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Honda Civic Type R Concept is the shape of hot things to come

Soon, kids. Soon. The next-generation Honda Civic Type R is finally coming, and we're getting another preview of the hot hatch here at the Paris Motor Show. Of course, this one probably won't be headed to the United States (boo!), but it doesn't mean we can't get excited. After all, we're big fans of little turbo hatches, and from what we know right now, this one sure sounds sweet.
Underneath that new blue paint and red decals is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, reportedly good for 276 horsepower. Honda tells us there's a "steer axis" system with adaptive dampers, and with the push of its +R button, the suspension, steering and torque mapping are all altered to make this Type R even more Type R-ier than before. In fact, Honda says this Civic will surpass every Type R that came before it - that means every Integra, Accord, Civic and even the NSX. Hot diggity.
We've got a fresh batch of images of the Type R Concept up top, and Honda's press release is available below. Hopefully it won't be long before the production car is finally revealed.

Honda recalling 405K vehicles over airbag issue

Honda is in hot water due to an airbag glitch that is causing it to recall 405,400 vehicles. According to the campaign, the supplemental restraints might fire for no apparent reason. 342,000 of the affected vehicles are 2003 and 2004 Odyssey minivans, which gels with a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation we reported on in June.
Joining the Odyssey in the recall is the Acura MDX, with 63,400 units covered from the 2003 model year. Unlike the van, though, the MDX's recall covers Japan and Australia, in addition to the US and Canada. Both vehicles are suffering from an airbag control unit that is prone to malfunction when exposed to electrical noise, a condition that can cause the airbags to deploy without warning. Although no crashes have been reported in such scenarios, there have been some injuries typical of airbag deployment - abrasions and such.
Honda will be mailing recall notices to owners near the end of October, asking them to bring their vehicles into the dealership for installation of an electrical noise filter. The repair will take about an hour and be free of charge. Scroll down for the official announcement from Honda.

Next CR-Z to lose hybrid powertrain, go with turbo four

The Honda CR-Z has been treading water for years and has already left the European and Australian markets. Meanwhile, it has hung to life in the US with 3,562 total units sold in 2014. The little coupe looks like it should be a winner, though, as the reinterpretation of the classic CRX for the modern age. Unfortunately, a serious lack of performance to back up the sporty styling lets the model down. Although rumor has it, the CR-Z that drivers keeping asking for could be just a few years away. An anonymous source related to Honda's Tochigi, Japan, development center told Car and Driver that a significantly more potent new generation of the CR-Z is on the way to dealers in 2018 with a possible unveiling in 2017. "The new coupe will be a force to reckon with," the insider said. The new CR-Z would reportedly be slightly larger and would be based on a shortened version of the next-gen Civic's platform. Car and Driver even speculates a possible branding change to become the Civic CR-Z. The most encouraging change for performance fans, though, is the coupe finally ditching the IMA hybrid in this market in favor of the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the European Civic Type R. The engine would allegedly be detuned to around 280 horsepower for this application from the 306 hp in the CTR. The hybrid isn't going away entirely, though. For the Japanese market, the CR-Z would use Honda's 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with electric assist to make around 200 hp. Until anything official comes out, it might be best to treat all of this tantalizing info with a large grain of salt. Rumors of a future CR-Z using the next-gen Civic platform have circulated since 2013, and there has been speculation about using the CTR engine, too. Related Video: