Day: March 8, 2017

Subaru WRX fans in an uproar over next gen Honda Civic Type-R

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Euro Inspired Civic Type-R coming to America

So, the great debate continues as to the supremacy of Subaru all-wheel-drive torque transfer over any and all comers in the world-rally car, and hot-hatch street scene.  Regardless, for the Honda hardcore, Civic high performance is, and shall always be, manually shifted and delivered to the road via a front differential, powered by a high revolution, Honda iVTEC derived fuel injected fire breather.

Good enough, we all have or quirky preferences. For me, while I do appreciate a very controlled real-time 4-wheel-drive drift, there’s nothing quite like the near out of control slide of a front wheel drive Honda. Hey, I can drift an NSX supercar, if the tires are hot enough.

Here’s the thing: The fewer moving drive-line parts the better. For 2017, Honda promises an out of the box pocket racer that will blow the doors off of every factory manufactured performance hatchback brand available to North America. Note, Subaru Loyal, the legendary WRX Si hatchback will not be coming stateside in 2017, right?

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2017 Civic Type-R is vissually stunning

But truthfully: To the Honda loyal, competing brands are inconsequential when it comes to their undying love for a car that few of them have driven, and even fewer will ever own. When 2017 Honda Civic Type R comes to the U.S., sometime in late Spring or early Summer 2017, it will be the most powerful, and the rarest, Honda to ever roll out of a Honda dealership showroom. Well, perhaps the original NSX is rarer, perhaps.

306 Horsepower, tricked out to the max, and expensive by Honda standards

Here’s the thing guys and gals. When the last rendition of Honda Type-R came to market in Europe and Japan, early in 2016, it sold out in a matter of minutes. 700 units were manufactured, 200 of them went to Japan. While Honda has not released production numbers for the reinvented 10th generation world-compact-platformed 2017 Civic Type-R, we do know, that the initial production run will be  a limited one. What do you get for your money? Check it out.

Honda tells us to expect an MSRP to land in the mid $30,000 range; I’m thinking just south of $40,000, if you can find one. Good enough, Civic Type-R, the first Honda to wear the designation in the U.S., will sell out on its release. When we look to the specifications of this ‘out of the box’ factory street racer, the estimated MSRP is a relative bargain, Subaru WRX fan or not. So, for the time being. we’ll leave our Subaru WRX fans in an uproar. My son is one of them.

Expanded Honda Clarity Electric Lineup Debut’s 2017 New York International Auto Show

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Clarity Series to Debut at New York International Auto Show

As announced Wednesday by American Honda Motors, with Clarity, you get three options of electrification, presented in a stunning future forward 5-place personal conveyance. Electric Vehicle proponents now have an debut opportunity to view the Clarity lineup, April 14 through the 23, at the 2017 NYIAS (New York International Auto Show.)

NYIAS remains a favorite model reveal launching pad for Honda, the fastest growing automotive brand in the United States. Predicted market availability for Clarity BEV, (battery electric vehicle) and Clarity, gasoline/electric hybrid, is Fall of 2017; just around the corner in automotive development time.

Highlights of today’s announcement include a stated 40 mile-electric-only drive range for Clarity Hybrid, making it one of the greatest electric-only drive range hybrids available to North America. Read my Torque News slant on the Clarity lineup here.

Honda Clarity Fuel Cell

A bit disappointed with stated Clarity BEV drive range

Say what you will Honda, in today’s rapidly developing mainstream electric vehicle market,  a “real-world” realistic battery-electric drive range must exceed 130, and better yet, approach or exceed 200 miles between charge cycles. Unfortunately,  this is not the case for the much welcomed Clarity BEV.  We’ll see where it all lands.

Looking to the electric market handwriting on the wall, and the increased sales performance for the 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid, I believe the winner of the Clarity trifecta to be the hybrid. I love the zero emissions quotient of the Clarity Hydrogen Fuel Cell. But, before that innovation can go mainstream, an escalated expansion of the Hydrogen Fuel Network must ensue. We’re 3-years into that proposition in California, with 18 stations or so completed to date?  Progress, yes, it’s slow, but meaningful.

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Although not substantiated by the maker, 80 miles between charge cycles is anticipated for Clarity BEV

Next week we take our first spin behind the wheel of Clarity Fuel Cell. I’m excited. look for updates here. If you could purchase a ZERO emissions vehicle for under $40,000, would you?  Let us know what you would like to see come to market in a long-trip-viable, supper low emissions car or light truck. Your thought provoking comment is always welcomed here.