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Clarion Builds 1991 Acura NSX Review | Restored to greatness

Few automobiles garner as much mystique as the original Acura NSX. I worshiped this car from afar, consigned to the fact that the closest I was ever going to get to the steering wheel was a Playstation controller. When I got the email inviting me to drive Clarion Builds' restored and tuned 1991 NSX, I thought it was spam, a chain email with some generic header sent to a dozen or so people to garner some press coverage. Surely this wasn't a real invite where I get to drive a real NSX using my real hands and feet. Some people say don't meet your heroes. Some people are wrong. I knew the car by reputation. In roughly 10 months, Clarion Builds, a division of the Japanese electronics company mostly known for high-end audio systems, worked with partners like AEM and AutoWave to transform a '91 NSX with nearly a quarter-million miles on the clock into what you see here. Everything, from the engine to the bodywork to the leather on the seats, has been upgraded and restored with a mix of both OEM and aftermarket parts. The final product is a stunner. It's tuned, but not slammed, stanced or any other adjective that describes a car with compromised performance and questionable looks. It's simply a tastefully tuned NSX. The NSX, especially an early car with pop-up headlights, is one of the all-time great car designs. There are no unnecessary lines or curves. It's all purposeful. As expected with something with 230,000 miles, this NSX had a number of dings and dents. Clarion Builds has fixed those, replacing the hood and spoiler with carbon-fiber parts from an NSX-R. The fenders are slightly wider than stock, helping cover the staggered Rays Engineering VOLK ZE40 wheels, 18-inch up front and 19-inch out back. After seeing it in the flesh with the blue paint, black roof and bronze wheels, I don't think there is a better fit for this car. The original but tired 3.0-liter V6 and five-speed manual have been swapped for a 3.2-liter V6 and six-speed manual from a 2004 NSX. Stock, this engine is a wonderful ode to the internal combustion engine. It sings a sweet song all the way to a sky-high 8,200 rpm redline. Still, it wasn't enough. The engine now wears a Whipple-style supercharger, pushing roughly 9 psi of boost. Other modifications include a one-off carbon-fiber intake, a hand-built exhaust and a new ECU, all from AEM. All in, Clarion Builds says this NSX makes 403 horsepower and 296 pound-feet of torque at the wheels. God, it feels good to push this thing.

In 2014, living with a hydrogen car is fun, challenging

Read his lips: more hydrogen stations, please. That's the crux of the commentary from a Southern California gentleman who's been tooling around in a Honda FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle since 2005. Jon Spallino, the first "retail customer" to lease the Clarity, tells The Wall Street Journal that he enjoys "everything about the car," including the peppy acceleration from the car's electric powertrain. The added bonus, of course, is the fact that the car's emissions are nothing more than water vapor. He pays $600 a month to lease the car, including the hydrogen refueling costs, and says he can go about 230 miles on a full tank. The flipside is the paucity in hydrogen refueling stations, which is understandable considering that they cost an estimated couple million dollars a pop to open. It's no accident that Spallino is one of the early hydrogen drivers, though, since there are eight public refueling stations in Southern California (and one in Northern California), more than any other state, according to US Department of Energy records. The only other public station is in South Carolina, so road trips are tough. Spallino, a resident of Redondo Beach, joins higher-profile folks such as actress Jamie Lee Curtis and former pro hockey player Scott Niedermayer among those who've gotten the opportunity to lease the super-low-volume fuel-cell vehicle. How low? Honda leased out 10 of them last year and just five in 2012. You can read more of Spallino's hydrogen-powered thoughts here.

Honda further expands Takata recall to 340k vehicles in Japan

Just days ago, Honda announced it would expand its global Takata airbag inflator recall by 4.89 million vehicles globally, though none of those were in the US. Now, the automaker has broadened the safety campaign in Japan by 340,000 units. The company's Japanese expansion includes 80,000 vehicles to replace their driver's side inflators. According to Reuters, these cars were covered under an earlier recall but weren't yet repaired. There are also 260,000 additional automobiles in the country in need of passenger side replacements. A broadened campaign is also coming for the US, but its extent isn't known yet. According to Reuters, Honda submitted the necessary documents to regulators on May 27. However, the automaker has decided to wait for National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to make the official announcement. Takata's exploding inflators are linked to six deaths and many injuries. Research indicates that exposure to moisture causes the part's propellant to ignite too quickly when the airbag is activated and can cause these ruptures. In testing on components taken from recalled vehicles, Takata found hundreds of cases of them bursting. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi / Bloomberg via Getty Images Recalls Honda Safety Takata airbag recall