1998 Honda Civic Lx Sedan 4-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Honda fielding 11 entrants at Pikes Peak, including 532-hp Odyssey

Is it possible for a minivan to be more exciting than an Acura NSX? Well, Honda is trying to find out by entering a 532-horsepower Odyssey into the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with IndyCar racer Simon Pagenaud behind the wheel.
Starting with a stock Odyssey, Honda dropped in a turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 producing an estimated 532 hp and 460 pound-feet of torque as well as racing suspension, tires and brakes and one of the biggest roll cages you're likely to ever see. If this van looks familiar to you, you aren't alone - it's a veteran of the Tire Rack One Lap of America.
In addition to this super minivan, Honda will also be entering a first-gen NSX, CR-Z hybrid, Fit EV and Acura TL into the competition as well as five motorcycles and an all-terrain vehicle. Scroll down for the full details on Honda's comprehensive assault on Pikes Peak.

Honda Urban SUV Concept leaks out ahead of Detroit debut

Next up on the 2013 Detroit Auto Show embargo-break-a-palooza: the Honda Urban SUV Concept. Thanks to Indian Autos Blog, we now have the first press shots of the small crossover concept - a vehicle that will someday make it to production, riding on the Honda Fit platform.
It may have some big features - namely, the large headlamps, big wheels, and bold body lines - but the Urban SUV Concept will compete with smaller vehicles like the Nissan Juke or Fiat 500L. Indian Autos Blog reports that both 1.6- an 1.8-liter four-cylinder engines are being speculated for use in the production model, as well as a diesel powerplant for foreign markets.
That's all we know for now, but stay tuned to see the full smattering of official images and details as part of this week's Detroit coverage.

Former Honda CEOs chide current boss about quality

Taking charge of a major corporation will never be without its challenges, and one of those - as Honda CEO Takanobu Ito is finding out - is filling the big shoes of those that came before. Ito's predecessors are apparently not pleased with what he's doing to the company, and are wasting no time in telling him so.
According to Reuters, two former Honda chiefs have recently visited Ito (pictured above with his predecessor Takeo Fukui) to talk to him about the Japanese automaker's quality issues, which they apparently regard as eroding the company's image. Nobuhiko Kawamoto, who served as CEO from 1990-98, reportedly came to Honda headquarters in Tokyo to deliver "stern words" to Ito last month. Kawamoto's immediate successor, Hiroyuki Yoshino, reportedly met with Ito under similar circumstances earlier this year.
Kawamoto and Yoshino are part of a larger group of former Honda executives who are concerned with the declining quality of the company's products under Ito's leadership. Where Honda once focused more on quality, collaborating more closely with parts suppliers,more recently the company has, in the eyes of those former executives at least, shifted its focus to quantity and to new technologies. That's what, the report alleges, has led to Honda recalling so many of its vehicles in recent years.