1991 Honda Crx Si Coupe 2-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Honda MC-? prototype

Honda is less an automaker, it has been said, and more of a motor company that builds vehicles into which to put its engines. That sort of perspective goes a long way towards explaining the mind-boggling diversity of the company's product lineup. The Japanese industrial giant makes lawnmowers, marine engines, robots... even jet aircraft. It's also one of only a handful of companies that makes both cars and motorbikes. We recently had the chance to sample something that falls in between.
It's called MC-β - shorthand for Micro Commuter Beta, which already tells you it's Honda's second stab at the formula. The first Micro Commuter prototype was announced a year prior and, though marginally larger, struck us as a more complete product than its successor. But it'll likely still be a while before the formula is perfected and put into production, and even then it isn't likely to find its way any time soon to Honda's American showrooms - whether those showrooms are selling cars, bikes or ride-on mowers.
Driving Notes

Automakers score 8 out of top 20 most-watched ads on YouTube [w/videos]

Who would have ever thought there'd be a day where people are able to skip television commercials only to go to websites to watch them later? Such is the joy of a DVR and YouTube. AdWeek tabulated the 20 most-watched ads on YouTube, and found that nine were car-related including eight coming from automakers.
Volkswagen continued its Star Wars theme with two ads in the top 20, including the highest-ranking car commercial The Bark Side spot at number three with almost 18 million views, which doesn't even have a single car in it. Some of our favorites are from Chrysler with Clint Eastwood in It's Halftime in America and House Arrest with Charlie Sheen for the Fiat 500 Abarth. Chevrolet, Honda, Audi and Toyota were the other automakers in the top 20, but we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention one of the coolest ads on the list, the Hot Wheels corkscrew jump.
Of all the car videos, only the Fiat ad wasn't played during a Super Bowl. Check out all eight videos - in order - after the jump. Nike took the top spot with its My Time is Now ad that has been seen online more than 20 million times with Pepsi's Uncle Drew posted up in the runner-up; some of the other videos include four Old Spice commercials and an ad in which Snoop Dogg is pedaling Hot Pockets.

Honda previews next-gen JDM Odyssey minivan

Some automakers market the same cars around the world, while others offer different models - even under the same nameplate - for different markets. We're thinking of cars like the Volkswagen Passat or the previous Mazda6. Honda's been known to do so as well, with models like the Accord and Odyssey, which are completely different in North America than they are in other parts of the world.
Now Honda has provided the first glimpse at the Odyssey minivan it offers for the Japanese Domestic Market (as well as Europe and other parts of the world). Though more compact than the US-market version, the new overseas Odyssey appears larger than the model it replaces, with a taller roofline increasing interior space.
Though Honda hasn't released the model's full specifications, power is expected to come from a 2.4-liter inline-four mated to a continuously variable transmission. Beyond that, buyers will likely be able to choose between front- and all-wheel drive, two cabin layouts, two interior colors and seven or more exterior paints. The images also point towards blind-spot and auto-braking systems and an apparent eco mode. Although unconfirmed, we expect to see the new JDM Odyssey make its debut at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show.