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2015 Honda Civic Type R to sire next-gen CR-Z?

Salt shakers at the ready, boys and girls. There's a rumor out of Australia claiming the next Honda CR-Z will be based on the forthcoming 276-horsepower, turbocharged Civic Type R. Apparently Honda's research and development bigwigs have been unnerved by the reception of the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ twins and are eager to return fire.
Now, don't get too excited - Honda isn't following the Volkswagen model of offering virtually unchanged mechanicals in a different bodyshell (Beetle Turbo and GTI, for example). Instead, the report says the future CR-Z will retain its hybrid powertrain, albeit with a serious kick in the pants. A prototype is said to already be zipping around Japan with a turbocharged, direct-injected, 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine and the current CR-Z's electric motor and battery pack. With a reported 221 horsepower mated up to a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission (say buh-bye to the CVT and six-speed manual) and the next-gen Civic platform underneath, the rumored CR-Z has all the makings of a hot hatch riot.
Of course, this all sounds wonderful. This is also the point where you should be enjoying that salt. We really like the idea of a properly hot CR-Z that can compete with John Cooper Works Mini models and the new Ford Fiesta ST, but the three-door hybrid has been such a slow seller for Honda in the US that it might not field a second generation here, no matter how improved it might be. Let us know what you think of an amped-up CR-Z in the comments. Is it a good idea, or is this one Honda model that's just too far gone?

Honda celebrates 30th anniversary of the NSX with a look back at how it began

In 1989, the baseball-loving Japanese dipped their bats in pine tar and came to the U.S. to take gigundous swings. That single year launched five legends: Lexus LS400, Infiniti Q45, Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo, Mazda MX-5 Miata, and Acura NS-X concept. The Chicago Auto Show (!) hosted the global debuts of the Mazda and the Acura. While Mazda celebrates the bygones with the 30th Anniversary Miata, Acura's reminiscing with a look at how the NSX — a car Motor Trend described in 1990 as, "[The] best sports car the world has ever produced. Any time. Any place. Any price ..." — came to be. The development yearbook opened in 1984, a year after Honda returned to Formula One as an engine supplier for the Spirit team, and for the second Williams chassis in the last race of the season. For the first time in the automaker's history, Honda wanted to build a production car with the engine behind the cabin, one that would demonstrate Honda's engineering prowess and "deeply rooted racing spirit." The sports car would also serve as a halo for the not-yet-launched Acura brand. The engineering team built the first test vehicle in February 1984 on the bones of a first-generation Honda Jazz. After four years of formal development, Honda parked the NS-X Concept in a conference room at Chicago's Drake Hotel in February 1989. This is where the media would meet the red wonder before the public show-stand debut. The F-16 Fighting Falcon-inspired coupe was built on the world's first all-aluminum monocoque, and its SOHC V6 ran with titanium connecting rods. Before the press conference, then-Honda president Tadashi Kume got in the NS-X, started the engine, and revved to the 8,000-rpm redline — a noise felt by everyone in the adjacent conference room attending a Ford press conference. Honda's PR man at the time yelled, "Mr. Kume, stop it! They're gonna hear this!" When Kume got out, he asked Honda engineers present why they didn't put their new VTEC technology in the NS-X. (What's Japanese for, "Why didn't the VTEC kick in, yo?!") They told him VTEC had been created for four-cylinder engines. Kume told them to work on a V6 application. More suggestions came from journos who drove the early prototypes at Honda's Tochigi R&D Center, who said the NS-X "could use more power." The development team had grabbed the SOHC V6 from the Acura Legend for the NS-X concept, and it put out 160 horsepower in the luxury sedan.

Acura NSX is officially retired with the final Type S completed

The eulogy issued today from Acura is brief and to the point: "The final Acura NSX Type S was completed today at the Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio." Keyword: final. While the announcement has been expected for months, it's now official. It marks the finale of the second-generation NSX, a hybrid-electric model that was introduced in 2016. A total of 350 cars were built, according to Acura, and the last NSX, which is reserved for sale to a customer, was decorated in matte Gotham Gray, The PMC specialty plant, sited near American Honda's engine factories, is now producing a limited run of the 2023 Acura TLX Type S PMC Edition. The first generation of the sleek, aluminum-body NSX sports coupe, designed in Japan, appeared in 1990 and was greeted by rave reviews from auto writers and enthusiasts. The car was discontinued in 2005,  but its successor reemerged in 2016 with a hybrid electric powertrain and 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine capable of 573 horsepower.  2022 Acura NSX Type S View 16 Photos The upmarket NSX Type S was revealed in 2021, with an increase to 602 horsepower. Acura made it clear at Monterey Car Week at that time that the Type S was a limited edition and production would be capped at 350 examples globally before the run ended. The upcoming TLX editions will be limited to a run of 100 in each of three NSX-derived colors: Curva Red, 130R White and Long Beach Blue. The first run of PMC TLX cars should be shipping in the next month, according to Acura spokesman Andrew Quillin.  Cars at the Performance Manufacturing Center are hand-built in a spotless work environment and undergo extensive quality control before being shipped to dealers in enclosed transporters. 2023 Acura TLX Type S PMC Edition View 15 Photos