1994 Honda Prelude Si Coupe 2-door 2.3l on 2040-cars

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Sampling toys and tools in the Honda Dream Garage

I have two Hondas in my modest garage. One is a 1972 CB450 that I cherish but rarely ride, the other a 2014 HRR216 mower that my neighbors probably wish I'd use more often. Not quite dream garage material, but I like my trusty Hondas all the same. So I was pretty geeked to visit what Honda calls its Dream Garage. Spoiler alert: There was no actual garage. The various Honda products were spread out over a few acres of private land. And before you ask, no, the HondaJet wasn't in attendance. No confining garage meant I got to try a bunch of this stuff out. Honda makes such a wide variety of products, and so many of them, that it is the number one maker of engines in the world, having built 28 million in 2014. Highlights included a smattering of motorcycles, some rugged side-by-sides, the Uni-Cub assistive mobility device/powered stool, a few boats, Honda's latest cars, and snowblowers. Yep, in Southern California in July. They used damp sawdust for demonstrations, which meant I got to run a giant snowblower in a t-shirt. Watch the video above to see me ride, drive, walk behind, and be assisted by some of Honda's latest gear that isn't a car. Some of my favorites: The Grom. I've wanted to ride one since it came out a couple years back. This miniature motorcycle is hilarious and surprisingly rideable given its 125-cc single, which puts out about eight horsepower. It'll do 45 mph pretty easily, which feels fast on this baby bike. The only thing that takes getting used to is the time required to glance down at the instruments – they're way down there. Otherwise, it's a normal motorcycle with tiny wheels and a tinier engine. Riding the Uni-Cub was another dream experience of mine. It's much more intuitive than a Segway and makes you look slightly less goofy. I felt like I was in an OK Go video. It was neat. One item that didn't make the video is the NM4 you see here: crazy anime-inspired styling, a dual-clutch transmission, and then more crazy styling. The DCT means your left hand and foot get a rest. I still grabbed for the clutch every time I started the bike, though. Old habits and their hard deaths. Honda is also putting a dual-clutch transmission into one of its newest side-by-side offerings, but it was only on display and not available to pilot. I drove one with a traditional auto and another with an automated manual – and paddle shifters!

Driving the Toyota Supra, Honda Passport and BMW 3 Series | Autoblog Podcast #582

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Green Editor John Beltz Snyder and West Coast Editor James Riswick. First, they talk about the cars they've been driving, including the Honda Passport, BMW 330i and Audi RS5. They follow up with notes about driving the Toyota Supra and 86, and whether Toyota's new sports car strategy makes sense. Then they discuss the news, including the Ferrari SF90 Stradale plug-in hybrid, a possible Renault-FCA merger, death rumors for the Jaguar XJ and thoughts on the upcoming Chevy Trailblazer. Autoblog Podcast #582 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving: 2019 Honda Passport 2019 BMW 330i 2019 Audi RS5 Sportback Toyota Supra, 86 and the company's sports car strategy In the news: Ferrari SF90 Stradale FCA and Renault Jaguar XJ going away? Chevy Trailblazer Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

Japan could consolidate to three automakers by 2020

Sergio Marchionne might see his dream of big mergers in the auto industry become a reality, and an analyst thinks Japan is a likely place for consolidation to happen. Takaki Nakanishi from Jefferies Group LLC tells Bloomberg the country's car market could combine to just three or fewer major players by 2020, from seven today. "To have one or two carmakers in a country is not only natural, but also helpful to their competitiveness," Nakanishi told Bloomberg. "Japan has just too many and the resources have been too spread out. It's a natural trend to consolidate and reduce some of the wasted resources." Nakanishi's argument echoes Marchionne's reasons to push for a merger between FCA and General Motors. Automakers spend billions on research and development, but their competitors also invest money to create the same solutions. Consolidating could conceivably put that R&D money into new avenues. "In today's global marketplace, it is increasingly difficult for automakers to compete in lower volume segments like sports cars, hydrogen fuel cells, or electrified vehicles on their own," Ed Kim, vice president of Industry Analysis at AutoPacific, told Autoblog. Even without mergers, these are the areas where Japanese automakers already have partners for development. Kim cited examples like Toyota and Subaru's work on the BRZ and FR-S and its collaboration with BMW on a forthcoming sports car. Honda and GM have also reportedly deepened their cooperation on green car tech. After Toyota's recent buyout of previous partner Daihatsu, Nakanishi agrees with rumors that the automotive giant could next pursue Suzuki. He sees them like a courting couple. "For Suzuki, it's like they're just starting to exchange diaries and have yet to hold hands. When Toyota's starts to hold 5 percent of Suzuki's shares, this will be like finally touching fingertips," Nakanishi told Bloomberg. "I absolutely do believe that we are not finished seeing consolidation in Japan," Kim told Autoblog. Rising development costs to meet tougher emissions regulations make it hard for minor players in the market to remain competitive. "The smaller automakers like Suzuki, Mazda, and Mitsubishi are challenged to make it on their own in the global marketplace. Consolidation for them may be inevitable." Related Video: