Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Honda Civic Si sedan.

We've avoided glossy-eyed retrospectives of 2007, but if you were in the market for a practical, affordable and entertaining ride in the last year, there were a handful of vehicles to be had for under $25 large. The Mazdaspeed3, R56 MINI Cooper S and VW GTI have set the fun-to-drive quotient relatively high, but one vehicle that's been left out of the Autoblog Garage is the Honda Civic Si. While the coupe has garnered its fair share of praise, we understand that your average Joe and Jane have people and stuff to schlep; thankfully, so does Honda. So with little fanfare last year, it released the Civic Si Sedan to the masses and in the process created yet another entertaining steer for those of us unable or unwilling to break the $30,000 ceiling.



All photos Copyright ©2008 Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs, Inc.

Research International USA's TRU branch has polled the youth of our country and discovered that they'd like a fun, stylish car more than anything (duh) -- namely the Mustang. Twenty-somethings posed the same question picked the Honda Civic above all else, mainly because they've had a dose of reality, and are now paying their own insurance and fuel.

So what exactly does this study say? As you mature, your experience leads to more practical decision making, perhaps? That there's a whole subset of spoiled brat high schoolers who have their insurance and fuel paid for and also expect that being handed the keys to a 3,500 pound wheeled liability is a birthright? Probably a bit of both, we suppose, but the fact remains that the Mustang is a flashy, fun car that even non-car people could point out in a crowd and undoubtedly has decent youth appeal.

The rest of the teens choices weren't earth shattering. Besides the Mustang, the cars that young drivers most desire are posted below the fold.

[Source: KickingTires]

Click the image above for a high-res gallery.

One of the other concepts that graced Mugen's stand in Japan at the recent Tokyo Auto Salon was the Civic Type-RR, which in addition to the obvious replacement of the entire front clip with carbon fiber pieces, also includes a K20A engine that's been bored out to 2157 cc to create a more tractable powerband and an even higher redline. 260 horsepower and 173 lb.-ft. of torque is sent to the six-speed gearbox and down to the front wheels through a LSD. Naturally, the brakes and suspension have been upgraded to handle the extra grunt, while carbon fiber was used inside to beef up the structure. Mugen also added a system dubbed I-TCMS, or Intellligent Tire Condition Monitoring, which keeps tabs on the tire's air pressure and temperature. The dash mounted instrument cluster might be a big impediment to forward visibility, but we're sure it's nothing compared to the price.

[Sources: LeBlogAuto, Nihon Car]

UPDATE: New images added to the gallery.

click above for more high-res images of the Honda Sports Modulo Civic Type-R

Honda is bringing a trifecta of tricked-out, Modulo-fettled concepts to the Tokyo Auto Salon, and this Civic Type-R takes the track-ready nature of the base model to the next level.

The concept is fitted with 19-inch Modulo wheels wrapped in 225/35 R19 R-compound tires and a revised suspension, along with a new front fascia, rear bumper, side skirts and wing. The checkered livery speaks to its track-friendly nature, but the inside of the Civic Type-R is what gains the most attention. Honda replaced several interior panels with carbon fiber components and fitted custom Recaro seats, a new dash display and an F1-inspired steering wheel with integrated shift lights. It's function following form with a perfect blend of track-ready gear and street-legal mods. We likey.

[Source: Honda, Carview]

Click image for photo gallery

The Honda Civic Mugen RR (based on the new JDM Honda Civic Type R) is limited to a total production run of 300 cars. Japanese track fiends with ¥4.7million to spend on a spiffy, street-legal time attack weapon are its target audience -- and a receptive one at that. On September 14th at 9:00 AM local time in Japan, reservations for Mugen's ultimate Type R officially began being taken. By 9:10 AM, according to the Japanese enthusiast site, Carview, the 300th reservation was placed. However you want to parse the numbers (we're sure additional reservations were taken, in case some prospective buyers bail out), one thing's certain: all 300 cars are spoken for well in advance of the expected January delivery date.

Those lucky enough to secure the Mugen RR receive a lighter, more powerful and track-tuned Civic Type R that in the right hands is capable of lapping Japan's Tsukuba circuit in 1:06:38. At least that's what the folks at Mugen were able to wring out of it. We're sure some of the car's buyers will be looking to top that number as soon as they have a chance. With this thing, life is a driving game, and Time Attack mode is always on.

[Source: Carview]

Japan has its fair share of one-make race series. For well under $20,000 you can buy a stripped out Vitz (Yaris) from Toyota, a March (Micra) from Nissan, a Swift (Ignis) from Suzuki or a Roadster (MX-5, Miata, whatever...) from Mazda specifically prepared to do battle with identical machinery six or so times a year around Tsukuba, Fuji and Suzuka. But the undisputed leading feeder race into Japanese formula racing is Honda's Type R series.

Wannabe Honda F1 drivers have been contesting Integras for the past seven years, but next year's championship sees a return of the Civic Type R to Japan's tracks. The race going version sports the standard R's 225PS KA20 motor and six speed 'box, but has no need for the road-going car's helical LSD, aircon, seats, interior trim, underseal and expensive HID lights, which knocks off not only several kilos its curb weight, but a whopping 40% off the road car's sticker price, bringing it under $15,000 at 1,690,500Yen.

Pity that the entry fee, roll cage, racing seat and harness plus a season's worth of tires and parts will come to at least as much again.

click above image for a new high-res gallery of the Civic Mugen Si

The Honda Civic Mugen Si is the first real factory Mugen vehicle to be offered in the United States. When Honda pulled the wraps off the production car last month, all we saw were a few static studio images. That's been remedied, as the automaker has unleashed a mess 'o new shots, showing the trick, tuned Civic Si carving up a track. Limited to 1,000 units, the Mugen Si gets a more aggressive suspension tune, the body kit shown, and lighter wheels. Power is the same as the standard Civic Si, but we have a feeling the Mugen will hustle around the track in less time. It goes on sale this fall. All the new photos have been added to the gallery below. Enjoy.

[Source: Honda]

Autoblog regulars will remember the ongoing feud between Honda Canada and the Canadian government. The conflict centers around Ottawa's new budget that contains the ecoAuto program, which offers between $1,000 and $2,500 rebates on certain fuel efficient vehicles and up to a $4,000 penalty on gas guzzlers. The Honda Fit, which is very popular in Canada, missed the cutoff for being eligible for a rebate because it consumes 6.6L of fuel every 100 kilometers, just one tenth of a liter more than the federal criteria for the rebate. The Civic misses the mark, however, by one-third to a half liter every 100 kilometers.

Honda threw a fit at what it saw as a federal endorsement of fuel economy over safety, as well as the unfair advantage it gave to competitors like the Toyota Yaris, which did qualify for the rebate but performed less well in crash tests. Honda even went so far as to offer its own $1,000 rebate on the Fit in protest.

In the meantime, Honda engineers have been going over the Fit to eek out a few more miles per gallon, and they've done it on the Fit equipped with a manual transmission. While confirming that they did not reduce the vehicles weight by deleting safety options to achieve the fuel savings, Honda was mum on exactly how it was achieved except to say "internal tinkering" was involved.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look they'll be able to perform the same miracle with the Fit that's equipped with an automatic, though in Canada the manual Fit sells more anyway. The Civic, which is less fuel-efficient than either Fit, has pretty much no hope of ever meeting the governments criteria for the rebate.

Thanks for the tip, Steve!

[Source: The Star]

Right now gas prices suck, and Prius sales are through the roof. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that a lot of people are buying the fuel-conscious, peculiar-looking little hatch to save some money at the pump. Petrol prices aside, a recent study from CNW Marketing Research shows that over half of Prius buyers primarily want to make a statement about themselves. If you just found yourself swallowing a little vomit, all apologies. The key to purchasing a Prius versus, say, a Honda Civic hybrid, is that Toyota's gas-electric vehicle is a hybrid-only model. The Civic, like the Camry and Ford Escape, can be purchased with a run-of-the-mill gasoline-only powertrain, and the only difference between it and the hybrid model is a little badge.

In the '80s, people making a statement wore Guess jeans and Polo-branded shirts. In the '90s it was $130 Nike shoes (Umm, they had those in the '80s, too -- Ed. ), and now to show off in the new millennium, you apparently have to drive a Prius. We've noticed that the many Prius hatchbacks traveling our nation's freeways aren't exactly driving 57 mph in the right lane to optimize fuel economy. If other automakers want to make a real splash in the hybrid game, they'll have to follow Toyota's lead and make a hybrid-only vehicle that helps owners feel better about the fact that others think they're "green."

[Source: Detroit News]

Click image for gallery

It was rumored yesterday, and it's real today. Come September 13, Japanese enthusiasts will be able to order up the hottest Civic Type R yet. The already-impressive R gets the full once-over from Mugen, and the result is the Honda Civic Mugen RR. Designed to be perhaps the ultimate front-engined/front-wheel-drive performance car, the Mugen RR sheds an additional 10kg (22 lbs) off the standard Civic Type R's weight, coming in at 2733 lbs. In addition to the weight loss, the freer-breathing Mugen RR picks up 15 horsepower over the regular Type R. It's rated at 240 horses at 8,000 rpm and 160 lb-ft at 7,000 rpm.

Complementing the added power and and decreased weight are a new bodykit, upgraded brakes all around, a retuned suspension, new wheels and tires, and logo-emblazoned Recaro sport buckets. Availability is limited to 300 cars, all in the Milan Red finish shown, and the pricing in Japan has been set at ¥4,777,500 ($38,750 USD).

Mugen's official website has a video of the car lapping Japan's Tsukuba circuit in 1:06:68, which is worth a look if you're interested in seeing it in action.

[Source: MUGEN via Carview]