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Clarion Builds' 1991 Acura NSX going up for auction at Barrett-Jackson

Having driven it, I can say with full confidence that Clarion Builds' tuned and restored 1991 Acura NSX is a very, very special car. If you're in the market for just such a vehicle, good news: on October 20, that very same NSX will be going up for auction at Barrett-Jackson in Las Vegas. As much as the people behind the car hate to see it leave their hands, this just makes room for another awesome project to take its place. Really, this was the final fate for the NSX all along. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the American Red Cross. At the end of its life, Clarion Builds' 1974 BMW 2002 was auctioned off, too. Rather than simply holding on to the car or selling it for profit, the company partnered with Barrett-Jackson auctions. The auction house doesn't charge a fee for charity vehicles, meaning all of the money will go toward the Red Cross. The 2002 sold in 2016 for $125,000. Clarion Builds' expects the NSX to fetch even more money. This NSX has more than 230,000 miles on the chassis. It packs a 3.2-liter supercharged V6 and a six-speed manual transmission. Everything, from the bodywork to the suspension, has been modified. The car will be showcased in Las Vegas before and after the auction alongside Clarion Builds' latest project, a 1993 BMW 850Ci. More on that car to come sometime soon. Related Video: Image Credit: Larry Chen Acura Honda Auctions Coupe Performance

Ugly Moto makes beautiful motorcycle art [w/video]

Ugly Moto is a horrible name for a company that makes such wonderful motorcycle art. The creation of artist Francis Ooi, the company's illustrations focus on some of the iconic racing bikes of the 1960s and 1970s.
The artwork has an elegant simplicity that really makes it pop. It would fit just about anywhere from a home office to the bedroom of a young gearhead. Ooi has completed six illustrations so far covering classic cycles from Honda, Ducati, Yamaha and even Harley-Davidson. According to his site, the Suzuki RGB500 ridden by Barry Sheene will be the next one released. All of the prints are priced at $65 and are limited to 100 copies. They are all about 16.53 inches by 23.58 inches in size.
According to his website, these prints are just a hobby for Ooi and his real career is as the creative director at an ad agency. He creates the illustrations on his Mac, and he estimates that each design with about 800 components and layers takes about a month to complete. You can get idea of the process involved in the time-lapse video below.

Honda thumbs nose at fleet sales, claims it leads in key vehicle segments

Fleet sales are a way of life in the automotive industry. There are many non-retail customers that need vehicles, but going too far can reduce brand image and vehicle resale value. While some of its competitors have fleet sale that account for up to 20 or 30 of overall sales, Honda is bragging that it has the lowest fleet sales of all mainstream automakers for the first five months of 2013.
After calculating new-car registration data from R.L. Polk, Honda says that just two percent of its sales through went to fleet customers compared to an industry average of 19 percent. Even though this means Honda leaves plenty of sales on the table each month, it also claims to have the highest resale value and lowest cost of ownership among its competitors. In terms of retail sales, Honda says that the Civic, Accord, CR-V and Odyssey all lead their respective segments, and it breaks down/brags about its retail sales success in the press release, which is posted below.