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Five signs Honda cares about enthusiasts, again

It's a great time to be an enthusiast. From high-horsepower Hellcats to the purist BRZ, engaging automobiles are found in nearly every segment of the market. Everyone wants to join the performance parade. Everyone it seemed, but Honda. The company that built some of Formula One's most successful engines, helped launch the tuner market and gave the world a seminal supercar, has watched competitors of all stripes surge by it for the hearts, minds and dollars of enthusiasts. Until now. Honda put the rest of the auto world on notice at the New York Auto Show, revealing a jaw-dropping Civic concept, confirming the Type R will come to the United States and even adding a hatchback to the 2016 Civic line. Throw in the Acura NSX and much-improved ILX for Honda's luxury sibling, and it's undeniable the company is regaining its swagger. Once again, Honda is serious about performance, and here's five reasons why enthusiasts should believe. The Honda Civic Concept Looks Great We're psyched about the Civic concept, which was a surprise reveal earlier this month at the New York Auto Show. Clad in bright neon green, the concept edged out the Lincoln Continental for first place in our Editors' Choice awards at the show. As Editor-in-Chief Sharon Carty put it, "The color hurts so good." Yes, the green is blinding, but you don't have to squint to see the 10th generation of the Civic. Honda's concepts are the real deal, and this is the car (mostly) that will launch this fall. It's attractive, with a long hood, curvaceous sides and a simple but sporty grille. The powertrain lineup will include a 1.5-liter VTEC turbo four-cylinder paired with a six-speed manual, which should be a treat for enthusiasts. With its fresh looks and intriguing mechanicals, the concept previews an everyday driver you can get excited about. Obviously, we are. The Hatchback Returns Yep, the Civic is getting a five-door hatch in the United States. It's been a while. Honda last offered a Civic hatch for a brief time in the mid-2000s, and only as the lower-volume Si model. The new hatch will be produced at Honda's factory in the United Kingdom and imported to the United States. That's a win-win for Honda: it's using excess capacity in the UK to satiate a niche market for US buyers. The annual hatch production is reportedly expected to be 30,000 to 40,000 units, which is a drop in the bucket for the Civic lineup and its massive though declining sales.

Honda CB350 and cafe racer culture explored by Electric Federal

The latest video from Electric Federal covers one of our favorite aspects of motorcycle culture - café racers. In an interview with Adam "Gasser" Gaspic, the owner of Gasser Customs, EF takes a look at the culture and one of Gasser's latest offerings, a hopped-up Honda CB350, called the Silver Bullet.
Gasser has gone all-out on the Silver Bullet, replacing some of the body parts with fiberglass and delivering more than a few upgrades to the rebuilt engine. The brakes and suspension of the smaller bike also get some attention, as do some of the bike's aesthetics. Besides the upgrades, there's just something to be said for the sleek, minimalist nature of the little Honda.
Naturally, the videography is gorgeous, and it's a great look at a kind of motorcycling that seems to be overlooked in the world of sport bikes and Harley-Davidson-style cruisers. Take a look below for the full video.

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.