Honda has introduced a new model year version of its British-built Civic Type R Euro in Japan. The 2011MY batch will be the last of this model series to make its way to Japan as production of the current generation three-door Civic Type R has been terminated in Europe because its 2.0-litre VTEC engine does not meet the Euro V emissions regulations.
The Japanese automaker had imported 1,850 examples of the Civic Type R Euro from Britain in late 2009. This time, Honda will bring a total of 1,500 units of the 2011MY version of its high-revving hot hatch. The only changes over the previous model year are the addition of a new Crystal Black Pearl color, some trim updates such as the different finish of the fuel cap and a new numbered plaque.
In Japan, prices for the 2011MY Civic Type R Euro start from 3,000,000 Yen [including consumption tax] or about US$37,200.
Last week, we told you about some of the new cars and concept models heading to the LA Auto Show in mid-November. Now we have news of Honda's plans for the motor show. The Japanese automaker said it will host the world premiere of an all-new electric vehicle concept as well as a plug-in hybrid platform showcasing the next-generation of Honda hybrid technology.
"Both the electric vehicle concept and the plug-in hybrid platform along with the FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle demonstrate the company's vision for the future of personal mobility and its continued commitment to developing advanced environmental technologies," said Honda in a statement.
Unfortunately, Honda did not hand out any photos of the concept model or of the plug-in hybrid platform project.
The Japanese firm added that for time in the LA Show's history, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. President and CEO Takanobu Ito will attend the press conference to showcase the two models.
Supercars are nice, no doubt about it, but few people can really afford them. The price is high, upkeep is high, taxes are high and any mistake, even one that ends in a mild fender-bender is still going to cost you an arm and a leg. A bit too much then, for some weekend fun.
Fortunately, there is a cheaper alternative and, might I add, at least as fun as owning a supercar. A kart. This is driving at its purest form and if you ever saw a kart race with Ayrton Senna or Michael Schumacher in it you'll know what I'm talking about.
True, those karts can cost as much as €100,000 (US $138,950), but a Swissauto 250 engine and matching chassis are about €4,000-5,000 (~6,000-7,000 US dollars). I think that's a fair price for something that can reach 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in about 3,5-4 seconds!
Yep, the one-cylinder 250cc engine is quite a gutsy little beast, capable (depending on the carburetor diameter) of 35/40 hp (26/29 kW) at 10,000 rpm. The torque is also delivered high-up in the rev-range: 28 Nm (20.6 lb-ft) at 8,000 rpm.
Driving this thing is quite an experience. The bucket seat squeezes you like a boa constrictor and you're sitting at an inch from the tarmac. There's no suspension, not in the classic sense, anyway, so you feel every bump on the track, even the hairline cracks.
That would be the downside. The upside of this setup is that the kart will communicate with you unlike any car you've ever driven. Steering is razor-sharp, so, if you're smooth enough, you can hit any apex with extreme precision.
On the other hand, if you're jumpy, you'll end up all over the place. You just can't floor the accelerator. The kart will instantly do a 180 turn and bite you in the behinds.
You have to be extremely progressive with applying the throttle or the brakes. Only then can you wring out its enormous potential, which, believe me, is jaw dropping. And you can still have some money in the bank. Hey, this is better than (paid) love...
Classic car ads are always nice, because they were made in times when people weren't so wound up and actually had the time to read something. So, there's plenty of information in them, some of which is quite entertaining today, almost thirty years later.
This here ad depicts the E28 BMW 5-Series, built between 1981 and 1988, claiming that it's both a sports car and luxury sedan.
BMW is showing off the 535i here and it throws in the big guns right from the start: "It eats up the road – any road – at ungodly speed without a hiccup - Car and Driver wrote". And wait, not about this one, but its predecessor, the E12. You can only imagine, then, that the E28 535i must / should have been a better car.
And it was, because this is the generation that spawned the first M5 (or M535i), which you can admire in the gallery below, and started a new dynasty of sports saloons.
Nevertheless, the 535i was no slouch either. The ad doesn't say it, but the 3.4-liter engine had 182 hp (136 kW). However, it does brag about the "0-60mph time" – just 7.4 seconds –, the "communicative power assisted steering" and the "fully independent suspension".
And that's not all: BMW also claimed that the engine management was computer-controlled to "ensure peak engine performance".
The standard equipment list wasn't exactly long, as the E28 owner only got leather seats, air con, a sunroof and on-board computer. Even the description in the ad was short.
And I'll tell you why: because up until the current generation (F10/11), the BMW 5 Series was always a driver's car first and a luxury vehicle after. Not the other way around.
Source URL: https://autocarsnews-guides.blogspot.com/2010/10/
