1993 Honda Civic Del Sol Si Coupe 2-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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2015 Honda Civic Type R prototype

With a name like Earth Dreams, you'd be forgiven for assuming that Honda's new family of turbocharged VTEC engines is more about environmental credentials than performance. And to a large degree they are - particularly in 1.0- and 1.5-liter forms. But the 2.0 is another beast altogether.
Thanks to a high-output turbocharger, direct injection, a high-performance cooling system and, of course, variable valve timing, Honda's new 2.0-liter four produces upwards of 280 horsepower while still complying with upcoming Euro 6 emissions standards. Although actual output has yet to be confirmed, that preliminary figure already compares favorably with the Ford Focus ST (252 hp) and Mazdaspeed3 (274 hp) and rests comfortably in between the Volkswagen GTI (270 hp) and Golf R (296 hp).
Although Honda has already shoehorned the smaller 1.5-liter turbo four and 1.0-liter turbo three-cylinder engines into an Acura ILX and another Civic hatchback, the home it gave the 2.0 betrays more than an engine swap. What you see here is essentially the next Civic Type R, following a long line of Honda hot hatches. With this latest model, the Japanese automaker is targeting the front-drive lap record at the Nürburgring that belongs to the Renaultsport Megane Trophy and before that, to the lightweight Megane R26.R. A tall order, to be sure, so we headed to Honda's R&D center in Tochigi, Japan, to take it out for a ride.

Recharge Wrap-up: BYD unveils 60-ft electric bus, Honda sticking with hybrids in Europe

BYD has debuted a 60-foot electric bus at the American Public Transportation Association Expo in Houston, TX. The Lancaster bus, as it is called, has a 120-passenger capacity and can drive over 170 miles on a single charge. The articulated bus features low floors and no steps, thanks to in-wheel hub motors. BYD also displayed a 40-foot electric bus that drove the 1,500 miles to the show under its own power (recharging along the way, of course). Read more in the press release below. Honda says it will continue to sell hybrids in Europe, despite the fact that it has stopped selling the CR-Z and Insight due to slow sales. "Our focus at the moment is on our 1.6-liter diesel but we haven't forgotten about hybrid technology," says Honda Europe's Philip Ross. Honda will sell the next-generation Fit (badged as the Jazz) in Europe when it launches next summer, and will sell the next-gen hybrid version beginning in 2016. Honda sold 4,500 of the Jazz hybrid in Europe last year. Read more at Automotive News. XL Hybrids is selling its XL3 Hybrid Electric Drive System in California. The news comes after the California Air Resources Board issued an executive order allowing the aftermarket hybrid conversion for 2012-2014 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans. The XL3 Hybrid regenerative braking conversion increases real-world mpg by about 25 percent. Read more in the press release below. NRG eVgo has finished installing 60 charging stations at the Sony Pictures Entertainment studio lot and offices in Culver City, California. The Level 2 chargers, which will be managed by NRG eVgo, allow employees to charge their EVs during the workday. An average of 90 EVs and PHEVs park at the studio headquarters every day, thanks in part to Sony Pictures' Alternative Vehicles Incentive program for its employees. Learn more in the press release below. Pennsylvania's Public Utility Commission will allow operators of EV charging stations to set prices based on kilowatt hour usage. This change ensures that drivers pay for the actual energy they use, rather than the time they spend charging, since different cars can charge at different speeds. Car Charging Group has already begun using the per-kWh fee structure at its charging stations throughout the state. Other states that allow kWh pricing are California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Virginia and Washington. Read more in the press release below.

Mom Accidentally Steals Honda In Brooklyn

The owner of a 1993 Honda Accord that was accidentally stolen by a young Brooklyn woman's mother has the car back in her possession, after amusing posters popped up all over town. Cheryl Thorpe traveled to New York from her home in Houston to watch her daughter's dog while she and her roommates went on vacation, according to New York Magazine. Thorpe was also left the task of moving the three girls' cars to legal parking spots on a street-cleaning day. She dutifully moved the Fiat, Honda CR-V and Accord, but when the trio returned from their vacation something was wrong. The owner of the Accord found her car right where she left it, thankfully free of parking tickets. The Accord Thorpe had moved belonged to someone else. As it turns out, some older Hondas have interchangeable keys. Thorpe was able to use the girl's keys to move Emily Hickert's car while she ate brunch. Hickert spent an entire week thinking a professional car thief had made off with her 21-year-old ride. "In less than 40 seconds she gets in the car and goes," Hickert told The New York Post, after reviewing security footage from a nearby business. "I thought she was a professional." Hickert filed a police report, while Thorpe's daughter posted fliers all over Brooklyn looking for the Accord's owner. Hickert was eventually reunited with her Honda, which had been towed after sitting parked on the street. She says she bears no ill will towards the women involved in the mix up. "I'm not upset with her," Hickert told The Post. "I'm glad it wasn't a thief. I just didn't know why anyone would steal a 1993 Honda." Related Gallery Honda's Redone 2013 Civic Pulls Icon Out Of The Fire Weird Car News Honda