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Honda design boss discusses changes to production CR-Z

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:05:00 EST

Honda global design director Nobuki Ebisawa - click above for high-res image gallery

For the first time in its history, Honda invited a select group of North American media to visit to its design studio this week following the Tokyo Motor Show. While we didn't see any secret new cars today, we did sit down for a chat with Nobuki Ebisawa, general manager of global design for Honda. Among other things, we discussed the styling of the new CR-Z hybrid sport coupe.

Honda unveiled an updated concept version of the CR-Z at the show that's merely a thinly-veiled version of the production model slated to debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The new concept remained on the show floor while the original 2007 concept was on display in the studio along with two quarter-scale clay models. One model was of the original proposal from early 2007, while the other model was the 2009 concept. Both are the work of Motoaki Minowa, while the actual concept that was built in 2007 was produced by Makoto Iwaki. Read on to learn more about the changes.

Gallery: Honda CR-Z design studio

Gallery: Tokyo 2009: Honda CR-Z concept

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Honda design boss discusses changes to production CR-Z originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Honda closing European design office in Germany

Noah Joseph — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Honda, Design/Style

2008 Honda Open Study Model - Click above for high-res image gallery

The car design community has been sent reeling by word that Honda plans to close down its European design studio. The office forms part of Honda R&D Europe in Offenbach on the outskirts of Frankfurt, Germany, and while the rest of the research and development facility will continue operating in other capacities, the design studio is reportedly being axed.

The two-floor, 3000-square-meter design studio at Offenbach opened its doors in 1992, and has since handled a variety of automotive and motorcycle design duties for the Japanese automaker - including the Open Study Model pictured above. The reported announcement of its closure arrives against the backdrop of cutbacks across the board for Honda, including its withdrawal from major auto shows, the sale of its (now championship-leading) Formula One team, and temporary closures at assembly plants.

While some of Offenbach's motorcycle design responsibilities are expected to transfer to Honda's comparatively tiny 200-square-meter studio in Milan, there's no telling what will happen to the company's automotive design unit. But if we were living and working in Frankfurt, we'd be pushing for a transfer to Italy like there was no tomorrow - because with the rate at which Honda has been cutting back overhead, we'd bet that's where the future is.

Gallery: Honda OSM Concept

[Source: Car Design News]

REPORT: Honda closing European design office in Germany originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RUMOR: NSX development halted, Acura going back to drawing board

Chris Tutor — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Tokyo Motor Show, Acura, Honda

We (and many of you) were blown away by Acura's Advanced Sports Car Concept when it was unveiled at NAIAS in January. Though we were a bit disappointed the concept was only a non-running turntable tease, Honda assured everyone that an improved, closer-to-production show car was in the works for the October Tokyo show.

Winding Road says its sources have heard the contrary, that Honda is going back to the high-performance drawing board to come up with a more super supercar. Word is the ASC just isn't impressing as many people as it needs to be. Perhaps Honda management saw the ASC wasn't its company's best effort, and instead of dumping the project entirely (like Chrysler did with the ME Four-Twelve or Ford with the GR-1), it's committing the resources needed to create something truly special in the $100,000+ sport coupe segment. As such, we're not quite sure what we'll see in October at the Tokyo Auto Show, if anything at all.

At least this is what we hope they're doing. Honda could have scrapped the whole thing and reallocated the funds to development of the next generation Pilot. Eeek!

[Source: Winding Road]

RUMOR: NSX development halted, Acura going back to drawing board originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Feb 2007 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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