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Honda to reveal production Civic Type R in Geneva

Honda has been working on its new Civic Type R for some time now. We drove a prototype over a year ago, and have since seen the Japanese hot hatch as a pre-production concept twice now – once in Geneva last year, and again in Paris. But at this year's Geneva Motor Show in March, the Japanese automaker will finally present the production version. Previewed in the teaser video above, the new Civic Type R promises to be among the kings of the hot hatchdom, packing a new 2.0-liter turbocharged VTEC engine and extreme styling. Unfortunately this version won't be coming to the US, but according to recent reports, another version will. Alongside the production pocket rocket, Honda will mark the European debuts of the NSX, Jazz (known to us as the Fit) and the new HR-V subcompact crossover at the Swiss expo, where it will also showcase its new McLaren-Honda F1 racer and the FCV concept. 28.01.2015 Civic Type R and NSX Supercar Lead Host of Premieres From Honda at 2015 Geneva Motor Show - Honda to unveil flagship performance models with world premiere of production Civic Type R and European premiere of NSX - Production models of all-new Jazz and HR-V to be unveiled, as well as first showing in Europe of FCV Concept fuel cell vehicle - 2015 McLaren-Honda F1 racer showcased ahead of season opener Signalling a new era for the Honda brand in Europe, every model in the range will be new or refreshed in 2015, with many being unveiled in production guise for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Performance cars for road and track, family cars and a fuel cell concept will all feature on the Honda stand. The return of two performance legends Geneva will see the global premiere of the Honda Civic Type R production car. The 'race car for the road' will be the most extreme Type R ever built, with blistering performance and thrilling dynamics that set new standards in the segment. A world-first application of Honda's new 2.0 litre VTEC Turbo engine, aggressive function-led styling and pioneering new chassis technologies combine to deliver one of the most immersive and rewarding driving experiences available in any sector. For fans keenly anticipating the launch of Honda's latest hot hatch icon, a dedicated Type R microsite goes live on 28 January.

Honda CR-Z carbon-fiber prototype

When Honda rolled out the CR-Z a few years ago, it hoped to bridge the gap between those who would save the planet and those who would rather burn all of its resources in a glorious cloud of tire smoke. But enthusiasts recalling the CRX of 1980s vintage balked, imploring Honda to ditch the heavy battery packs and electric motors in favor of a lighter-weight, more conventional powertrain. At this point it seems less likely that Honda would do so at one end of the market than Porsche would ditch the hybrid component of its 918 Spyder at the other. But that doesn't mean Honda isn't still cooking up ways to curb the CR-Z's weight. And it had just one such idea waiting for us when we visited its Japanese R&D center at Tochigi last week.
Nestled in between the JDM hatchbacks, powertrain test mules and new technology prototypes Honda rolled out for us sat the experimental CR-Z you see here. While it may look mostly like the hybrid sport-hatch you can pick up at your local dealer (albeit blacked out), nearly all of this prototype's bodywork has been completely replaced, as have its basic underpinnings, with carbon-fiber reinforced plastic. The exotic material is usually reserved for high-end exotics, but like BMW is democratizing its use in the new i3, so too is Honda researching ways to implement the use of carbon fiber on a mass scale. This one-of-a-kind CR-Z prototype stands, for the time being, as the embodiment of that effort.
Driving Notes

Honda's Acura NSX masterstroke: building the factory in Ohio

When Honda announced it was going to build its NSX supercar in Ohio instead of Japan, it caught everybody in the industry by surprise. No one expected this proud Japanese company to build its most technologically advanced sports car anywhere but in its home country. Now Honda has a supercar production facility in rural Ohio that would be the envy of any Formula One team. The people at Honda call it the PMC, but its official name is the Performance Manufacturing Center. It's a building that started out as a shipping facility for suppliers, but Honda invested $70 million to transform it into a showcase facility that will build the NSX. Honda benchmarked the assembly operations at Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, and Bentley before work began on its facility. The 200,000 square-foot building will also double as a customer reception center – Honda will open the doors for customers to come see their car being built. It's also going to offer them high-speed test drives at the gigantic Transportation Research Center just down the road. No one expected this proud Japanese company to build its most technologically advanced sports car anywhere but in its home country. Inside, the layout is wide open and well lit. There are no stripes or lines on the floor and none of the different departments are walled off. This creates a more welcoming appearance and lets you get a comprehensive view of the entire process at a glance. And with an eye towards future lessons learned, most of the equipment is of a modular design that can be easily reconfigured or moved. The body shop and paint shop are enclosed by glass walls so that anyone can see what's going on inside. And while you'll see some automation here and there, the idea was to achieve a blend between man and machine, not to try and automate everything. This is a low-volume facility with production targeted at only eight to ten cars a day. The plant runs four days a week with one ten-hour shift. Don't expect to see rows of new NSXs parked on any dealer's lot. The car will only be built to order. Honda is obsessed with ensuring the NSX is built to the most exacting quality standards. The plant people pored over the JD Power Appeal study to determine what supercar customers care about the most, then looked at which aspects of that directly tie into manufacturing. They developed their quality control strategy with three goals in mind. First, they wanted to build everything right the first time with no adjustments.