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Honda Civic Type R on track to smash 'Ring record, eclipse NSX

Honda has made some serious performance machinery over the course of its history, but few products have been as hotly anticipated as the upcoming new Civic Type R. Following a deep and proud history of Type R Hondas, the latest Japanese hot hatch is continuing its long striptease at the Paris Motor Show this week. But before it does, Honda has released this video clip featuring project leader Suehiro Hasshi - and he has some bold claims to make.
For one, he says it'll be the best Type R yet - and that's quite a statement considering some of its predecessors, including the almighty NSX Type R. Hasshi-san also reiterates Honda's aim of snatching the front-drive lap record at the Nürburgring away from the likes of Renault and Seat, and reports that the Honda team is on track to chew every bit it's biting off. In short, the new Civic Type R ought to be sensational.

Honda Civic Type R caught naked and frisky

Honda's upcoming Civic Type R is one of our most anticipated models of the next year - and we probably won't even get it in North America. And yet, each time we see it, the five-door just seems so menacing and purposeful. An all-but-undisguised version has just been spotted by our photographers testing on the back roads in Germany. If this signals what to expect, then the project appears to be coming along nicely.
Compared to the concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show, this prototype looks even meaner. Check out those big, blistered front fender extensions, taller wing, deeply sculpted front air dam and 10-spoke gold wheels. The Type R certainly certainly isn't hiding its performance intentions, and it has no reason to. Under the hood, we know it packs Honda's new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder pumping out 276 horsepower, which is likely connected to a six-speed manual.
Now, if only Honda could find some way to get this machine across The Pond and into the our hot little hands. There has already been an online petition begging the Japanese automaker to find a way, and after recently enjoying an all-too-brief prototype drive, we're ready to sign up.

Honda patent predicts the future of window shades

You may not think of window shades as a particularly high-tech item. Honda is apparently thinking about changing that notion. A patent filed by Honda shows a rather interesting idea: rather than employing a tinted film that goes in place permanently or stowable fabric shades, the patent shows windows with some type of surface that can adjust the amount of light it lets in. Imagine something like Transitions lenses for glasses, or the Smart Glass sunroof on the Mercedes-Maybach S600, which you can see demonstrated at the bottom of this post. What takes the idea a step further is touch controls and adjustability. The patent drawing illustrates how a passenger could decide how much of the window needs shading by simply dragging a finger along the glass to the desired point. This would be very useful on any side window in the car to give passengers, and even the driver, some shielding from the sun when not driving straight into it. The one downside we can see is the accumulation of finger prints and smudges on the interior glass (which would be especially bad on the windshield). But the benefits could outweigh that annoyance. Or perhaps this would be a good feature to use gesture controls on. Related Video: News Source: United States Patent & Trademark OfficeImage Credit: Honda / United States Patent & Trademark Office Auto News Honda Technology Emerging Technologies Gadgets patent