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New fuel-cell sedan leads Honda's Tokyo lineup

It's time to talk Tokyo Motor Show friends, and as is so often the case, there's going to be some weird stuff arriving at this year's event. From Honda, we have a few important pieces of news. Arguably the most exciting is a new fuel-cell vehicle, called the FCV. Don't worry, Honda calls that remarkably unimaginative name "tentative." Looking like a mix of the new Civic sedan, a Nissan Maxima (that roofline!), and a Tesla Model S, this four-door coupe offers room for five, a 434-mile driving range, and motivation from at least two electric motors. Details are remarkably scarce, but all signs point to this being a vehicle worth getting excited about. That's not the only big news, though, as Honda will also show off the new production version of the Odyssey hybrid. Honda didn't provide any images of the fuel-sipping minivan, but did let slip that it uses a Sport Hybrid-iMMD system. Again, there isn't a lot of information, but the iMMD, short for "intelligent Multi-Mode Drive," has been used on other Honda products before. While Honda is also bringing out vehicles we're familiar with – both the new Civic Type-R and NSX will make appearances in Tokyo – the company's motorcycle arm is bringing a trio of interesting concepts. First, and perhaps most exciting, is the EV-Cub Concept. If that names sounds familiar, it's because Honda showed a bike with the same name in 2009. Drawing inspiration from the original (and legendary) Super Cub, the EV-Cub situates a battery and electric motor low and in the center of the body for optimum weight distribution and in turn, easy riding dynamics. Next, we have the Neowing. Featuring a three-wheel layout with a four-cylinder boxer engine and a hybrid powertrain, there's a lot to like about this concept's mechanicals. Unfortunately, there aren't any images of the Neowing yet. That's also the case with the Light Weight Super Sports Concept, although unlike the trike, mechanical details are wholly absent, too. So for this one, you'll have to wait until we're actually on the ground in Tokyo. What is pictured, though, are a pair of new concepts – the Wander Stand and Wander Walker. Again, details are scarce – if you're sensing a theme, you're not alone – but based on the images, the Wander Stand looks like a waiting room on wheels and the Wander Walker is a mobility scooter. Here's hoping more info is released before press days on October 28 and 29.

Autoblog Minute: VW finds CO2 'irregularities', Takata dropped by automakers, SEMA recap

Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal gets a new wrinkle, US regulators hit Takata Corporation with a substantial fine, and we head to Las Vegas for a look at tuner paradise at the 2015 SEMA show. Autoblog senior editor Greg Migliore reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal gets a new wrinkle. US regulators issue a significant fine to Takata Corporation. And we take a peek inside tuner paradise at the 2015 SEMA show. I'm senior editor Greg Migliore and this is your Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. The VW diesel emissions scandal, first brought to light in September, gets a new wrinkle, as an internal investigation by the German automaker revealed [00:00:30] irregularities in CO2 emissions that could affect approximately 800,000 vehicles. VW estimates the issue could pose a 2-billion euro economic risk. VW claims that most of the vehicles affected have diesel engines, but industry analysts say a 1.4-liter gas engine is also affected. VW says that fuel consumption figures were set too low during the CO2 certification process. During all of this, sales of some diesel-powered Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche models [00:01:00] have been halted. Takata Corporation is back in the news in connection with its deadly airbag scandal. Federal regulators fined Takata $70 million. If the parts supplier does not comply, the fine could balloon to $200 million. Takata was also dropped this week by its biggest customer, Honda. And now, Toyota and Mazda will be following Honda's lead in dropping Takata. We're also hearing that Mitsubishi and Subaru are considering a switch in air-bag inflator suppliers. SEMA 2015 [00:01:30] came and went. We saw offerings from Mopar, like the AWD Challenger concept. Honda unveiled a Ridgeline that it will race at the Baja 1000, which gives us a hint at what future production model could look like. The celebrity presence was also felt in Vegas as it always is. Kid Rock brought a Duramax Diesel Chevy Silverado, and Acura restored and presented Ludacris with his now famous 1993 Acura Legend. Those are the highlights from the week that was. Be sure to come back on Saturday for my full recap, [00:02:00] where I'll have some added insight into Hyundai's foray into the luxury sector. For Autoblog, I'm Greg Migliore. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive.

Automakers score 8 out of top 20 most-watched ads on YouTube [w/videos]

Who would have ever thought there'd be a day where people are able to skip television commercials only to go to websites to watch them later? Such is the joy of a DVR and YouTube. AdWeek tabulated the 20 most-watched ads on YouTube, and found that nine were car-related including eight coming from automakers.
Volkswagen continued its Star Wars theme with two ads in the top 20, including the highest-ranking car commercial The Bark Side spot at number three with almost 18 million views, which doesn't even have a single car in it. Some of our favorites are from Chrysler with Clint Eastwood in It's Halftime in America and House Arrest with Charlie Sheen for the Fiat 500 Abarth. Chevrolet, Honda, Audi and Toyota were the other automakers in the top 20, but we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention one of the coolest ads on the list, the Hot Wheels corkscrew jump.
Of all the car videos, only the Fiat ad wasn't played during a Super Bowl. Check out all eight videos - in order - after the jump. Nike took the top spot with its My Time is Now ad that has been seen online more than 20 million times with Pepsi's Uncle Drew posted up in the runner-up; some of the other videos include four Old Spice commercials and an ad in which Snoop Dogg is pedaling Hot Pockets.