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Honda to field this awesome Civic Tourer wagon in BTCC next season

We all know that the letters BTCC stand for British Touring Car Championship. But one of those Cs might as well stand for Civic, so dominant has the Honda team been in one of the most competitive tin-top racing series in the world. Honda has taken the manufacturers' and teams' titles in the BTCC for the past four years running, and the championship-winning drivers for the past three years have claimed the prize behind the wheel of a Civic. While that might have proven enough for any other manufacturer, Honda is returning again next season to defend its dominant position, and has just revealed the new car with which it intends to do so.
Next year Honda will be back on the grid with another Civic, only this time it's based on the new Euro-spec Civic Tourer. That will make Honda the only team in the BTCC (and one of only a few worldwide) fielding a wagon-based racing car. In announcing the new BTCC-spec Civic Tourer, the Honda Yuasa Racing team only released this one photo and didn't reveal much in the way of details, but team manager Peter Crolla indicated that "the weight, wheelbase, layout and suspension remain the same" as the hatchback which it will replace, only with a longer roofline.
Testing of the new touring wagon will commence in January before returning champions Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal will pilot the new Civic Tourer in the season opener at Brands Hatch in the UK in late March. It remains to be seen what car Andrew Jordan (who took the title this year in another Civic with the Pirtek Racing team) will be driving next season, but in the meantime, you can check out the full press release below for more.

Honda execs take 'quality-related' pay cut after Fit Hybrid's 5th recall

Generally, the best policy in life is to admit when you're wrong and just accept the consequences. However, that attitude generally seems to be a bit less common in the world of business - at least without some government or legal prodding. So, it's especially surprising to learn that top Honda executives in Japan are taking a pay cut for the next three months following the fifth recall of the Fit Hybrid (pictured above) in the last 12 months.
According to Reuters, Chief Executive Takanobu Ito is taking a 20-percent pay cut to make amends for the quality issues. Also, 12 other high-ranking executives are taking 10 percent drops in their salaries. In addition to those temporary changes, Honda is creating a new position in charge of monitoring vehicle quality.
The latest recall fixes "noise-related defects," according to Reuters, on both the hybrid and naturally aspirated versions of the Fit, both variants of the Vezel (the sibling to the future HR-V in the US) and the N-WGN. There have also been three recalls for problems with the hybrid's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. None of them have caused reported injuries or deaths, and these issues haven't affected US models.

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing to switch to Honda engines starting in 2019

After a 12-season partnership with Renault, the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team is switching engine suppliers. Starting next season, the team will use Honda powertrains, following the move this year of Red Bull's junior team, Toro Rosso. This effectively makes Red Bull Racing the Honda works team, something it's never truly benefited from since joining the sport in 2005 after purchasing the former Jaguar Racing team. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Honda has had a rough time since returning to F1 with McLaren back in 2015. Both sides hoped that the move would rekindle one of the most successful pairings in F1 history. Unfortunately, Honda powertrains were both underpowered and unreliable. The partnership proved to be so toxic that McLaren ended the deal early, moving to Renault power starting this season. On the other hand, Toro Rosso is off to a fine start this year with Honda, surely helping cement Red Bull's decision to drop Renault. Since moving to Renault power in 2007, Red Bull Racing has won 57 races, four drivers' championships and four constructors championships, making it one of the most successful teams in F1 history. The move should be a huge boon for Honda. Red Bull Racing is currently one of the top teams, fighting for both podiums and wins, so the move shows how much faith Red Bull has in the Japanese automaker. When McLaren picked up Honda power, it was a mid-pack team that had just two podiums in the previous two seasons. The Honda partnership is likely to play into Daniel Ricciardo's next move. His current contract with Red Bull racing ends at the end of 2018. He's one of the best and most talented drivers racing today and unlikely to stay with a team that might prevent him from winning races and fighting for championships. Related Video: News Source: Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Motorsports Honda Renault Racing Vehicles F1 Red Bull Racing