Honda of Concord

Filed under: Aftermarket, Hybrid, Performance, Hatchback, Honda, UK

While Honda doesn't have any plans to bring the carbon fiber-laced CR-Z Mugen RR to production, the company has announced that buyers in the UK will have the chance to pick up a quicker version of the hybrid hatchback. The Honda CR-Z iCF will boast a little over 172 horsepower thanks to some wrenching by Mugen Euro. The base 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine packs a centrifugal supercharger along with an intercooler and a remapped ECU. As a result, the dash to 60 miles per hour takes just 6.1 seconds. For reference, the base CR-Z hobbles to the same speed in well over nine seconds.

The Honda CR-Z comes from the factory with 122 horsepower, which is only adequate for hustling the 2,657-pound hybrid around town. The additional 50 ponies in the iCF should make the machine plenty entertaining, and Honda says that the vehicle's three drive modes have been maintained for the best fuel economy possible. Will we see something similar on our shores? Don't hold your breath. Hit the jump for the press release.

Continue reading Honda UK and Mugen launch supercharged CR-Z iCF

Honda UK and Mugen launch supercharged CR-Z iCF originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Hybrid, Performance, Hatchback, Honda, UK

While Honda doesn't have any plans to bring the carbon fiber-laced CR-Z Mugen RR to production, the company has announced that buyers in the UK will have the chance to pick up a quicker version of the hybrid hatchback. The Honda CR-Z iCF will boast a little over 172 horsepower thanks to some wrenching by Mugen Euro. The base 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine packs a centrifugal supercharger along with an intercooler and a remapped ECU. As a result, the dash to 60 miles per hour takes just 6.1 seconds. For reference, the base CR-Z hobbles to the same speed in well over nine seconds.

The Honda CR-Z comes from the factory with 122 horsepower, which is only adequate for hustling the 2,657-pound hybrid around town. The additional 50 ponies in the iCF should make the machine plenty entertaining, and Honda says that the vehicle's three drive modes have been maintained for the best fuel economy possible. Will we see something similar on our shores? Don't hold your breath. Hit the jump for the press release.

Continue reading Honda UK and Mugen launch supercharged CR-Z iCF

Honda UK and Mugen launch supercharged CR-Z iCF originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Aftermarket, Hybrid, Performance, Hatchback, Honda, UK

While Honda doesn't have any plans to bring the carbon fiber-laced CR-Z Mugen RR to production, the company has announced that buyers in the UK will have the chance to pick up a quicker version of the hybrid hatchback. The Honda CR-Z iCF will boast a little over 172 horsepower thanks to some wrenching by Mugen Euro. The base 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine packs a centrifugal supercharger along with an intercooler and a remapped ECU. As a result, the dash to 60 miles per hour takes just 6.1 seconds. For reference, the base CR-Z hobbles to the same speed in well over nine seconds.

The Honda CR-Z comes from the factory with 122 horsepower, which is only adequate for hustling the 2,657-pound hybrid around town. The additional 50 ponies in the iCF should make the machine plenty entertaining, and Honda says that the vehicle's three drive modes have been maintained for the best fuel economy possible. Will we see something similar on our shores? Don't hold your breath. Hit the jump for the press release.

Continue reading Honda UK and Mugen launch supercharged CR-Z iCF

Honda UK and Mugen launch supercharged CR-Z iCF originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: LA Auto Show, Podcasts, Chevrolet, Honda, Land Rover, Subaru, Fiat

LA Recap, Soave out at Fiat, ZL1 "you're welcome," Gray-market petition



Episode #257 of the Autoblog Podcast is here with Chris, Dan, Zach, and Autoblog Executive Editor Chris Paukert this week. Topics include the turmoil at Fiat USA with Soave stepping down and 500 sales creeping along, a recap of the Los Angeles Auto Show, the "you're welcome" to Ford fans from the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 chief engineer, and the petition underway to reduce gray-market import restrictions from 25 to 15 years. Your questions and comments power the end of the 'cast, and we'll have our live 'cast back at our UStream channel soon. We've embedded our Q&A module after the jump for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #257:

• Fiat USA in turmoil as Soave is out amid slow 500 sales
• Petition started to shorten gray market exemption from 25 to 15 years
• Camaro ZL1 chief engineer says "you're welcome" to Ford Mustang fans
• Los Angeles Auto Show recap

In the Autoblog Garage
2012 Subaru Impreza
2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
2011 Toyota Avalon
2012 Honda CR-V
2012 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

Hosts: Dan Roth, Chris Shunk, Zach Bowman, Chris Paukert

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Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #257

Autoblog Podcast #257 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It was not until 1941, that congress declared Thanksgiving as a national holiday. It was declared to be the fourth Thursday in November.

Thomas Jefferson thought the concept of Thanksgiving was "the most ridiculous idea Iâ??ve ever heard."

Sarah Josepha Hale (shown above) is credited as the person most responsible for making Thanksgiving a national holiday in the United States. She also authored "Mary Had A Little Lamb"

In October of 1777 all 13 colonies celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time; however it was a one-time affair commemorating a victory over the British at Saratoga.

Benjamin Franklin,  who proposed the turkey as the official United States' bird, was not happy when the bald eagle was chosen instead. In a letter to his daughter, Franklin referring to the eagle's "bad moral character," said: "For my own part I wish the Eagle had not been chosen the representative of our country" and "For in Truth, the Turk'y is in comparison a much more respectable bird and withal a true original native of America".


Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Sedan, Honda

The 2012 Green Car of the Year award was snagged from the electric and diesel jaws of its competitors by the Honda Civic Natural Gas. In a year full of standard gasoline powertrain alternatives, the Civic beat out the Ford Focus Electric, Mitsubishi i, Toyota Prius V and the Volkswagen Passat TDI.

Green Car Journal hands out the award and its rules state that the GCOTY needs to have a "quantifiable environmental achievement," market significance and "newness." Any car that has these clearly defined features and is available for sale by January 1, 2012 can be a nominee, and the list of finalists is whittled down by GCJ editors and selected industry and environmental experts.

Over the last four years, the GCOTY was won by a hybrid (the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid in 2008), diesels (the Volkswagen Jetta TDI in 2009 and the Audi A3 TDI in 2010) and a plug-in hybrid (the Chevrolet Volt in 2011). In our informal poll we put up when the five finalists were announced a month ago, the Focus Electric dominated the field.

2012 Green Car of the Year is the Honda Civic Natural Gas originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We have bought multiple cars from this dealership, this time from Gerard. He had a tough, picky customer to work with in my wife, and found her just the car she wanted (2012 Odyssey Touring - White). Between he and his financing teammate, they did a fantastic job getting us a loan with a great rate ...