1999 Honda Civic Dx Hatchback Red 3-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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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 Civic Concept is your average neon green, turbocharged show stealer [w/video]

At an auto show where the hottest cars and concepts are increasingly shown off the night before the official doors even open, surprises are rare. But Honda pulled off a big one this afternoon, with a nuclear green Civic Concept that takes dead aim at the brand's naysayers. Honda "concept" cars have tended towards the literal in recent years, and never has that been more exciting than with this coupe. The prelude to the tenth-generation Civic has a face that fits in well enough with the company's current lineup, but the rest of the bodywork feels far more JDM-inspired. The sides are complex without being too busy, and the bold graphic elements, especially the wraparound taillight, seem punctuate the mass. You might not dig the green meanie as much as we do, but if you're a Honda fan (even lapsed) the performance news should have you high-fiving your nearest bro. To start, Honda has confirmed that this Civic will be the first in the US to incorporate turbocharged VTEC engines. The turbo'd 1.5-liter four will get hooked up to both a six-speed manual and a CVT. Civic is also going to get a bodystyle that Honda has neglected in our country for too long: the five-door hatchback. A moment of silence, please... Of course sedans and coupes will be part of the mix, too. But perhaps the most exciting news for lead-footed fan boys will be the inclusion of both a Civic Si and the Nurburgring-champion Civic Type R for our market. We'd both hoped and suspected that the Type R might make the leap to North America, and Honda hasn't disappointed. The gen-ten Civic will go on sale in the US this fall, though no specifics have yet been offered about which variants will be first and last. Stay tuned. Honda Debuts Sportiest Civic Design in Brand History with 10th-Generation Civic Concept at New York International Auto Show - 10th-generation, 2016 model year Civic focuses on sporty, fun-to-drive dynamics - Civic lineup to include Sedan, Coupe, and 5-door Hatchback body types, as well as Si and Type-R versions - First Honda model to apply new VTEC® Turbo engines in North America Civic, America's most popular small car is designed, developed and produced in North America Today Honda unveiled its ultra-sporty Civic Concept at the New York International Auto Show as the brand prepares to launch its completely reimagined 10th-Generation Civic models beginning this fall.

Foreign automakers pay from $38 to $65 per hour to non-union workers

As leaders for the United Auto Workers gather in Detroit for their Special Convention on Collective Bargaining to work out the negotiating stance for this year's new labor agreements with the Detroit 3 automakers, what they most want to do is figure out how to eliminate the two-tier wage scale. However, the lower Tier 2 wage has allowed the domestic automakers to reduce their labor costs, hire more workers, and compete better with their import competition. As it stands, per-hour labor rates including benefits are $58 at General Motors, $57 at Ford, and $48 at Fiat-Chrysler – a reflection of FCA's much greater number of Tier 2 workers. The Center for Automotive Research released a study of labor rates (including benefits) that put numbers to what the imports pay: Mercedes-Benz pays the most, at an average of $65 per hour, Volkswagen pays the least, at $38 per hour, and BMW is just a hair above that at $39 per hour. Among the Detroit competitors, Honda workers earn an average of $49 per hour, at Toyota it's $48 per hour, Nissan is $42 per hour, and Hyundai-Kia pays $41 per hour. The lower import wages are aided by their greater use of temporary workers compared to the domestics. Automotive News says the ten-dollar gap between those foreign camakers and the domestics turns out to about an extra $250 per car in labor, which adds up quickly when you're pumping out many millions of cars. That $250-per-car number is one that, come negotiating time, the Detroit 3 will want to reduce, as the UAW is trying to raise both Tier 1 and Tier 2 wages. Another wrinkle is that the domestic carmakers are considering the wide adoption of a third wage level lower than Tier 2. Some workers who do minor tasks like assembling parts trays kits and battery packs already make less than Tier 2, but the UAW will be quite wary about cementing yet another wage scale at the bottom of the system while it's trying to fight a bigger battle at the top. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req., BloombergImage Credit: AP Photo/Erik Schelzig Earnings/Financials UAW/Unions BMW Chevrolet Fiat Ford GM Honda Hyundai Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Toyota Volkswagen labor wages collective bargaining labor costs