2014 Honda Civic Lx on 2040-cars

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2016 Honda Civic Type R shows sometimes the grass really is greener [w/video]

The newly unveiled Honda Civic Type R at the Geneva Motor Show seems like a cruel trick being played on North American hot hatch fans. Even if the European model's oblong shape and massive wing don't make for the pinnacle of automotive beauty, it's hard to question the vehicle's performance capability, especially after the 7:50.63 lap around the Nurburgring Nordschleife. The heart of the Civic Type R is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder pumping out 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet with a six-speed manual. The combination is reportedly good for a sprint to 62 miles per hour in 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 167 mph. Honda also fits the CTR with Brembo brakes and adaptive dampers, while a special suspension setup reportedly helps in the fight against torque steer. While the big wing catches the eye first, Honda adds to the aggressive look with a new rear diffuser, front splitter and deeper side skirts. Also, the vents behind the front wheels help air through the engine bay to keep things running cool. Inside, front occupants are hugged by sport seats with big bolsters to keep them in place. With the forthcoming NSX and return to Formula One, Honda appears on the very cusp of a performance renaissance, and the Civic Type R is just one more step in that direction. Thankfully, at least one rumor indicates its turbocharged engine might make it into the North American Civic at some point. Related Video:

McLaren-Honda drops the bling for stealth F1 livery

Watch a Formula One grand prix and you can instantly tell which are the McLarens, visible as they are from a mile away with their reflective chrome livery. But that's all about to change as the British team has dropped the chrome in favor of the more subdued livery you see here. Unveiled in time for this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix, the new McLaren livery replaces the bling with a gray so dark that it borders on black. The red accents remain, albeit in a revised pattern. The new livery promises to be less reflective at sunset and flood-lit night races especially, while providing more of a visual break from the Mercedes era now that the team is powered once again by Honda. McLaren first adopted the silver and black livery in 1997 after Marlboro (with its white and red livery) left for Ferrari and the West tobacco brand was brought in instead. The team parted company with West after the ban on tobacco advertising in sports was instituted in Europe in 2005, inserted some red into the livery and replaced the flat silver with chrome. This weekend's race will mark the first time in a decade, then, that McLaren will be racing without the chrome. Featured Gallery 2015 McLaren-Honda MP4-30: Gray Livery News Source: McLaren via Facebook Motorsports Honda McLaren Racing Vehicles F1 livery mclaren-honda

'Car Wars' says Ford, Honda to pick up share, Fiat-Chrysler ambitions downplayed

Don't look for a tremendous shifts in automotive market share over the next three years because it might not be coming. That's at least according to the annual Car Wars report by John Murphy, from Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research.
In the report's analysis of automakers' market share from 2013 to 2017, it predicts only small changes among the major companies. Ford and Honda see the biggest positive effect with an estimated 0.5 percent increase in their shares over the next three years; to 16.2 percent and 10.3 percent respectively. On the flip side, European automakers and Nissan are expected to lose 0.2 percent each to fall to 8.3 percent and 7.8 percent each respectively. The rest of the industry is predicted to hold steady as it is now.
The biggest loser in that prediction might be Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles. The report certainly throws a wet blanket on its plan for significant gains in market share. Murphy told The Detroit News that the company's goal was "almost unattainable."