2001 Honda S2000 Convertible on 2040-cars

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Honda previews S660 roadster ahead of Tokyo debut

Honda isn't known for making convertibles. In fact, legend has it that old man Soichiro banned them from his lineup - but then he also didn't approve of six-cylinder engines, either. There have been exceptions, like the Civic del Sol and S2000, and today Honda has revealed another.
Set to debut at the forthcoming Tokyo Motor Show in late November is the Honda S660 concept, a compact little roadster about which Honda is saying even less. It looks about the size of a Kei car, with a nameplate that suggests a 660cc engine, making it more of a revival for the 1990's Beat than the high-end S2000. And while there are some clear similarities with the EV-STER concept that debuted two years ago in Tokyo, the S660 looks closer to production-ready, with key features like an actual steering wheel.
Of course, whether the S660 makes production, and beyond that makes it off of the Japanese islands and across the Pacific to US showrooms, is another matter, but we could see something like this taking the fight to the Mazda MX-5 and even the Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ if it did.

Honda reveals Mobilio MPV, Brio Satya hatchback for Asian markets

Sometimes, vehicles developed for mainstream markets don't work as well in emerging markets due to a lack of infrastructure for which they were originally designed. Indonesia is one of those environs where vehicles that are low, long and wide struggle cover the country's often rough terrain, let alone fit into the nation's compact parking spaces. Taking this into account, Honda has been developing the Mobilio multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), which it teased in July, based on research conducted on the country's roads and weather conditions. Today the Japanese automaker unveiled a prototype of the MPV at the Indonesia International Motor Show.
The Mobilio has three rows of seating for seven occupants, is compact enough to fit into the country's parking spaces, which are often less than 14.4 feet in length, and has a sports utility vehicle-like ground clearance of 7.3 inches to handle most road conditions. It's equipped with a 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine, which should give the MPV good fuel economy.
On September 11, Honda also introduced the Brio Satya five-door hatchback (shown at right) for the Indonesian market, which features an i-VTEC four-cylinder engine that Honda says will help the car net a fuel economy rating of 20 kilometers per liter of gasoline (equivalent to 47 miles per gallon). The model is closely related to the Brio budget hatchback, which was first revealed back in 2011.

Honda CR-Z gets much-needed supercharger

Honda has really taken its time in getting an aftermarket supercharger kit for the CR-Z to enthusiasts in the US. It's finally on sale, though, and it makes you wonder if the hybrid hatchback shouldn't have had it from the day it went on sale.
The supercharger kit developed by Honda Performance Development boosts output from the CR-Z's 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine to 197 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, according to Honda spokesperson Jessica Howell, an improvement of 67 hp and 36 lb-ft. It also adds an air-to-air intercooler, high-flow fuel injectors, a recalibrated ECU and new air filter for $5,495, before installation. However, the setup only works for six-speed manual transmission models from the 2013 and 2014 model years. If you want to take things even further, HPD is also offering an optional limited slip differential for $1,375 and sport clutch for $640, according to Howell.
Development of the supercharger kit has been ongoing for years. We first saw it on the CR-Z Mugen RZ in 2012 in Japan, in which it barely bumped power to 153 hp. Later at SEMA, Honda improved things to a more respectable 185 hp. Then in 2013, we actually got to drive an early version boasting 190 hp and found it a solid improvement over the stock powertrain. It appears Honda had some further tweaks to get things to the current 197 ponies. More good news: assuming you get the package installed at a dealer, the car maintains the balance of its 5 year/ 60,000 mile Honda limited powertrain warranty.