Lo Cost 2012 Honda Civic Lx 4 Dr on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Remembering the glory days of the Honda Civic Si

In addition to watching host John Davis slowly age over his decades on the show, MotorWeek's Retro Review series on YouTube allows us to look back on some of the favorite models of yesteryear to see their evolution toward present day. Take the 1989 Honda Civic Si for example, which is newly featured. The name is still on the market, and the current model boasts 205 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque from its 2.4-liter four-cylinder. However, the current Si is being left behind in power by other performance compacts like the latest Volkswagen GTI, Subaru WRX and Ford Focus ST. Back in 1989, the Civic Si was still something of an upstart in the hot hatch ranks and definitely had something to prove. Remember, this was a about decade before the tuner boom of the late '90s gave these Hondas massive popularity. Though, the writing was on the wall for eventual success, based on the MotorWeek review. The show called it "stylish" and was attracted to vehicle's sharp handing, even with no power steering. Like today, power was lacking compared to major competitors like he VW GTI, but Honda's 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 108 hp and 100 lb-ft still received some praise. As always, it's fascinating to see how these now beloved models stack up when looking back. The high-performance Civic might be due for another surge in popularity too, if the forthcoming Type R from Europe ever makes to the US. News Source: MotorWeek via YouTube Honda Hatchback Performance Classics Videos honda civic si

Honda making hydrogen from solar power in UK

Honda is going to launch a hydrogen-powered production vehicle (its second, really) next year, but the all-important H2 infrastructure question hasn't been fully answered yet. One possible solution is being tested over in the United Kingdom, where Honda is turning solar energy and water into hydrogen at its Swindon plant. SHD Logistics says the plant is the UK's "first commercial-scale hydrogen production and refuelling facility powered by solar energy." Despite the presence of an FCX Clarity in some pictures from the ribbon cutting, it's unclear if the station will be able to fuel any passenger cars. SHD Logistics talks about sending the hydrogen from where it is generated on the Honda plant grounds into the plant using 300-meter underground pipes so that hydrogen forklifts can refuel as needed. Two hydrogen fuel cell trucks used by Briggs Equipment UK, Honda's partner in the station, will also refuel at the plant. Honda said earlier this year that it, along with partner GM, would work to reduce the costs of a hydrogen refueling infrastructure. Solar-powered hydrolysis – which is what the Swindon facility uses – doesn't sound cheap to us, but at least it reduces the overall environmental costs, compared to using electricity generated from fossil fuels.

Takata doubling production of replacement airbag inflators

Takata is scrambling to fill the massive backlog of orders for replacement airbag inflators, announcing that a recently completed pair of production lines are only the beginning of a production ramp up. The company has kicked up the pace on the two new production lines at its Monclova, Mexico factory, increasing the plant's production from 300,000 to 450,000 units per month. As AN reports, though, even at that pace, it'd take Takata years to produce enough replacements for the 25 million recalled vehicles. A spokesperson confirmed to AN that, globally, Takata will be producing 900,000 replacement airbag inflators by September. Even at that pace, it'd still take around two years to provide a new inflator for every affected vehicle. That's why other companies, perhaps smelling blood in the water, are providing their own replacements for the faulty inflators. We've already reported on Honda's plans to team with the world's largest airbag producer, Autoliv. Now, though, AN has confirmed that the Swedish supplier is in negotiations to provide millions of additional replacement inflators to other automakers affected by the Takata recall. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Carlos Osorio / AP Aftermarket Recalls Honda Safety Takata airbag recall autoliv