Car Throttle

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

The yearly SEMA (Special Equipment Manufacturers Association) show happens in Las Vegas.  That's enough reason to want to go to it.  But more than the exotic locale (way better than, err, Detroit), SEMA is a hotbed of aftermarket parts.  If you're inclined to think this is a no-big-deal sort of affair, that's not the case.  The SEMA show attracts so much attention that manufacturers themselves have been getting into the SEMA game for a few years now, whether directly or through various 3rd party companies.

There are so many "new car" debuts prior to SEMA that I would literally flood your RSS feed with them.  I don't want to do that.  Plus, I can't write an entire article about a Chevy Sonic

The Honda Civic Si has been a shoestring-budget enthusiast favorite for a long time. But it's hard to deny that it's been standing pat while it's competitors have been charging past it - sometimes at a way faster rate of speed.  Budget rockets like the MazdaSpeed3, Lancer Ralliart, and Subaru WRX have sucked down a lungful of turbo boost and proceeded to blow the Si's doors off.  Even though the current Si is a hoot to drive, it's a bit embarassing that a V6 Mustang will blow it's doors off.  Enter the rumormill: when the refreshed 2012 Civic Si hits dealer lots, it's going to have a new engine under the hood. Now, that's not to say the current Si's motor is a dud.  Far from

Honda's Civic is a stalwart in the compact market. It's always been a favorite of people who like to drive, as well as people who just need a car that won't break.  But Honda's been following the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mantra for too long, and it's safe to say the competition has really caught up at this point.  The Chevy Cruze, new Ford Focus, new Elantra, and the new Mazda3 have all got various advantages over the Civic - whether in technology, comfort, price, power, or economy.  So the Civic is getting a redesign for 2012... and from the outside, it seems like more of the same. Honda actually debuted two concept Civics at NAIAS this year, a Coupe Si Concept

Today, Maserati is a purveyor of what I like to call automotive pornography. They produce two products - the almost criminally good-looking Gran Turismo and the equally seductive Quattroporte.  Both sell for north of $100k, are chock full of Ferrari bits, and are absolutely wonderful, top-notch modern supercars.  This hasn't always been the case. Maserati returned to the US market in 2002, after leaving without saying goodbye in 1991.  They, like Alfa Romeo, were basically chased out of the US thanks to persistent rumors of suspect reliability as well as a less than favorable exchange rate which artificially inflated prices.  Many say that the reason for Maserati's failure in the US was the Biturbo.  Let's take a look at that car (and it's derivatives) and return to

Sport compact cars have it rough. They basically have to do everything, and people expect them to do most of it quite well.  First off, the car needs to be exciting to drive - fast, responsive, good brakes, tight suspension.  They also need to look tough but not too racey, which I think some manufacturers have a hard time with (I'm looking at you, Caliber SRT-4!).  They also need to be pretty practical - a hatchback at the very least, able to move around the college-student crap they are normally hauling.  Oh, and they need to be fuel efficient.  And reliable.  And relatively inexpensive to insure.  And they also need to give you a complimentary shiatsu massage on every third friday of the month.  Or so