Honda Sports Ute Concept by Daniel Pearson is so Wrong that it Could be Right

In most places around the world, the words "sports" and "utility vehicle" don't make much sense together.

However, there are some exceptions, notably Australia, which through Ford's local division gave birth to the coupe utility category in the early 1930s and continues to be represented to this day by the Ford and Holden Utes, and of course, North America, with its most famous model being the Chevrolet El Camino.

To put it simple, a Coupe Utility vehicle is a passenger car model with two doors and an open cargo bed, the purpose being to bond (...or compromise) two different worlds into one automobile.

A Coupe Utility is what Daniel Pearson, a third year design student from the UK, had in mind for his Honda project aptly named the "Sports Ute". The two seater study was designed to be 4.7 meters long (185 inches) riding on a lengthy 3,025mm (119.1 inches) wheelbase, all while looking like it belongs to the same family of cars as the NSX.

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Dumb and Dumber Attempt to Restrain a Honda CR-X del Sol in Canada

A raggedy rag Honda Civic del Sol (also known as the CR-X del Sol and the new CR-X, depending on the region) parked on the grass near Lake Beaulac in Quebec, Canada? Check.

Two enthusiastic young men prepared to sacrifice their safety and well-being for the entertainment of their fellow citizens? Check.

A cameraman on hand to record the incident? Check.

All that's left for Canada's Lloyd and Harry is to step on a wooden plank and tell the driver of the Civic del Sol to push the pedal to the metal. You can probably guess what happens next…

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Mugen Launches Production Version of Supercharged Honda CR-Z RZ [19 Photos]

Something tells us that what Mugen has prepared is what Honda fans wanted the CR-Z to be from the beginning.

Over the past year or so, Honda's official tuning arm presented several concepts of a faster CR-Z and this is the final production model.

The car's official moniker is the 'Honda CR-Z MUGEN RZ' of which only 300 examples will be built and sold by Mugen exclusively in Japan, starting from November 26, with prices to be announced.

At the heart of the RZ lies a modified version of the stock model's IMA Hybrid powerplant that places a supercharger to the 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine to lift its output to 154hp (156PS) and 185Nm (136 lb-ft).

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Potential Fire Risk Prompts Honda to Recall 537,000 Accords, But Parts won't be Available Until 2013

The first automotive recall of October comes from Honda that is expanding a previous safety action of around 52,000 model year 2007 and 2008 Acura TL vehicles to include 573,147 Accord V6s from the 2003-2007 model years for a grand total of 625,762 cars.

In a filing to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Japanese carmaker said that prolonged exposure to engine heat can cause the power steering hose to deteriorate prematurely, resulting in cracks and power steering fluid leakage.

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Honda to Produce New Civic Type R and Wagon in the UK, Next Jazz will be Imported to Europe

At a press conference during the 2012 Paris Motor Show last week, Honda Motor Europe's President, Manabu Nishimae, announced the development and market introduction of two new Civic models, the performance Type R and the practical and roomier Wagon (estate).

Now, the Japanese automaker has confirmed that both of these two new derivatives of its compact model will be manufactured at the company's UK plant in Swindon, which also uniquely produces the Civic five-door hatchback that is then exported throughout Europe and globally.

The VW Golf GTI-rivaling Civic Type R hot hatch is scheduled for production in 2015 while the Wagon, seen here in a teaser picture, will make its global debut as a thinly disguised concept most likely at the Geneva Salon in March or the Frankfurt Motor Show in September of 2013.

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2013 Honda CR-Z Comes to Paris with Better Performance Numbers and New Lithium-ion Battery

Compact, sporty coupes are a fast-growing segment right now. Honda returned to the segment in 2010 with the CR-Z, a front-wheel drive coupe with distinctive styling and a hybrid powertrain.

At the Paris Auto Show, Honda displayed the updated version of the CR-Z, which had already made a surprise debut in Indonesia and will go on sale in January 2013. It sports subtle cosmetic revisions, including a revised front grille and rear diffuser, plus two new exterior colors.

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Honda Teases New Civic Station Wagon and Shows New Civic 1.6L Diesel in Paris

Honda appears to be full of surprises these days. Just last week, the Japanese automaker's CEO confirmed the development of several cars including a Civic Type R hot hatch for Europe, a new Jazz / Fit supermini that will also spawn an SUV derivative, and a 'sporty' roadster.

Today, Honda's European President Manabu Nishimae revealed plans to add a new model to the carmaker's range during his Paris Motor Show press conference.

The vehicle announced today is a new derivative of Honda's European Civic in the form of a station wagon model. Honda went one step further and released a teaser image of the pre-production concept that will be shown next year, most likely at the Geneva Salon in March or the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

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Honda Says it has "No Immediate Plans" to Replace the Accord in Europe

While in the United States, the Accord is Honda's bestselling nameplate with 218,665 deliveries this year (from January 1 through August 31), in Europe, things aren't anywhere near as rosy.

Speaking to Just-Auto, a spokesperson for Honda said that Accord sales in the continent have plummeted to the point that the car has become a niche model. As a result, the spokesman said that the Japanese carmaker has "no immediate plans" to launch a new model in Europe.

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Breaking: Honda Confirms New Civic Type R, Jazz / Fit Based Small SUV and Sports Roadster

There's a whole lot of news - but unfortunately, no pictures, coming out today from Honda's headquarters in Japan where the company's CEO Takanobu Ito outlined the product, technology and business developments through 2015.

We are going to start with the new Honda Civic Type R sports hatchback based on the European market model that is currently undergoing development for an introduction in 2015.

Honda said that this model is designed specifically for the European market, though we could see it being exported to Japan at some point. More importantly, the Japanese carmaker's CEO stated that the Type R is being developed "with the goal of becoming the fastest front-wheel-drive vehicle on the Nürburgring race course".

On a more global note, Ito said that Honda will roll out an all-new replacement for the Fit, also known as the Jazz in Europe, in 2013. Within two years after the initial market presentation, the Japanese automaker will launch a small SUV model based on the underpinnings of the new Fit/Jazz as well as a replacement for the related City small sedan.

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Refreshed 2013 Honda CR-Z with Some Extra Ponies Makes Surprise Debut at the Indonesia Motor Show

Despite Honda's recent announcement that the facelifted version of the CR-Z compact sports hybrid would make its premiere at the Paris Auto Show, the Japanese automaker pulled a fast one by unveiling the new car at the Indonesia International Motor Show in Jakarta today.

External changes include a redesigned front grille, which loses its vertical bars, revised front bumper, HID headlamps with LED daytime running lights, new fog lamps, reshaped door mirrors and rear diffuser, LED rear lights and new 17-inch alloy wheels.

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What Kind of Drivers is Honda Targeting with its New "We Know You" 2013 Accord Ads?

In life, there are always two ways to see things: the glass can be half-full or half-empty. This may also be the case for some of the new TV spots Honda has prepared for its 2013 Accord, which goes on sale in the United States today, September 19.

The multimedia campaign is named "It Starts with You" and it puts a lot of focus on new technologies that help drivers avoid certain situations that could place them in danger, including the LaneWatch blind-spot display and forward collision warning systems.

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Honda Presents New Limited Edition Civic Ti with Cosmetic Upgrades in the UK

A little over a year after releasing a limited run of the previous generation Civic Ti in Britain, Honda has applied the "Ti" treatment to the new iteration of its five-door compact hatchback.

Said to be inspired by Honda's British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) Civic, the Ti is based on the 1.8-liter i-VTEC SE petrol model adding cosmetic enhancements such as 17-inch "Le Mans" alloy rims and color-coded wheel arches on the outside and leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearknob, plus Bluetooth connectivity on the inside, but no chassis or engine modifications.

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Japanese Automakers Urge Government to Implement Measures to Counter Strong Yen

Last Thursday, the yen hit a seven-month high against the U.S. dollar. That wouldn’t be so bad if the country’s currency hadn’t strengthened so much, from under 120 yen per dollar five years ago to less than 78 at the end of last week.As a result, exports have become more expensive, thus limiting profits.

Japanese automakers have felt the strain for quite some time now. Add last year’s tsunami that seriously disrupted production and the high labor cost and corporate taxes and it is not difficult to see why the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) decided to act.

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Honda to Debut New 1.6-liter Diesel-Powered Civic Hatchback in Paris

After making the announcement on the development of a new 1.6-liter turbocharged diesel engine at the Geneva Salon, Honda is now ready to show its smaller displacement oil burner on the latest Civic hatchback.

The 1.6-liter i-DTEC is the first engine in Europe to feature Honda's Earth Dreams Technology series (in North America, the automaker introduced the series with the new Accord's 2.4-liter petrol unit).

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2013 Honda CR-Z Facelift Gains Minor Cosmetic Updates and More Powerful Engine

We were right to suspect that the presentation date of the updated CR-Z on Honda's Japanese website was related to the Paris Motor Show as the automaker confirmed the news today while also releasing a full front picture and some initial details surrounding the facelift.

Honda tells us that the refreshed CR-Z hybrid coupe features revisions to the exterior and interior but does not provide additional information.

From the photo, the only change we see is the simplified front grille that drops the three razor-like plastic slabs on the upper half for a more streamlined appearance.

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New Infographic Takes a Look at Eight Generations of the Honda Accord

On the occasion of the announcement of pricing for its 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe models earlier today, Honda is taking a ride back to the future with an infographic that puts the spotlight on each generation of the mid-size model since the company began producing the car in the States in 1982.

The infographic includes a handful of interesting data such as the base model's curb weight, wheelbase length, entry-level engine, starting price in USD, and the highlights of each of the eight generations of the U.S.-built Accord, which you can then compare.

For example, we see that the 1982 Accord was fitted with a 75hp 1.8-liter engine and tipped the scales at 2,184 pounds (990 kg) while priced from $8,245.

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2012 LA Auto Show Challenges Car Designers to Envision the Patrol Vehicle of 2025

Mike Lowery, the character Will Smith plays in Bad Boys I and II, is probably the action-movie cop that drives the best cars.

One can hardly argue that a Porsche 911 Turbo and a Ferrari 575 M sharing scenes with director Michael Bay’s personal 550 Maranello, beats a Crown Vic Interceptor or what-have-you any given day and twice on Sundays as a means of transportation for law enforcement officers.

Granted, this is a fictional character and the aforementioned cars are his own, rather than standard-issue patrol cars. Moreover, Don Johnson predated him with his Ferrari Daytona Spyder and subsequently, the Testarossa in Miami Vice.

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2013 Honda Accord Priced from $21,680 to $33,430* in the U.S.

On September 19, the all-new 2013 Accord sedan will arrive in U.S. showrooms with a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) starting at $21,680 for the base LX sedan and rising to $33,430 for the V6 Touring model, excluding a destination and handling charge (*) of $790.

The two-door 2013 Accord Coupe will go on sale about a month later on October 15 with prices ranging from $23,350 for the four-cylinder LX-S model to $32,250 for the V6 EX-L with Navigation, again not including a $790 destination and handling charge.

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Nissan’s China Sales Slow Down Due to Row with Japan Over Territorial Dispute

Over the past few months, a series of anti-Japan protests begun in China and Hong Kong after Japanese activists landed on an East China Sea island called Diaoyu by the Chinese and Senkaku by the Japanese, and which is a subject of territorial dispute between the two countries.

Nissan was the first to acknowledge that its sales in the world’s biggest market might have been hurt by the Chinese reaction to the incident.

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Honda Teases "Second Generation" CR-Z Hybrid Coupe in Japan

Longtime Carscoop reader Leopaul R. tipped us off about a teaser for a "second generation" CR-Z that appeared on Honda's Japanese website today.

We couldn't translate most of the words seen in the flash movie (any help from our Japanese readers would be appreciated) but the site did give a date for the presentation: September 27, 2012, which also happens to be the first press day of the Paris Motor Show, though we cannot say for sure if the two events are related.

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