2001 Honda S2000 Base Convertible 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Check out the orange McLaren-Honda racecar that might actually win a race

Following the announcement that Fernando Alonso, two-time F1 world champion, would drive a McLaren-Honda IndyCar in this year's Indianapolis 500, we now get to see the car. Naturally, being a McLaren, it's painted in the company's official orange hue. It's actually even more orange than the company's Formula 1 cars, which are two-tone: orange and black. The reveal of the car's livery comes in conjunction with Alonso's first testing day at the Indianapolis Speedway, which you can watch live, here. Alonso has never participated in the Indy 500 before, nor has he been behind the wheel of Indy cars. That doesn't mean he can't win, though. Fellow Formula 1 racer Alexander Rossi took home the win last year, and that was his first time at the 500. Rossi also won in an Andretti-backed, Honda-powered car, just as Alonso will this year. So it isn't unreasonable to think Alonso could win, or at least place well. Certainly his odds are better than driving one of the beleaguered McLaren-Honda F1 cars at Monaco that same weekend. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Honda installs 3-minute, fast-fuelling hydrogen fuel station in California

OK, but let's see how well Honda can control hydrogen refueling temperature in Houston or Buffalo. That's what some pessimists may be saying now that the Japanese automaker has installed a fast-fueling hydrogen station in the oh-so-temperate environs of Torrance, CA. That city is about 20 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles and a sliver of it actually touches the Pacific Ocean, so we're not talking about wild swings in air temperature here. Honda is calling its fast-refueling platform the MC Fill (we'd expect a lawsuit if it was McFill, even though that'd be clever) and says that filling up takes about 45 percent less time than the typical hydrogen-refueling station. That's because the system monitors the ambient temperature in order to speed up the process. There's more scientific stuff in there - for example, the fact that the MC name comes from the "two key values in a heat transfer equation- 'M' for mass and 'C' for specific heat" - but the long and the short of it is that a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle can fill up in less than three minutes. That's pretty impressive, despite the distinct lack of vehicles needing to charge that fast today. Honda unveiled its FCEV Concept vehicle at the Los Angeles Auto Show last November. The five-seat vehicle has a range of more than 300 miles, while its fuel-stack power density is about 60 percent higher than its previous version. The production version is due to arrive in the US in 2015. Check out Honda's press release below. Honda R&D Installs Advanced Fast-Fill Hydrogen Refueling Station -- New station on Honda R&D Americas' Torrance, California campus built in anticipation of Honda's next-generation fuel cell electric vehicle, due in 2015 -- Honda-developed hydrogen refueling protocol significantly reduces fill time TORRANCE, Calif., March 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Preparing for the 2015 introduction of the next Honda fuel cell-electric vehicle (FCEV), Honda R&D Americas has installed a state-of-the-art hydrogen refueling station on its Torrance, California campus. This advanced station will serve as a platform for demonstrating and validating the enhanced hydrogen fueling protocol developed by Honda, named the MC Fill. With the aim of standardizing this new protocol, Honda will make the new research station available to other automakers to further validate the MC Fill protocol's performance and functionality.

Honda S2000, Acura RSX recalled over brake boosters

Honda has announced a recall that affects two of our favorite, dearly departed cars from the brand's portfolio: the S2000 roadster and Acura RSX coupe. A total of 5,239 S2000 models from the 2006 and 2007 model years are affected by this problem, as are 13,113 2006 Acura RSX models.
"A production error may have allowed brake booster components to be produced outside of the original specifications, potentially causing decreased brake assistance over time, which could increase the risk of a crash," American Honda said in a press release. Thus, dealerships will inspect and, if necessary, replace the brake booster setups in these vehicles, free of charge.
No crashes or injuries have been reported in relation to this brake problem. Honda says the problem was discovered during warranty claim analysis.