amazing way. The pavilion in front of the main center field gate includes goodies like a list of franchise Gold Glove Winners, a pennant for each member of the Twins Hall of Fame, a pennant for each season's outcome and some totally awesome statues of Calvin Griffith, Kirby Puckett, Rod Carew and Harmon Killebrew.

A full report on Target Field and the weekend in general will come.... at some point. But it's worth mentioning that my trek also brought me to the extremely dull looking Metrodome, and the totally sweet stadiums on the campus of the University of Minnesota -- in particular TCF Bank Stadium, which is absurdly awesome. That stadium was, of course, the main reason that I chose this weekend to make my trek, as I got to watch the Northwestern Wildcats give me an aneurysm en route to a 29-28 win over the Golden Gophers. It's unusual to see such a new college football stadium built on such a scale in that traditional retro-brick style. And even if the University of Minnesota is terrible at football this year -- though they certainly gave us a scare -- at the very least they get to go to what is easily the best college football stadium I've seen. It just squeaks past Camp Randall in Madison, Wisconsin and Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

More than anything, going to the game -- and checking out the greatest anti-drinking campaign ever -- made me wish I was back in college. Because who wouldn't want that?

All of Minnesota's stadiums are particularly pretty, and they're all in the same complex, which goes to highlight one of the more underrated college campuses I've come across. The basketball stadium, Williams Arena, A.K.A. The Barn, which happens to be my favorite building in American sports, sits right across from TCF Bank Stadium, and Mariucci Arena, home to Gopher hockey is in a similar style right next door. All of the stadiums are wonderful buildings to check out, and at the very least, they help you forget about the fact that you stayed up until 2 a.m. watching a total dud of a Grand Final replay.

And surely all of you have those problems, right? Yeah, just what I thought.

So there you go. There's more information to tell and at some point I'll write up a more formal review, but in the interim I'll leave you with that. If you ever have the chance to see a game at the University of Minnesota, take it.

And if you can get good odds on the Giants winning Super Bowl XLV, throw your life savings at it. It's money in the bank, right there.

Next Gen Hyundai Elantra Spied

Say hello to the mini Sonata, which isn't a bad thing....
Source;
http://www.autospies.com/news/SPIED-Next-Gen-Hyundai-Elantra-Caught-On-Camera-58096/

Porsche tuner Gemballa murdered

Uwe Gemballa, the CEO of the Porsche tuning company that bears his name, has been found murdered near Pretoria, South Africa.

The tuning company, Gemballa Automobiletechnik, is known for creating Porsche performance conversions and customers have included Arab royalty and movie stars.

Gemballa was found shot in the head with his hands tied and his body wrapped in cellophane.

The German businessman had been missing since 8 February after travelling to the country for a business trip.

At the time, police said there was little evidence to suggest kidnapping. Local forces have not commented on any of the surrounding circumstances of Gemballa's death.

Vishnu Naidoo, a South African police spokesman said: “We have found the body of Gemballa and we're now investigating the circumstances around his death. A murder docket has been opened.”

No arrests have yet been made, but two German police officers are in South Africa to assist with the investigation.

Andrew Papworth

Source;
http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/253130/

Honda Launches Campaign For Odyssey Minivan

by Karl Greenberg

Honda is hoping that people who have hesitated to buy a minivan because of the soccer-person stigma will think again. The company is launching a humorous campaign for the all-new 2011 Honda Odyssey that plays on the idea of minivans as a rolling epitaph for the freewheeling single life. The theme is that the vehicle's styling gives Gen X and Y owners permission to imagine the car has some street credibility. The new Odyssey is stylish enough to be cool and functional enough to be a kid wagon.

The effort includes three TV spots, one having launched in late August, running in heavy rotation on season premieres, national broadcast, cable, and sports programming. One spot that began airing during the Little League World Series (which is also sponsored by Honda) posits the Odyssey as a rock van. Another makes the minivan a symbol of automotive tranquility for a harried professional mom.

Honda launched that ad as part of its sponsorship of Disney's "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam," a TV movie that began over Labor Day weekend. The Torrance, Calif. automaker will have co-branded sweepstakes on Disney Channel, Radio Disney, Disney Online and Disney FamilyFun, dangling the vehicle as a grand prize and featuring talent from the "Camp Rock 2" film. Odyssey is sponsoring the "My Family Rocks" Fest on Nickelodeon's ParentsConnect.com, a month-long community program spotlighting families who rock, as well as the Music Channel on NickJr.com.

The campaign, which was developed by Honda's agency of record Santa Monica-based RPA, also has a co-branded tune-in spot for ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," in which a mom in the Odyssey with her husband and kids dreams of being a dancer. Other tie-ins include a co-branded custom creative airing on NBC Primetime; an online customized vignette starring celebrity chef Cat Cora using the Odyssey at local farmers' markets tied to Disney.com's new Web series "Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora."

The company says other vignettes will run on Nick at Nite, HGTV, Food Network and TNT. Honda is also Sponsoring "Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock" demo and sweepstakes; has placements on MSN TV's Last Night on TV, Yahoo! omg! Celebrity Moms blog and Oscars coverage on EW.com and People.com.

Honda is also doing a campaign on Web-radio channel Pandora involving six Odyssey-sponsored radio stations in either a "Me-Time," category featuring songs for grownups or "We-Time," a collection of songs in the Dan Zanes vein.

Out-of-home will include billboards in 25 key markets, in-theater placements and mall and gym advertising; Odyssey rich media will also run on the Weather Channel iPhone App and banners on a variety of mobile sites important to young parents.

Honda says Odyssey print will run in magazines like In Style, National Geographic Traveler, This Old House and Men's Health. Some unusual elements include a celebrity crossword puzzle in Us Weekly where the answers are hidden in the Odyssey ad and a program in Real Simple mirroring one of the TV spots called "Serenity"/Real Simple Tips" tied to a a relaxation package sweepstakes.

Honda is also advertising the vehicle on iVillage "Don't Miss List" and via roadblocks on Parents.com, on parent blog Dooce.com and across the BlogHer network.

For social media gamers, the all-new Odyssey will appear in in-game integration in Social City, where users build cities based on population, happiness and money. Users are rewarded when they interact with Odyssey creative.

Source;
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=136674

Honda Accord Hybrid V2.0: Honda Preparing to Resurrect the Accord Hybrid

I always thought that the Accord Hybrid was a nice car, just it had to be a 4cyl, people buying hybrids are after the fuel economy, not so much performance....
In 2004, Honda released its third hybrid, a gas-electric version of the Accord EX V6 sedan. The car represented a new spin on hybrid powertrains, with the carmaker opting to use supplemental power from the vehicle's battery to enhance performance rather than maximize fuel efficiency.

Where the obvious move would have been to attach its hybrid system to the four-cylinder Accord model—potentially boosting fuel economy from a pedestrian 24 mpg combined rating into the range of other best-in-class mid-size offerings—Honda instead chose to pair the system with a V6 and configure that pairing to provide an additional 15 horsepower to the Accord EX V6's already meaty 240 hp. Fuel efficiency for the vehicle languished at a paltry 25 mpg city, 34 mpg highway rating—with the combined number coming in just 1 MPG higher than the base model Accord.

Consumers were not impressed. Honda sold less than 6,000 Accord hybrids in 2006 and less than a year later, the car was canceled. "Hybrid manufacturers have largely been unable to expand the public's perception of hybrids beyond high fuel economy," said Kelley Blue Book's Jack Nerad at the time.

Now comes word from Automotive News that Honda is once again preparing a hybrid version of the Accord. Will the carmaker aim to bring big efficiency gains to the vehicle's 24/31 fuel economy rating, or has it decided that the market is finally ready for a hybrid that boosts power at the expense of substantive fuel economy gains?

With gas prices low, and Toyota recently deciding to go in a similar direction with its new Highlander hybrid SUV, it's possible that performance-oriented hybrids could be making a comeback. But with Honda's green vehicle lineup struggling and the carmaker's own president complaining that company had become "complacent" about new technology in recent years, it's difficult to see how an extra 15 horsepower and 1-2 MPGs could bring Honda back to prominence as a maker of fuel-efficient vehicles.

For now, all that's known is that a new gas-electric Accord is on its way, so we'll have to save our judgments for when more details are available. Hopefully, Honda will be a little more bold with its hybrid this time around.

Source (via autoblog);
http://www.hybridcars.com/news/honda-preparing-resurrect-accord-hybrid-28644.html

2010 Paris Auto Show: HONDA JAZZ HYBRID - LOW EMISSIONS AND PRACTICALITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Not for North America yet....
The Jazz Hybrid is making its world motor show debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, further demonstrating Honda's continuing commitment to petrol-electric hybrid technology.

The launch of the latest addition to the practical Jazz line-up marks the first time a parallel hybrid vehicle has been available to B-segment consumers. Importantly the Jazz Hybrid will not lose any of its practicality, with the compact nature of the Honda IMA system allowing the B-segment car to retain its ultra-flexible "Magic Seats" and 300 litres of boot space.

The IMA battery pack and power control unit have been integrated in the area under the boot floor, retaining the normal boot area and allowing the "Magic Seats" to fold in the same manner as non-hybrid versions. This means that the seats still fold entirely flat to provide a surprising 831 litre of space or the seat bases can be folded up to sit vertically, so as to accommodate tall items within the car.

The IMA hybrid system is shared with the Insight and CR-Z hybrids, taking advantage of the proven reliability of this important technology. With almost two decades of development and 10 years of sales behind it, the Honda IMA system has proven itself to be a flexible and dependable system, with over half a million vehicles on the road benefitting from its combination of low emissions and fuel economy.

The new model features the same IMA system as in the Insight hybrid, using the same 1.3 litre i-VTEC engine as its dedicated hybrid model sibling. The IMA system is combined with a CVT gearbox in the Jazz and with emissions of just 104 g/km* of CO2 it has the lowest CO2 output of any automatic car in the B-segment. As a petrol-electric hybrid, the new derivative has ultra-low levels of other exhaust emissions, not just taxable elements. Visually the Jazz Hybrid is distinguished from the current Jazz range with revised headlights, which have a blue surround, clear rear lights, new front grille, restyled bumpers and a chrome tailgate garnish. The new hybrid will be available in a range of existing colours plus a bespoke Lime Green metallic.

Inside the cabin is given a fresh look with a darker single colour dashboard, which contrasts strongly with the blue lighting of the dials and centre console. The new hybrid is also available with leather trim, the first time this has been available on a Jazz model in Europe. The dashboard integrates a version of the Eco Assist function, which uses the ambient lighting of the speedometer to advise the driver on how their driving style is impacting on their fuel economy.

The Eco Assist function aides drivers in getting the maximum economy from their car in everyday situations and gives users real-time feedback on how their use of the brakes and throttle affects their fuel bills and environmental impact.

*Internal figure, homologation not yet finalised

While respecting the unique features of the car, a range of Genuine Accessories will accentuate its hybrid character even further. Decoration items, such as doorstep garnishes, a variety of exterior and interior stickers, B-pillar garnishes and alloy wheels can be fitted according to the driver's personal taste. A Solid State Drive navigation, hands-free Bluetooth® and rear entertainment system are set to provide extra technological comfort. A complete range of Genuine Accessories is available for those customers that want to add in even more functionality and style.

The Jazz Hybrid will go on sale in some European markets in the early part of 2011, prices and full specifications will be announced in due course.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.eu/en/news/index.pmode/modul,detail,0,1585-DEFAULT,21,text,1/index.pmode