500 Horsepower 2008 Honda S2000

Check Brock's 2008 Honda S2000 on Cardomain.com, this week he has made it to the top rides. Congrats and the rides looks beautiful. Go here ---> CarDomain to see more pics and the mods he did to the car.

Ten Best Selling Cars of 2010

1. Ford F-Series: 27,630
2. Chevy Silverado: 22,772
3. Honda Accord: 20,759 (1,737 Accord Crosstours included)
4. Nissan Altima: 18,636
5. Toyota Corolla: 17,121
6. Chevy Malibu: 16,439
7. Toyota Camry: 15,792
8. Honda Civic: 14,693
9. Chevy Cobalt: 12,962
10. Ford Fusion: 12,179

Toyota significantly dropped in sales last year, yet Ford has reached the top in the current economy after facing 2 years of losses. And GM has finally made a profit since 2008. Congratulations to the American Auto Industry.

Long term update: 2008 Honda Civic LX

Finally time for a 6 month update on our 08 Honda Civic. We've wrangled up a nice 4,000 miles on the Civic in the last 6 months. Here's what we have to report.

With the biggest thing on every one's mind being gas mileage. We're reporting an average of 23-24 MPG with our LX tester. Honda gives a combine rating of 29 for the Civic broken down to 25 City/36 Highway.

Overall performance is adequate from the 1.8 liter 4 cylinder. Honda rates the engine at 140Hp, but it actually feels much much less. Especially on hills. This leaves you in some situations where you feel you can't get out of your own way. The 4 speed automatic trans leaves a lot more to be desired. Tha lack of a manual shift kick over disappointed us as this might have helped a little with the performance.

Ride is ok, a little on the harsh side but not bad. Handling is excellent. Our car was fitted with 16 inch 5 spoke alloys that really set off the refrigerator white paint. Disc brakes all around with ABS keep things under control. One complaint we have is the low ride height. The springs are set so soft that if we had our equipment in the trunk or more than one person in the car when pulling out of the garage, we were greeted with a loud bang and scraping noises from the car bottoming out. Our permanent fleet includes a modified 1999 VW New Beetle that is lowered with a sport suspension that doesn't even come close to doing this.

Moving inside, there is an interior that is very futuristic. It reminds me of some GM concept cars from the late 1980s-early 1990s. The leather interior is supple and comfortable with a nice driving position. The steering wheel is covered in perforated black leather and is more of a squared oval design rather than the typical round circle. It has a very nice feel to it and has the added bonus of thumb controls for the radio, cruise, and blue tooth set up. The instrument cluster is uniquely laid out with the odometer set right above the steering column and the speedo further up near the top of the dash.

It takes a little time to get used to this setup. The speedo does cause a glare at night that drove some of us crazy. To the point we would take another car from the test fleet at night. Round out the interior with MP3 player jacks, Sirius/XM satelite radio, in dash cd, Scan Disc slots, blue tooth, and touch screen navigation and it makes for a very nice in car entertainment package.

I'd be lying if I were to say that I was sad to see the Honda leave us. But it is a nice little car for what it is. Especially with the lightness it leaves on the wallet at the gas pump.

Out of 5 stars we give it 3 and a half.

2009 Acura TL AWD Get 6-Speed Manual Gearbox

It looks as though Acura’s trying to reach out to those that actually enjoy driving a car. Starting from next fall, the Japanese automaker will offer a new 6-speed manual gearbox on the 2010 TL SH-AWD model. Aside from the fact that it’s the first time that Acura has ever paired its all-wheel-drive system with a stick-shift, the new close-ratio 6-speed manual is approximately 110 lbs lighter than the Sequential SportShift 5-speed automatic transmission currently offered in the top-spec TL.

Furthermore, the 2010 TL SH-AWD 6MT models also benefit from suspension upgrades that include special coil spring and shock absorber rates tuned for flatter cornering with reduced pitching motions under acceleration and braking. The manual models also employ firmer engine and transmission bushings along with a sportier tuning for the steering wheel system.

According to Acura, the addition of a manual transmission, an all-new clutch system and suspension changes yield an 88 lb. reduction in overall vehicle weight and at the same time, improves weight distribution by 1-percent compared to the automatic model generating a 58/42 ratio versus the 5AT's 59/41 ratio.

Source: Car Scoop

Honda OSM (Open Study Model)

Honda's low-emission sportscar study model has been revealed at the British International Motor Show, at ExCel, London.

The lightweight roadster design study is a concept showing Honda's core engineering principals, designing stylish and exciting cars that are also environmentally responsible.

Named the OSM (for Open Study Model), the two-seater joins the confirmed-for-production CR-Z sports hybrid and FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell car on the Honda stand at the show.

Read more about it here ---> Tuning News

MUGEN Accessorizes Your All

So you settled for the USDM, factory-built Honda Civic MUGEN Si because: a.) you don't live in Japan and b.) even if you did, you probably wouldn't have gotten your filthy mitts on a limited-edition MUGEN RR anyway. However, if you're still looking to get yourself something related to the RR, you're in luck. MUGEN has found another way to vacuum up fanboy dollars appeal to its enthusiast customers by offering up original artwork. First up in "The Art of MUGEN Power" series is "The Art, MUGEN RR", a 300-piece limited-edition print that shows the car in cutaway form. ¥39,000 ($368) puts one on your wall. Want a numbered plate for the frame? Tack on another ¥2,100 ($19.80). It's art a la carte, courtesy of MUGEN. The company website has all the details (in Japanese, natch -- the English pages are perpetually "under the construction").

New NSX To Beat GT-R

Honda's Ceo is demanding for the new NSX to be stronger and faster than the new Nissan GT-R which has put the Bugatti to shame at Nürburgring. The new NSX is suspected to get a 5.5L V10 producing 550 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque and an all wheel drive system.

By the time the NSX is finished in during the next 2 years. The GT-R will be even more improved. And the killer price will stay the same, unlike the NSX.

Source: Inside Line

How to Buy a Cheap Sports Car

Step 1:Know that chain gas stations supply magazines with local listings of sports cars and most of these car magazines have a $2,999 and Under section where cars like Mazda Miatas and Nissan 240sx and Nissan 300zx can be found.

Step 2:Realize that Auto Trader Website is a haven for someone looking for a cheap sports car, with easy access to local and non-local sports cars through extremely easy search parameters.

Step 3:Look to buy a sports car for under $3000 at junkyards. Many junkyards put together older sport cars and will sometimes sell the refurbished vehicles for next to nothing.

Step 4:Check out Craigslist where it's easy to select cars--set the maximum amount to $3000; then set search parameters for local.

Step 5:Find used sports cars on eBay too, but expect to get outbid by someone like you. However, eBay is well known, and many people selling a car will lean towards eBay because they often get good results once the auctioning begins.

Step 6:Get involved in a car community or club to buy a sports car for under $3000. Start going to car shows and networking with people. Car enthusiasts will have four to five car projects going on, many next to being finished. Some people end up selling of one of their side project cars to pay for parts for a more current project--that's where you jump in to buy a sports car for under $3000. Networking will get you some of the best results.

Step 7:Work on your negotiating skills if you're not able to buy a sports car for under $3000. Keep in mind that the newest year for these used vehicles will be a 1998.

Step 8:Look for cars, such as a 1993 to 1996 Lexus SC300, 1993 to 1994 Lexus SC400, 1990 to 1996 Mazda Miata, 1993 to 1998 Honda Civic Coupe EX, 1991 to 1997 Toyota Celica, 1988 to 1992 Toyota Supra Turbo or 1989 to 1995 Acura Integra. These are just some of the possibilities.

2009 Acura TSX

As always the Acura TSX was designed to reach out to young business man and young professionals. The design and styling with an athletic performance brings a nice vehicle to young people with luxury and performance. Leather seats, navigation brought to you in this instant package fulfills the needs of professional.An inline-4 engine fulfills the needs of those ready on the pedal to go fast and fuel efficient. The 2009 Acura TSX brings you 201 hp and 172 torque available with a manual transmission and an automatic SportShift 5-speed with a torque converter. The quality of the vehicle is brought to you by Honda, luxury and style is what is expected and it is given. Reliability, is a must, which is their brought to you by a inline-4 engine.

Engine

Power bhp: 201

Torque lb-ft: 172

Type: inline-4

Performance

Acceleration 0-60 mph: 6.5 seconds

2008 Honda S2000 CR

Finally an S2000 worth the money. Now more track oriented, better suspension, faster, brought all together in new bodywork. Still a four cylinder but produces a good amount of hp(237), and torque(163) and the best thing is it comes with a 6 Speed Manual Transmission. The new S2000 CR is much more stiffer, aggresive than previos models. This is the S2000 the Honda enthusiasts have been waiting for.

Engine

Power bhp: 237

Torque: 163

Type: Inline 4 Cylinder

Performance

Acceleration 0-60 mph: 5.4 Seconds

My Rating: ****/*****

2008 Honda Civic Mugen Si

The new Civic Mugen Si, is a limited Si powered by Mugen performance parts straight off the production. North Americans, have long been waiting to get a civic as powerful as the Japanese get it. The Civic Mugen Si Sedan is equipped with a high-performance suspension, forged aluminum wheels, aerodynamic body styling and a sport-tuned exhaust system. The Civic Mugen Si goes from 0-60 mph in 6.1 seconds, with 197 horse power at the front wheels. And a limited production of only 1,000 units in 2008.

Engine

Power bhp: 197

Torque lb-ft: 139

Type: Inline 4

Performance

Acceleration 0-60 mph: 6.1 seconds

My Rating: ****/*****

In the garage: 2008 Mini Cooper, 2008 Honda Civic

We recently picked up our first long term test cars for review. So expect to see much more about both cars in the coming weeks. First is a 2008 Mini Cooper. We opted to test the base Cooper rather than go with the Cooper S that you see tested every where else.

The second long term tester is a 2008 Honda Civic. Both cars will be tested in real world circumstances. To give you a real world idea of how both cars stack up. Look for future updates.

European autos have resale edge over domestics

Recent surveys show that the Detroit Big Three are starting to lose footing on their vehicles resale values. Kelly Blue Book is saying that the top five brands with the best overall predicted resale value are Volkswagen, BMW, Honda, Acura, and Porsche. The rest of the Top Ten are Lexus, Subaru, Toyota, Infiniti, and Audi. Of course, none of these are Big Three domestics. Many of those brands made up the 1o worst picks for resale value for 2008.

Why the big turn? Simple. Over production. The Big Three lean towards overproducing their vehicles. Then they slap on huge discounts and rebates. Those combined with the over abundant supply of Taurus, Impala, and Stratus fleet and rental cars. Helps to absolutely destroy the resale value of those cars.

Volkswagen is the surprise comeback kid on the survey list. They have steadily grown over the last 5 years. Thanks to big boosts in quality, fuel efficiency, European styling, and exceptional value.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Redesigned Honda Fit receives 20,000 orders in 2 weeks

From the looks of what we've read and seen of the new redesigned Honda Fit. It looks like a vast improvement on the previous model. And the buying public has spoken. 20,000 orders for the new car over a period of 2 weeks. The Fit is a very impressive car for its size. And can be customized to quite a quick little ride. I for one look forward to seeing more about this car in the future. We should see the revised Fit sometime in 2008.

TOKYO, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co said on Friday it had received about 20,000 orders for its remodelled Fit subcompact in the two weeks since its launch in Japan last month, far outpacing a monthly sales target of 12,000 cars.

Honda, Japan's second-biggest automaker, is counting on the second-generation Fit, sold as the Jazz in some markets, to reverse a slide in domestic sales, where popular 660cc minivehicles have eaten into the subcompact segment.

The car, which is roomier and more fuel-efficient than its predecessor, is set to overtake Toyota Motor Corp's Corolla sedan as Japan's best-selling car, excluding minicars. It last claimed the No. 1 spot in September 2006.

Hit by a slump in the overall market, Honda last month lowered its domestic retail sales forecast by 4 percent to 660,000 cars for the business year to the end of March 2008. It expects a rebound to around 700,000 cars next year, with help from the Fit and a beefed-up minivehicle line-up.

Honda is due to launch the new Fit/Jazz in North America, Europe, China and other markets over the next year.

Source: Reuters, autoblog.com

1991 Honda CRX - Si

One of my favirote cars, they are lightweight and have good handling. These cars are quick, and seems like you are driving a toy at high speeds. Although it is not as fast without an engine swap. It is 0-60 mph 8.87 seconds for the Si. If you do decide to get one, look for rust spots, the best swap for the crx is the B-Series engine swap, these come of off the 2000 Civic si. But to get most out of Honda get a H22a. That is off a Prelude Type S, that are only made in Japan, so you will need to get it imported. Overall this vehicle is great, and is a great tuner or project car for anybody.

1991 SI ONLY STOCK, different performance with different engines

Engine: 1.6L 108 hp at 5800 rpm Inline 4

Performance: 0-60 mph in 8.87 seconds

Weight: aproximately 2100 lbs

2000 Honda Civic Si

The Fourth Generation Si, is the perfect tuner for the beginner or expert. It is a blank canvas ready to be painted on, so use your imagination...With many aftermarket parts to fullfill your horsepower and torque needs. This is great car either way, stock or modded. This a great vehicle, with fuel prices going up, this is a great car college car that is great on fuel economy. Afterall it is a Honda Civic with a very reliable B-series engine. So you don't have to worry about it breaking down. It is known to withstand performance parts without breaking.
Engine:
Inline 4
1.6L 160 hp
111 torque
5 speed manual overdrive
Performance:
0 - 60 Time in 7.60 seconds
1/4 Mile Time in 15.97 seconds