…oh, sorry, got caught up in Auto Show mode there.  I’m just glad we don’t have to deal with teaser images of a small SUV any more.  Look, I love auto show season.  Even after years of this, it still gets my blood going – who doesn’t like seeing new stuff for the first time?  But not everything that comes out at the auto shows are worth an entire article.  Thus, Car Throttle News Bites: Detroit Auto Show Edition.  If you missed the earlier coverage, you can find it under the Detroit 2012 Category.

Speaking of that Buick Encore, did you hear?  The Buick Encore is here!  Let’s get an Encore!  Buick’s small crossover debuted yesterday to the thunderous applause of… Alright, I’m stretching this.  The Encore is a tiny SUV, riding atop a stretched version of GM’s Gamma II architecture, so think Chevy Sonic or Opel Corsa.  Tiny?  Quite tiny.  A Sonic has a 99.4″ wheelbase and a 159″ overall length – the Encore is 100.6″ and 168.5.”  It’s pitched against other small luxury SUV’s like the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.  Thanks to the transverse front-drive layout, it’s got more interior space than both.  Power comes from the same 1.4L Turbo EcoTec four-cylinder that powers the Cruze and Sonic, with 140 horsepower and 148lb-ft, hitched to a 6-speed auto.  It will come standard with front-drive, but AWD will be an option.  That’s great, but can we have an Insignia VXR shipped over here as a Grand National for Buick’s real “product renaissance” please?

Acura is another brand that’s trying to desperately re-invent themselves.  I’d say the sexy, high-tech NSX Concept is a great start, but they brought two other new products with them.  The new RDX (pictured above) is the second generation of the CR-V based luxury ute, and while the styling is familiar, under the hood is new.  Two things that have never really mixed: Hondas and turbos.  The old RDX was the only factory-turbo Honda in production, and despite decent power density (240bhp and 260lb-ft from 2.3L) it was a reliability concern – and a gas hog, at 19/24 for EPA numbers.  The turbo K-series is dropped in favor of a more conventional 3.5L J-series SOHC V6, which pulls off a triple crown of more power (273bhp), more cylinders (6), and better fuel economy (20/28).  It also gets a sixth gear in the box.  Although the looks are familiar, the new RDX is based on the fourth-generation CR-V now.  I guess my dream of a 2.3 Turbo Acura TSX isn’t going to happen.

Speaking of the TSX, this is it’s likely replacement.  It’s the ILX concept (can Acura go back to actual names now?  I know Integra is taken, but damn!), and it’s a preview of a new entry-level Acura.  Based on the current-generation Civic, this will leave a wider gap between the bottom Acura (TSX) and middle (TL) than before, when there was some overlap.  The ILX thankfully doesn’t look much like either the current Civic or the overstyled Acura TL; it’s actually an attractive design.  Word is the ILX will come with 3 powertrains.  First is a direct-injection 2.0L I4 with an automatic for base models.  The performance model (probably Type-S) will get the 2.4L VTEC 4-cylinder from the Civic Si/TSX, with a 6-speed manual.  And the ILX will be Acura’s first hybrid offering – with the 1.5L/IMA/CVT combo from the Civic Hybrid.  Can you believe Honda – the pioneer of Hybrid tech – has never made a hybrid Acura?

Honda presented the 2013 Accord Coupe Concept, which is an accurate preview of what the all-new 2013 Accord will look like.  Answer: somewhat disappointing, especially next to the new Fusion.  Still, crazy styling has never been the Accord’s forte, and that won’t change.  Like the current Civic, it looks more like an evolution of the outgoing model than something entirely new.  No weird rocket turbines under the hood either.  The base engine is a revised version of the 2.4L K-series, now with direct injection and a CVT (sigh), rated at 181bhp and 177lb-ft.  The 3.5L V6 remains, with 6 speed manual or autos.  Honda says the V6 makes more power (not how much), the auto gearbox gets another ratio, and V6/Autos will get cylinder shutdown.  At least you can still get a torque-steering V6/6spd coupe.  Bigger news is the Accord Plug-In Hybrid.  It uses a 2.0L Atkinson I4 combined with a 6 KwH lithium ion battery and a 120 Kw electric motor, putting power through a CVT.  This is Honda’s first parallel hybrid: that is, it can move on electric, gas, or combined power.  (Previous Honda hybrids just had the electric motor assisting the gas, basically).  They claim 10-15 miles on all electric power up to 62mph, and some quick recharge times: 4 hours on 120 volts, or 1.5 hours on 240 volts.  It’s no new S2000, but Honda’s gotta keep up with the Joneses.

With the new Fusion comes a new Lincoln version, called the MKZ.  Lincoln showed the next-generation MKZ concept today at Detroit, as an attempt to revive any kind of interest in the moribund Lincoln brand.  Compared to the Cadillac ATS (the MKZ’s likely competitor), it’s a bit of a weak showing – but at least the styling is noticeable now.  As to whether it’s in a good way, I’ll leave that up to you – but I think they should be doing something besides “make the baleen grille bigger” if they want to attract buyers.  Good stuff?  the Genesis-esque swell of the front end, stretched green house (terminating nearly at the end of the decklid), the panoramic glass roof, those pronounced “shoulders”, and the clean rear end.  The MKZ concept is an inch wider and 5″ shorter in wheelbase than the current version – giving it a squat stance that would look really nice without all that chrome.  The interior has the latest high-tech Ford stuff: a 10.1″ TFT display in the cluster, an 8″ touch screen in the dash, a push-button transmission(!), and poplar wood and satin metal trim with two-tone leather.  No word on powertrain – it’s “based on a new midsized sedan platform,” so it’s a Fusion, and FWD or AWD will be available.

In their continued attempts to scare off the enthusiasts that continually shout the brand’s merits to anyone who will (or won’t) listen, Volkswagen is introducing a Jetta Hybrid.  If you’re wondering “Why would they do that, they have a Jetta diesel?” then you’re not alone.  The gas-electric version of the milquetoast new Jetta is powered by a 150bhp 1.4 TSI engine, combined with a 20 Kw electric motor fed by a 1.1 KwH battery.  It uses a 7-speed twin clutch ‘box with decoupling, which allows the Hybrid to run on gas, electric, or both.  By the numbers: 170 combined horsepower, 1.3 miles on pure electric power up to 44mph, 220lbs heavier than a normal Jetta, 0-60 in around 9 seconds, and 45mpg (US) average fuel economy.  Sounds like a more complicated Prius; I’ll pass.  Why wouldn’t you just get the diesel?

Slightly goofier (and a lot cuter) is the E-Bugster concept.  Just the name is adorable.  The E-Bugster is a new Beetle with a chopped roof, A-pillars, blanked out rear windows, and an electric drivetrain.  Called E-Blue Motion, it’s a 114bhp (85kW) electric motor up front, and a lithium-ion battery in the back.  It’ll take 120 or 240v charges, can do 100 miles on a full charge, and if they make it, will be filling up parking lots at a Whole Foods near you soon.

Audi brought a concept and some news to Detroit. The concept is called the Q3 Vail.  The Vail is named after the ski resort by the same name in Colorado – so this Q3 is a winter-sports themed concept version of the production Q3 compact SUV.  The biggest difference between it and the normal Q3 is under the hood:  the 2.5L turbo I5 from the RS3 takes the place of the normal 4 cylinders, putting out 314bhp and 295lb-ft through a 7-speed twin clutch and AWD.  There are some other neat add-ons: what looks like an Audi-designed coffee mug in the cupholder, some flashlights mounted in a charging station in the back, and roof racks with wide-angle lighting up top.  I could dig an RS3-powered SUV; it would be pretty great for bombing around a ski town!

News?  Well, Audi will be bringing the A4 Allroad (pictured) to America next year.  The Allroad is an off-roady version of Audi’s regular wagons; the last one they sold here was the A6 Allroad in 2005.  The Allroad will be replacing the Avant in the US lineup, which brings light to an alarming trend:  manufacturers are slowly replacing their wagons with pseudo-off-roaders, even wagon stalwarts.  Audi won’t sell the Avant here, Subaru replaced the Legacy Wagon with the Outback, and we aren’t getting Volvo wagons much longer- the V60 doesn’t come here (though the dealer would be happy to sell you an XC60) and the regular V70 and V50 won’t be around soon.  Still, the Allroad is a pretty cool wagon – it will come standard with Quattro, a 2.0T, and an 8-speed automatic.

The other Audi news?  The brand will sell a version of the A8 large sedan in the US next year with the oddly-named 3.0T V6, which is most definitely supercharged.  This same engine is already under the hood of other cars in the US (S4, A6, Porsche Cayenne/Panamera Hybrid), and it will be sold in high-output form in the A8: 333bhp and 325lb-ft.  The A8 3.0T is the first six-cylinder A8 Audi will sell in the US, but with Mercedes and BMW both selling six cylinder versions of their largest sedans again (740i, S400) it makes some sense.

Hyundai’s stand featured two performance cars: the new turbo version of the Veloster (above) and the updated Genesis Coupe.  The nifty Veloster hatchback/coupe/thing has been met with a pretty resounding “meh” by the press, mainly for being about 25% as fun to drive as it is to look at.  Hyundai is looking to rectify that with the Veloster Turbo, aiming directly at fun-to-drive stuff like the Golf GTI and Mini Cooper S.  On paper, there’s a lot of promise – but the same was said about the regular Veloster.  Hardware?  The Turbo retains a 1.6L engine, which is boosted to high hell.  Direct injection, twin-scroll turbocharging, and a free flowing exhaust add up to 201bhp@6,000rpm, and 195lb-ft from 1,750-4,500rpm.  The Turbo will be available with a 6-speed manual or automatic, and Hyundai says the 3-pedal will do 27/38 for fuel economy numbers – handily beating the Si, GTI, and Cooper S.  There’s a more aggressive front bumper and foglights, turn signals in the mirror, and special wheels to differentiate it from the normal Veloster.

We’ve talked about the updated Genesis Coupe before, but Detroit saw the official debut of the facelifted, more powerful 2013 model.  The biggest outside change is the new front clip, bringing it more in line with the styling of the rest of Hyundai’s current range.  There are also LED taillights.  The bigger changes are under the hood: the 2.0L Turbo base model jumps from 210 to 275 horsepower, and 223 to 275lb-ft torque.  The 3.8L V6 now has direct injection, and is rated at 348 horsepower and 295 lb-ft torque now.  Both models have standard 6-speed manual transmissions, with a new 8-speed automatic optional.  Hyundai says the new 3.8L Genesis Coupe will hit 60 in the low 5′s – right quick.  Other changes include interior refinements, recalibrated suspension, and a shorter steering rack ratio.

Photo via carscoop.blogspot.com

Chrysler brought a few other things to Detroit in addition to the new Dodge Dart.  That bizarre looking thing above is the Chrysler 700C concept, based on the underpinnings of the current Town & Country minivan.  It’s supposed to show the future of the minivan – assuming that the minivan actually has a future seems pretty bold, but it’s a pretty well-styled concept.

The Chrysler 200 might just be a rehashed Sebring with a nose job and new interior, but at least Chrysler’s trying to drum up some interest.  This is the Chrysler 200 Super S by Mopar, a concept showing off some of the factory accessories for the 300′s little brother.  It’s basically a body kit with some black satin trim, coilover suspension (on a 200?), and intake and exhaust mods.  If it’s got some Dre Beats speakers, Eminem would probably approve.

They also brought two concept Chargers to Detroit.  Pictured right is the Redline, which will be a three-stage upgrade package for the large sedan from Mopar.  (I guess since Saturn’s dead they don’t mind the stolen name?)  Stage 1 is cosmetic stuff and wheels, Stage 2 includes a strut tie bar, cat-back exhaust, and brake upgrades.  Stage 3 sounds like the most fun, with a non-street-legal Mopar 426(ci) Hemi crate motor.  This 7.0L V8 is a punched out version of the 6.4L SRT V8, with a hot cam and trick cylinder heads good for 590 horsepower.  Om nom nom.  The other is the Charger Beats, with – you guessed it – a “Beats by Dr. Dre” Stereo.  Fabulous.

And finally, by far the most exciting debut at Detroit – or at least, moreso than the Buick Encore – is this sick lawn tractor.  Called the Craftsman CTX, it’s the Sears brand “luxury” tractor, with amenities like cupholders, power steering, a push-button deck adjustment, and a blistering top speed of 8mph.  It’s appearance at NAIAS is just a publicity stunt by Craftsman, but an amusing one.  That is, except to GM bigwig Bob Lutz, who was not amused – he said “It’s an automobile show, stupid, not motorcycles or garden implements.  What’s next? Plumbing and bathroom fixtures? A Toto-toilet stand? An Art Van furniture stand?”  (Reuters).  Geez Bob, chill out.  Rumors that the CTX would have an optional LS9 V8 from the ZR-1 Corvette were apparently unfounded.  Hopefully Craftsman will realize soon the ultimate tractor luxury is burnouts.

Pardon the overused meme.  It’s nice to see Honda focusing on their new Civic Si for SEMA, rather than – oh, I don’t know, Elements outfitted for dogs.  They brought a wide array of the new 2.4L powered Si’s to SEMA this year, ranging from mild (the HFP package) to wild (the 450-horsepower Fox Marketing turbocharged one I showed you earlier.)  They also brought along a supercharged V6 Accord Coupe, just because.

The Tjin Edition Civic Si Sedan (Above, left) is interesting.  Most notable are the 19″ Rotiform BLQ Concave wheels, in orange on the driver’s side and purple on the passenger.  Why?  Don’t know.  Rotiform is quickly becoming a standard go-to wheel choice for the stance crowd, so it’s not particularly shocking to see a set on a SEMA show car.  Tjin’s Si is lowered, sports a Thule roof rack, a Wraptivo vinyl body wrap, and some Recaro baby seats in the back.  A Nitrous Express laughing gas system makes the car scoot, and a set of Baer big brakes makes it stop.  This car would fit right in at an I/S/O show.

Altogether crazier is the Civic Si Coupe built for SEMA by Bisimoto engineering.  I’ve featured the work of California-based Bisimoto before, in an article about the Honda CR-Z which you can read here.  If you’re familiar with Bisi, you know they don’t make half-ass cars:  like their 724whp single-cam 1.6L EF wagon, or the crazy boosted CR-Z.  With their Si, boost was needed, with a goal in mind:  four-digits of wheel horsepower.  Mission accomplished, with 1,004whp and 620wtq.  The K24 is fully built from the crank up, running a giant Turbonetics/Bisimoto turbo, and sucking down copious amounts of VP Racing E85R – bioethanol.

The HFP Package – Honda Factory Performance – is a little more subtle.  HFP goodies usually aim to improve the handling of Honda’s vehicles, and the new HFP is largely the same components as the old one.  There are higher-rate lowering springs, stiffer dampers, and 18″ rolling stock with summer tires for grip.  The body kit, HFP floormats, badges and “red interior illumination” don’t make it go any faster.  I’m interested to see what kind of Mugen Si they’ll cook up for the US.  The HFP package is limited to 500 units per year and is available now.

Honda is showing off two Si race concepts – the HPD (Honda Performance Development) Compass360, and a plain ole’ Si Coupe body in white, for if you want to build your own race car.  The shell is just a basic Si chassis, and will run you $3,500.  The Compass360 is built to show off a number of performance parts to make the Si track ready.  Mostly supporting components like bushings, motor mounts, a heavy-duty clutch, brakes, suspension – that kind of thing.

Finally, we have the HFP Accord V6 Supercharged Coupe.  The V6 2-door Accord is arguably the sleeper of Honda’s US lineup – a sedate looking car that seems well suited for real-estate agents and accountants, not really the type of thing someone would want to take to the drag strip.  Then again, the upper level Accord Coupe comes with a 3.5L 24v V6 that makes 271bhp and 251lb-ft of torque.  With the optional six-speed manual, it’s good for mid 5-second 0-60 runs, and it will definitely show tail lights to an Si.  If you can manage the torque steer.  Nice car, actually.

The HFP concept adds a Rootes-type supercharger (pictured left), similar to the Eaton units used on some GM vehicles.  The way the V6 is mounted (drive belts on the passenger side, airbox on the driver’s) necessitates that long jackshaft running over the front cam bank to the blower; this is a setup Jackson Racing and others have used before to supercharged Honda’s J-series.  Along with an intake and exhaust system, the blower helps the big V6 produce 335bhp and 285lb-ft of torque, an increase of 64bhp and 34lb-ft of torque, so one can assume this is at a fairly low level of boost. It’s also probably safe to assume the torque steer is biblical.  Not surprisingly, Honda isn’t planning on selling supercharged V6 Accords (that would be way too cool), but this is doable if you’re interested in replacing front tires on a monthly basis.

]]> http://www.carthrottle.com/sema-2011-hondas-vtec-kicks-in/feed/ 0 http://www.carthrottle.com/carolina-hondas-crown-honda-charlotte-51511/ http://www.carthrottle.com/carolina-hondas-crown-honda-charlotte-51511/#comments Mon, 16 May 2011 19:42:18 +0000 James http://www.carthrottle.com/?p=24433

It’s nice when enthusiasts and dealers get along. This allows events like a Honda car show at a Honda dealer to occur.  So big kudos to Crown Honda of Charlotte for hosting Carolina Honda’s meet in their lot this Sunday.  It’s a great venue for a show: plenty of parking, room for vendors and swap tents and a dyno, and of course so many awesome cars you can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a set of titanium lug nuts.

What’s really cool about Honda shows is the variety of cars that show up to them.  The bulk of the aftermarket and enthusiast support for Hondas are for mid-ninties Civics (EG and EK chassis, mainly for their low weight and double-wishbone suspension) and Integras (primarily the quad-headlight DC2 chassis that everyone’s familiar with.)  And there was plenty of that to be seen.

Like this super-low, flawless EK hatchback, which other photographers were pretty much swarming around the whole day.  Love the roof rack too.

Obviously, the big thing with Hondas is picking the chassis you prefer, and then swapping in the most engine you can afford.  So while to the untrained eye, this looks like a Civic with some sort of engine in it, there’s a lot more than meets the eye.  This one has a K20A in it, which is the new-generation four-cylinder found under the hood of the RSX Type S, US-market Civic Si, and Euro/JDM Market Civic Type R.  Before modifications this is comfortably double the amount of power an EG Civic had.  The odd thing is, the K-series was Honda’s first clockwise-rotating four-cylinder -- so this engine is actually sitting in the opposite orientation of the original engine (intake manifold in the front, header in the back.)  Of course, Hasport makes a mount kit for this.

Boosted Integra GS-R’s will never go out of style.

Under the hood of a turbocharged DC2 Integra Type-R.  Those “Ram Horns” exhaust manifolds are a trip!  The level of detail on this one is quite impressive.  Also dig the TiAl 38mm wastegate sticking up there.

Good to see Integra’s lookin’ right.

The Integra’s replacement, the RSX, is starting to get some love in the aftermarket as used car prices continue to fall for these.  The JDM Integra R wheels are a nice touch, as are the Integra R light housings and the carbon hood.

You can always tell the show cars from the race cars by the ridiculous amount of negative rear camber required to tuck the tires.  This car was assembled and painted down to the last detail.

Well of course you are!  The sticker says so!

Turbochargers aren’t the only popular power-adder for Hondas, of course.  Here’s a Vortech supercharger kit installed on a VTec B-series in a CRX.  I’d imagine this thing is pretty absurd when you roll on the throttle.

A Jackson Racing supercharger on a K20 Civic Si.  These kits lop about 2 seconds off the quarter mile time of a stock Si, without sacrificing driveability.  Of course, they’re expensive as hell, so you get what you pay for.

There was also a portable DynoJet 4WD/2WD dyno on site, with the crew doing three pulls in a row.  I shot some dyno video, and later realized they were all K-series cars.  I guess I’m biased.

This RSX-S looked basically stock on the outside… well, I guess with the exception of the intercooler behind the front bumper.  Sadly the dyno guys weren’t announcing peak numbers to the crowd (for shame!) but this boosted K20A is probably a 300+whp setup.

Another K20A, this time with N/A bolt-ons including one of the few good-sounding exhaust systems I’ve heard for the K-series.  Revs -- lots of them.

The same Si maneuvering onto the dyno rollers.  A pretty neat angle, I think.

It wasn’t all Integras and Civics.  There was some rather odd stuff there.

I’m inspired.  Pre-facelift (and drive-by-wire) CM7 Accord sedan.  This one’s a K24 (four-cylinder) but has had the 5-speed manual swapped out for the 6-speed from an Acura TSX; it’s also got the TSX intake manifold (which I’m looking for one for my own Accord), a 4-2-1 header, and full suspension with a camber kit.  Those wheels are from the 6-cylinder 6-speed manual Accord.

Another, even lower CM7 Accord.  Who knew Grandma’s grocery getter could look so dope?

Probably the car at this show I want to take home the most.  New-style Civic Si 4dr, with the suspension/wheels/tires just right.  And around back…

…JDM Civic conversion.  With a carbon-fibre trunk, because, you know, racecar.

The S2000 love was strong with the crowd.  Hint: anything with that National Speed sticker on the bumper (right rear) is probably not to be messed with.  They build serious stuff.

Whoa, rainbow-anodized wheels.  Haven’t seen that before.

JDM front-end conversion on a DC2 Integra makes these much cleaner looking cars.  The BBS meshies don’t hurt, either!

The lone CR-Z in attendance at the show, still stock!  How do these things happen?  SLAM IT!

Not everything there was a Honda, of course.  How about some slammed-to-the-ground Infiniti Q45?

The 99-00 Civic Si’s can look extremely good with a few choice mods.

The turnout of Preludes was surprisingly small.  Would’ve helped if they hadn’t all parked in a corner.  The two fifth-gen Preludes on the left are both owned by friends of mine.  I don’t understand why these cars aren’t more popular; they’re a ton of fun to drive!

Honda’s venerable F20C motor as found in the (AP1-generation) S2000.  Held the record for highest horsepower-per-liter in a naturally aspirated production car from the S2k’s launch until the Ferrari 458 came out.  Also sounds amazing and is surprisingly tiny.

Another car I’m happy to see getting some love: the B13 chassis Nissan Sentra SE-R.  This one’s got a Nissan Tsuru front end conversion, which is the Mexican-market B13 they continued to make for years after Nissan global stopped.  Seriously fun cars.

How about a pimped-out Honda Ruckus with a carbon fibre exhaust can?  Makes total sense.

Another Honda oddity -- the precursor to the CR-V, the Civic “WagoVan” with Real Time 4WD.  This one was in remarkably great shape considering it’s age.  Check out that engine bay…

Carburettor, distributor ignition, 3v/cylinder… This is truly old-school Honda right here.

Ok, that’s… Odd.  Slammed Odyssey, why would you…

Oh!  So you can fit 3 Honda Ruckuses in the back of it!  Of course!

People really love the Honda Ruckus.  I’d love to have one as a pit bike.  First I need a race car.

And one last picture to finish this post off -- EG’s, car guys, Integras, and nice weather.  This is what it’s all about.  The show was great, see you all next time!

]]> http://www.carthrottle.com/carolina-hondas-crown-honda-charlotte-51511/feed/ 2 http://www.carthrottle.com/is-this-progress-prelude-vs-accord-v6-with-poll/ http://www.carthrottle.com/is-this-progress-prelude-vs-accord-v6-with-poll/#comments Sat, 11 Dec 2010 03:25:21 +0000 James http://www.carthrottle.com/?p=21788

This is another idea that sprang to mind when I was trying to come up with ways to get you, the CT reader, more involved. Everyone loves a poll, and everyone loves talking about the good old days, and how they don’t build ‘em like they used to.  So here’s your chance to vote: with this series, we’ll be comparing a current production model from a brand to one of their past.  You tell us if you think where we’re at now is “progress.”  I’m willing to bet the answer is no, most of the time.  Here we go, onto exercise 1.

Honda critics used to refer to the Prelude as the Quaalude, because… well, it was boring and slow.  But when the bizarre-looking 4th generation Prelude came around in 1992, suddenly people who liked to go fast took notice.  Not the base model or the Si, mind you, but the new top of the line: the Prelude VTEC.  With an all-aluminum DOHC 16v 2.2L I4 (called the H22A) and Honda’s then-new VTEC system (variable timing and lift electronically controlled), the Prelude VTEC belted out 190 wailing horsepower at 6,800rpm, as well as having a powerband that was less car and more Jekyll & Hyde.  Seriously.  If you’ve never driven a valve-lift equipped Prelude, you’re missing out.  It goes from commuter special below 5,000rpm to angry hyena chasing you above and up to the 7,000rpm redline.

Of course, the downside was the 4th generation Prelude was a bit outside of the mainstream.  By which I mean, it was sort of ugly and a bit like a UFO on the inside, with a full-width dash panel housing some strange electronic gauges.  When it was replaced with the 5th (and final) generation Prelude in 1997, Honda kept the things that were good – and got rid of the things that weren’t.  Like the awkward, pudgy styling, weak base engines, and creepy digital dashboard.

The Prelude was a likeable car, if it was your sort of car.  Not a lot of headroom, or trunk space, or luxury features.  But it had a gem of an engine, an extremely well-balanced chassis, clearly evident build quality, and best of all it was truly a Honda in it’s personality.  There wasn’t a big honking engine, or turbos, or four wheel drive with 3 diffs, or variable suspension or active aerodynamics.  It was a lot like an old Alfa Romeo in it’s character: just a wailing twin-cam four cylinder, a well-balanced chassis, a compact interior, and a focus on driver involvement.  While the Celica went off in search of the college sorority girl crowd, and competitors like the 240SX, Probe/MX-6, Impulse, and Starion went off to car heaven, the Prelude continued to offer hardcore driving thrills in an attractive package that wasn’t too heavy, too expensive, or too complicated.  They’re still desirable today, if not quite at Integra R prices, then certainly holding more value than a 10 year old high-mileage 4 cylinder Honda really should.

What happened to the Prelude?  Well, Honda says dwindling sales, but I say they crushed it from above and below.  The 6th generation Accord started the separation in personality between the sedan and coupe, with the coupe taking on a more sporting role and the sedan a more family-hauling role.  This split became even wider with the 2003 7th-generation Accord (which I’m quite familiar with), especially in V6 EX Manual form, which had a punch 240bhp 3.0L V6, a slick six-speed, and good looks.  On the bottom end, the Integra mutated into the MacPherson-strut equipped RSX, which had a more upscale appearance and interior.  Oh, and a spanking-new K20 four-cylinder that put out the smoothest 197bhp with no turbo that anyone had ever felt out of a 2.0L.  It made the H22 feel a bit like a tractor engine, offering a wider powerband, more revs, more aftermarket potential, and much higher sophistication.  That didn’t help either.  The Prelude disappeared into the fold in 2001, never to be seen again.  It did give us one thing at the end of it’s life, though: ATTS, the world’s first automatic torque-biasing differential in a road-going production car.  Take that, Audi snobs.

Now, by the standards of the day, the Prelude was a pretty quick car.  Test results of the time put the Prelude (base model, 5-speed manual) at 6.7 seconds to sixty mph, and 15.1s@93mph in the quarter-mile.  If I told you that you could go into a Honda dealership today, and for about $30k get a car that runs 0-60 in 5.6 seconds and 14.2 in the quarter mile, your first thought would be an S2000, right?

Nope, it would be an Accord V6 Coupe – currently the fastest car that Honda sells.  (yes, faster than the Civic Si – it takes about a second longer to sixty and through the quarter, putting it about even with the Prelude.  Yes, it’s also one and two tenths faster to sixty and the quarter mile, respectively, than the S2000.)  With a six-speed manual, an EX Accord V6 Coupe really will pull a low 14 second quarter mile.  Kinda nuts!  Why so fast?  Well, the newest Accord shares its engine with the base-model Acura TL, which means a 3.5L iVTec equipped SOHC 24v V6 under the hood, with 268 horsepower and 247lb-ft of torque.  Which is a solid 70bhp and 90lb-ft more than the 5G Prelude’s 197/161.

Of course, faster doesn’t mean better.  First, let’s talk about size.  The Prelude weighed in at 2,843lbs according to factory specs.  The Accord?  3,459lbs.  So that’s 600lbs heavier, give or take – the US spec Prelude was probably heavier, maybe closer to 3,000 lbs with all the standard equipment we got.  Still – that’s a lot of extra mass.  The 8th Gen Coupe has 8″ more wheelbase, almost 13″ additional length, about 4″ additional width, 4.5″ additional height… you get the picture.  If you were looking for a good place to a hide a Prelude (which, by the way, a lot of Honda guys bemoan as being too big and heavy), an 8th-Gen Accord Coupe would be a great place to start.  Of course, it’s got more luxury items – leather/heated seats, satnav, satellite radio, CD changer, steering wheel controls, booming stereo, etc etc.  But, I ask you – is this progress?  Did we ask for a Japanese Monte Carlo?  And why is Honda, of all manufacturers, giving us one?

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…WHAT?!? Me? The constant preacher of the joys of old-car ownership?  The person who said “I’ll chew off my own foot before I own an OBD-2 car!!!”  Why do I, of all people, have the perfect example of car-as-transportation-appliance now?  Well, let me tell you.  It all started with a rattling noise…

About three weeks ago, I had taken my 1988 Saab 900 SPG to school and back -- about a 20 mile commute.  It behaved itself perfectly, as a car that’s had a mountain of maintenance money thrown at it should.  No funny noises, no weird smells, no hard starting or hunting idle or explosions.  Life was good.  On my afternoon Starbucks run (hey, I’m an addict, don’t judge me) I noticed it was making a strange rattling noise in 3rd gear.  The car had just been “straight piped” (had it’s muffler removed and replaced with welded tubing) and there was no hanger, so I assumed it was the exhaust rattling on the rear control arm.  Still, my worry grew when I noticed the noise was only occuring in third gear.

I’d heard the stories about Saab transmissions, and they weren’t good.  “Saab made the C900′s transmission out of hopes and dreams and puppie dog tails, because steel and aluminum were too expensive.”  “Don’t push more than 12 psi of boost if you like having a working transmission.”  Rumor has it these transmissions were designed for the approximately 100bhp a regular 900 put out, and Saab did exactly didly squat to beef them up for duty in the 900 Turbo.  Still, I wasn’t too worried -- I had a receipt from the previous owner that showed the car had a complete transmission rebuild at 130,000 miles, a scant 28,000 miles ago.  I changed the transmission fluid every 5,000 miles (one-half the regular recommended change interval) with the best synthetic MTL you can buy.  I didn’t slam gears, drop the clutch, or do anything dumb -- I knew the trans was a weak spot, so I babied it.  Sure, I was pushing 17psi of boost -- but it’s not that much, right?

You can see where this is going.  Myself and a group of local car buddies headed out later that  night on our regular “Tuesday Cruise,” a drive down local backroads at night in the gorgeous North Carolina weather.  Not a mile from where we started, the noise started getting worse.  I took a left turn in 2nd gear, got on the gas, and there was a noise that sounded like a hand grenade going off.  Followed by a noise that sounded like someone had tossed a handful of gravel into my transmission.  Not good.  This -- from the car I’d put almost it’s entire purchase price into preventative maintenance and repairs!  Arrrgh!

I had no gears.  The lever was moving but nothing was happening except more grinding noise and painful bouncing-gravel sounds.  I put on my flashers and coasted into the closest neighborhood.

“What happened, man?”

“I dunno.  I think it’s the transmission.”

“Sounds like you threw a rod, dude.”

“That’s gonna hurt.”

A mile from where we started, the adventure was over.  I waited and watched as Ingrid the SPG, my beloved Swedish Mistress, was pulled onto the back of a flat-bed tow truck -- again -- and had a revelation.  Whatever this was, it wasn’t good.  And I’d had enough.

You see, this car spent almost as much time on a tow truck as it did on a highway.  I’d fix one thing, and something else would blow up.  Hell, I’d  fix things before they broke and stuff would still blow up.  You’ve got to understand, I’m a student and I don’t have a lot of time or money to be left stranded on the side of the road in a cloud of smoke.  Something had to be done.

The next day, I called my mechanic -- the talented Eric Patterson at Patterson Performance Saab where I’d had the car towed.  The prognosis was just as bad as I thought.  The cluster bearing on the primary drive shift into the transmission was presently bouncing around inside the casing.  It was dead, 28,000  miles after it had been brought back to life.  “They all do this,” he consoled.  “They actually improved that bearing in the ’82 models.  Then again in the ’90 models when it kept happening.”

“How can this happen, Eric?  It’s not even 30k on this rebuild!”

He crossed his arms and shook his head.  The transmission was done -- it needed a full rebuild or a replacement.  Neither was cheap.  I was once again without a running car.

So while I waited for Eric to find a transmission -- not an easy task, considering they all blow up, and my particular 900 was third in line at his shop for one, I decided to acquire another car.  Not another 20 year old bucket of problems, but one that was pretty new.  A known quantity that I knew would get me to school and work for the foreseeable future.  A blue-chip investment, if you will.  My first thought: a Honda or Mazda.

So off to CarMax I went, in search of a JTA (Japanese Transportation Appliance) with a manual transmission.  Local searched turned up a handful: a Sonata with a 2.4 and 5-speed, a handful of Mazdas, and…  an ’07 Accord EX?  With a manual?  I’m interested.  I’ve always liked Accords.  They’re not the most exciting thing, but compared to their competition they’ve always been slightly more refined and less spiteful to drive.  This once was beige as could be -- English Tan outside, beige with fake wood trim inside -- but it had cruise, A/C, a slick 5-speed manual, and the highway mileage number was “34.”  On regular!  I was sold.

One major “ouch” on my college savings account later, and it was mine.  Only 33,031 miles on the clock, it still even had some of the “new car smell” left, and everything works. It’s a revelation.  The utter smoothness of every control and switch in this car must be felt to be believed, if you’re used to old worn-out relics from another decade.  The shifter isn’t obtrusive!  You can find whatever gear you want without crunching a synchro or guessing where fifth is!  The ball joints don’t click in pain when you reverse at full lock!  There’s no ominous creaking noise from the rear suspension!

Is it as exciting as Ingrid the 900 SPG?  Well, of course not.  It’s a four-cylinder Accord.  But the saying has always been “For every 30-year old Alfa Romeo in the garage, there’s an Accord in the driveway.”  I’ve come to the painful realization that you can’t have an old, turbocharged European oddity that you can’t find parts for as a daily driver unless public transportation near you is adequate (it isn’t) or you have a ton of money (I don’t.)

Will I miss the Saab?  Oh, absolutely.  I loved the Saab.  It was a part of me, a part of my identity as a person, a conversation starter and it put a smile on my face every time it started up.  Whether that’s because I was happy the damn thing started or because it was awesome is still open for interpretation.

So now I get to be part of the large population of car guys trapped in JTA’s.  But you know, when you roll the sunroof back, put the windows down, and blast your favorite CD (currently Jimmie’s Chicken Shack: Bring Your Own Stereo) on the sound system, life’s still good, because you’re still doing what you love to do: drive.

Will I get another project car somewhere down the line?  Oh, absolutely.  And it’s going to be even weirder than the Saab.  How does a Citroen SM-Maserati strike you?  But for now, I’ll enjoy having a car that starts every time and gets me -- and 4 of my closest friends -- down the road in comfort.

The next product in the pipeline looks like a winner as well. Honda has just made an announcement that the Accord Wagon will be coming to the United States.

Not as an Accord mind you, but as an Acura. The smaller European market (shows you the size difference versus ours) Honda Accord is badged on our shores as the Acura TSX and is virtually identical.

Could the wagon be making a comeback? Cadillac has recently introduced its CTS Sportwagon, one of the best looking wagons on the marketplace . If people can get past the “wagon stigma” there actually might be potential for success in the segment.

Let’s see how the TSX Sport Wagon (and the CTS Sportwagon!) fares in the marketplace. We’ll get a chance to find out late next year – Fall of 2010 is supposedly the date it will arrive. You’d think they could get it here sooner than that though – a year is a while to wait!

The IIHS took  the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and the Smart cars, all vehicles that achieved the IIHS’s rating of “Good” in the traditional 40-mph barrier test. In these tests though, each one drops from “Good” to “Poor.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that a small, lower weight vehicle will be at a disadvantage in an accident with a larger, heavier one. So in that respect I think the IIHS testing is important, because it simply informs people better that there is more to the story then just a car’s crash test star (or “Good”) rating.

Weight, speed and the different circumstances involved can effect things dramatically. It’s not often a car just slams into a cement barrier in the straightforward way the usual IIHS tests are. Smart USA President has challenged these assumptions vigorously, saying if we took it to the highest degree, we’d all be driving 18-wheelers. He also points out that these crash tests represent less then 1% of all real-life crashes. That’s true, but I still would have a difficult time feeling safe in a Smart out on the highway.

One of the things that I disagree with strongly though in the IIHS’s conclusion is that even if we all drove small cars, fatalities would go up. That simply is a naive assessment; as the “poor” result from these crashes is only a result of the cars they are being hit into. Otherwise they’re perfectly modern and well-designed vehicles.

Also, these cars make sense in urban and high-traffic areas, where the small-size enables easier agility and high-speed collisions are less likely. Basically the report is just the IIHS concluding that the chance of surviving in a small car decreases when it collides with a larger car. Is that something we didn’t know already though?

Cars these days are huge, and for the most part have way too much power.  They’re losing the plot and losing the point, losing focus and losing touch.  Sure, there’s more, and sometimes more’s better.  Like when there’s not enough to begin with.  But the American mentality of “more is better” is coming back to bite us directly in the ass, with seemingly half of America upside down on the loan on their Tahoe as it became worth nothing overnight.

People have been mistaking numbers for performance for too long.  They’ve been mistaking lateral acceleration G’s for driving pleasure, they’ve been buying the biggest engine a car comes with, not the best.  Of course you need a V6 in your Camry to go to work (268 horsepower now; more than a ’99-’04 Mustang GT!).  Of course you should get the optional 7.3L turbodiesel in the Excursion you’re going to drive to and from the grocery store.  You get the point.

It’s really getting absurd, though.  Mercedes-Benz will sell you an SL with 661 horsepower, traction control, a warranty, and probably a card that says “Good luck, sucker.”  Hell, somewhere in the mid-forties (USD) will get you a factory-warrantied Mustang with 540 horsepower.  That seems excessive.

But here’s the catch – frequently these new, more powerful engines aren’t progress at all when you look at it from an overall perspective.  For instance, compare the Shelby GT500 Mustang to the old ’03-’04 SVT Cobras.  The old Cobras had independent rear suspension, an all-aluminum supercharged 4.6L 32v V8, a 6 speed manual, and 390 horsepower.  The current GT500 has an iron-block 5.4L truck engine with fancy aluminum heads, a supercharger, 32 valves, and 540 horsepower.  More is more, right?  Well, not really: the GT500 isn’t appreciably faster than the lighter, simpler Cobras.  They do handle like crap, thanks to the extreme front-heavy weight bias from the iron block V8, though.  Oh, and they have a tractor-style beam axle in the back.  More power, sure.  Better?  Well, not really.

The old Cobras could handle, they rode relatively well, they were somewhat sophisticated.  The new ones are a step back.  But more significantly, they’re a step TOWARDS the whole slack-jawed knuckle-dragger musclehead image, which is just sad.

What people don’t realize (or seem to realize) is that they want more and less.  Cars are rolling mechanical equations.  You have a certain amount of power, transmitted through certain gearing, propelling a certain amount of mass.  Thus there are three ways to make a car faster.  More power means each pound has more pulling it.  Shorter gearing multiplies this power by a higher factor.  And less weight means each horsepower has less to pull.

Now, shorter gearing is a pain.  No one wants an engine turning 5,000rpms in top gear at 80mph, do they?  So gearing is pretty fixed.  Then you’re left with power and weight.  Or to be more specific, the power to weight ratio.  You can see where this is going.  Less weight basically means more power.

This is why a Lotus Exige S, with a puny supercharged 1.8L four cylinder, can keep up with an LS3 Corvette (all 6.2L of it) without any trouble.

Plus, it’s easily argued that reducing weight is superior to increasing power based on what else it affects.  Less weight puts less load on the tires during forward and lateral acceleration, which means you can get more grip with less rubber – the Exige S’s tires are 195 and 225 width front and rear, respectively, but the car can still pull more than 1.0G of lateral acceleration.  Less weight also puts less strain on the brakes, meaning on the track you get stronger braking and reduced fade and wear with reduced mass.  A lighter car wears out almost all stressed components slower – bushings, friction surfaces, etc.

It’s not all numbers and math, though.  A lighter car is more responsive and communicative, which really is what the joy of driving is all about.  This is why a Mk1 Golf GTi is a hoot even though it’s got 90 horsepower, whereas a Supercharged Riviera (all 240bhp of it) is utterly awful to drive.

So let’s get off our horsepower high horses and quit missing the forest for the trees.  Driving pleasure is about more than “what’s under the hood.”  Don’t forget that!

-James

As I said a few days ago, the TSX will be receiving a new engine next year to increase interest in the hot-selling  TSX.  In place of the base 2.4L 201bhp four-cylinder will go Honda’s corporate 3.5L J-series V6.  This single-cam four-valve (isn’t that weird?) V6, placed east-west in the engine bay, will crank out 280 horsepower and probably 254 lb-ft of torque (345nM), as it’s the same engine in the base-model TL sedan.  This V6 is equipped with variable-valve timing on the intake cam, drive-by-wire throttle control, and a buch of other tech goodies that make it powerful and smooth as a sewing machine.

Although I’m curious why Honda chose not to port over the K32A1 Turbo Inline-4 from the Acura RDX,this power boost fixes what has been the primary complaint with the TSX- it’s lack of power compared to rivals.  Expect some torque steer, though – The TL’s SH-AWD hasn’t made the trip over.  For now, the TSX V6 will come only with a 5-speed automatic, which is a shame, but you do get paddle shifters with the deal.

The TSX V6 also gets an attractive set of 18″ split-five spoke alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot A/S tires wrapped around them.  Visual differentiations are limited; there’s a V6 badge on the back, a slightly more aggressive front fascia, and some other minor trim differences.

Acura says the V6 TSX is the first step towards them creating cars that enthusiasts will actually want to buy.  I say it’s about time; their lineup has gotten rather stagnant lately.  The cylinder-endowed TSX will be available at dealerships this summer, although pricing hasn’t been announced.

A reader over at Honda Lunatic site Temple of VTec reports that Acura will be debuting a high-performance version of the euro-Accord based TSX sedan next week at the Chicago International Auto Show.  The TSX will be getting it’s own version of the Honda Corporate 3.5L SOHC 24v V6, which looks sorta like this:

This V6, ported over from the larger TL sedan, produces 280 horsepower and 254 lb-ft.  This compares very favorably with the TSX’s base engine, which is a 2.4L inline-four with 201 horsepower and 172 lb-ft.

It is not known whether Honda will adapt their Super-Handling All Wheel Drive to the TSX, but it is unlikely considering the cost it would add to the TSX, as well as the overlap it would create with the bigger TL sedan.

ToV insiders claim the car will have minor body differences to differentiate it from the lesser four-cylinder TSX’s, including standard 18″ alloys and more aggressive aerodynamics.  It is also not known if the TSX V6 will be offered with the old TL Type-S’s 6-speed manual and mechanical LSD, but we can always hope.

More details on this hot-rod Honda should be coming next week.