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Honda is first Japanese carmaker to be a net-exporter from US

Over the last decade or so, many foreign automakers have challenged the idea of what defines an "American car," but Honda took things a step further last year by exporting more cars out of the US than it imported in. Reuters is reporting that in 2013, a total of 108,705 Honda and Acura models were exported from the US with only 88,357 being shipped in. This gives Honda a net exporter status here, and makes it the first of such among the major Japanese automakers.
Honda's US imports have been dropping over the last five years while its exports have been steadily increasing. In 2008, the report indicates that Honda shipped 187,000 vehicles to the US and exported only 20,000, and even by 2012 Honda still favored imports with 136,000 imports and 74,000 exports. The article says that US-made Honda and Acura vehicles were exported to 50 countries with most ending up in Mexico, but the big news is that the Honda's US production set a record in 2013 with 1.3 million units built.

Next Honda Civic to get 1.5L turbo

The low-displacement, turbocharged engine is all the rage these days throughout the auto industry, whether considering the 1.0-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost from Ford or even Ferrari opting for a downsized turbo V8 in the latest 488 GTB. It looks like Honda might be the next one to follow this trend, and it could happen as soon as the next-gen Civic. "Downsized turbocharging will be the base, even for the Civic," Honda Research and Development boss Yoshiharu Yamamoto said to Automotive News. That included the US, he indicated. "Quite a bit will switch over to turbo, but there will still be some naturally aspirated ones remaining." The engine reportedly is a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder that offers better fuel economy, lower emissions and the power of a naturally aspirated mill of between 2.0- and 2.4-liters, according to AN. Since the current Civic gets 143 horsepower from its 1.8-liter four that suggests a healthy power bump for the future model. Making the news even more tantalizing, the new Civic with the 1.5-liter turbo could be revealed before the end of the year, according to Automotive News. Honda already confirmed a $340 million investment into its Anna, Ohio, plant to build the engines later this year. Honda first mentioned a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in 2013 along with the 2.0-liter turbo now in the Civic Type R in Europe. At the time, the brand said these engines would appear in "a number of future global models." The HR-V in the US was also previously rumored to use the same powerplant.

Buckeye Current back on track at Pikes Peak with new rider [w/video]

After suffering a major setback, the Buckeye Current electric motorcycle racing team of students from Ohio State University looks set to take on the 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 28. The squad's longtime rider Rob Barber suffered a crash on the bike during practice for the event. Now, three-time Pikes Peak 450 Pro Class winner Joe Prussiano (pictured above) has taken over to challenge the mountain for the group. In some ways, Buckeye Current is the scrappy underdog of the electric motorcycle racing world. The student team has definitely shown speed, though. In 2013 and 2014, its bikes took consecutive third place finishes in the Isle of Man TT Zero with Barber in the saddle. This year the squad's sights are set on Pikes Peak with a new bike called the RW-3, and the aim is for a possible overall motorcycle record. Utilizing a frame from a Honda CBR1000RR, the students created the 7.8-kWh battery pack, carbon fiber fairing, and electronics system. The team estimates the cycle is making over 134 horsepower and is capable of an average speed of 76 miles per hour up the hill climb. Following Barber's crash, the RW-3 had to be rebuilt, but it has now passed tech inspection to race up the mountain again. Scroll down and check out Prussiano's first ride of the RW-3 on America's Mountain. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. BUCKEYE CURRENT RALLIES TO COMPETE IN THE 2015 PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILL CLIMB Buckeye Current, the student electric motorcycle team at The Ohio State University, has completed its latest all-electric racing motorcycle. RW-3 will compete in the 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb June 28. This follows on the success of the team's 2013 and 2014 Isle of Man TT Zero performances in which renowned rider Rob Barber piloted the team's RW-2 and then RW-2.X vehicles to third place victories, achieving the title of the world's fastest collegiate electric motorcycle two years in a row. After earning two podium finishes at the Isle of Man, the team was looking ahead to a new challenge. This year the team had to create an entirely new bike to conquer Pikes Peak. RW-3 is designed to average 76 miles per hour through the course with a top speed of 125 miles per hour. The battery pack holds 7.8 kilowatt-hours of energy on board and contains 972 individual 18650 cylindrical battery cells.