2008 Ex Microfiber Premium Sound Cd Media Roof Rack Alloys Honda Element 30k on 2040-cars

Auto blog

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.

2014 Honda Grom motorcycle is a 125cc-shot of awesome [w/video]

My very first turn at the handlebars of a motorcycle came courtesy of an MSF Honda CB125. Despite the fact that it wore a very stern sticker on the tank warning all who rode that it was for instructional purposes only and not for legal sale, I wanted nothing more than to ride it past the cones of my license test and straight home. There was just something about the lightweight, low-power machine that just felt right. Now Honda is giving American buyers the chance to take home something similar. Meet the Grom. Yes, it's basically a sexed-up scooter, but that's fine by me.
There's a fuel-injected 125cc single pushing the fat-tired bike around, and a four-speed gearbox handles shifting duty.The smallish 12-inch wheels give the Grom a bit of a goofball appearance, but the handsome bodywork and gold forks help offset the look. Something tells me this joker is more fun than should be legal. Check out a fun video of the bike in action by scrolling down, and while you're there, you'll find a full press release on all of the new Honda powersports models, including the Grom. You can also head over to the Honda consumer site for more information. The bike will land in showrooms this August with an MSRP of $2,999.

Five vehicles named Top Safety Pick+ including new Civic, MKZ

In an attempt to help push vehicle safety to a higher level, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety created a stricter Top Safety Pick+ rating last year, which incorporates a brutal small overlap test and requires cars to get Good ratings in four out of the five categories (and no less than Acceptable in the fifth). Joining the list of the safest cars of 2013, the 2013 Volvo XC60, Lincoln MKZ, Honda Civic (sedan and coupe) and the 2014 Mazda6 have all received the coveted TSP+ rating.
The Mazda6 and Lincoln MKZ have both been completely redesigned, and both received Acceptable ratings in the small overlap test. The Honda Civic, coming off its emergency refresh for 2013, is the first small car to be subjected to the small overlap test, and IIHS says that one of the car's many upgrades includes a stiffer front structure allowing it to receive Good ratings in all categories. Similarly, the XC60 gets all Good ratings thanks to, according to IIHS, Volvo updating the airbag software allowing the side airbags to inflate during the small overlap test.
The 2014 Subaru Forester has not yet been subjected to the small overlap test, so it must make do with just a Top Safety Pick rating until the IIHS tests small utility vehicles, which is expected to happen later in the spring.