2003 Honda Accord Ex Sedan 4-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1992 Acura Vigor

Honda was the first of the Japanese car manufacturers to bring a separate luxury brand to the United States, with the (Civic-derived) Integra and (Rover-related) Legend appearing as 1986 models. By the early 1990s, Infiniti and Lexus had muscled in with their own gadget-laden luxury machines, with even Mitsubishi and Mazda offering legitimate competition for the two Acura models. Something had to be done, in the viewpoint of Soichiro Honda, and so the NSX sports car was introduced as a 1991 model, followed by the Vigor luxury sedan the following year. Here's one of those rare first-year Vigors, found in a Denver self-service boneyard recently. The idea behind the Vigor (which, like the Integra, Legend and NSX, was badged as a Honda in its homeland) was that it would squeeze in between the Integra and the Legend and steal some sales from the Lexus ES 250 as well as European machinery. The Vigor was a front-wheel-drive car, but its engine was mounted longitudinally and angled to clear the hood. The differential sat directly beneath the engine and received power via a tortured maze of shafts. The reason for all this powertrain complexity was the fact that the Vigor's engine was a SOHC straight-five that wouldn't fit the engine compartment using Honda's usual transverse mounting (though both Daewoo and Volvo managed the feat with straight-six engines later on). The U.S.-market Vigor's 2.5-liter five-banger was rated at 176 horsepower and 170 pound-feet. The base transmission was a five-speed manual, but this car has the optional $750 four-speed automatic ($1,696 in 2024 dollars). This car is the cheaper Vigor LS model, so its MSRP was $24,999 ($56,539 after inflation). You could get a slightly smaller but still feature-laden '92 Honda Accord EX for just $20,175 ($45,629 now), though, and the cushier (though less nimble) Lexus ES 250 started at just $21,300 ($48,173 in today's money). American car shoppers just couldn't figure out the Vigor, and sales were weak. 1994 was the final year for the Vigor, and the TL replaced it beginning as a 1996 model. This one drove just over 160,000 miles during its life. Don't think of it as a drive to work. Think of it as a 30-minute vacation. If you get a German luxury sedan instead of a Vigor, you'll be sorry! I miss you… S. As was nearly always the case during the 1980s and 1990s, the JDM commercials were more fun.

One lucky customer got the first HondaJet for Christmas

The wait is finally over – for one fortunate customer, at least. After an extensive gestation period, the Honda Aircraft Company has delivered the first HondaJet to its eagerly awaiting new owner. And with it, the Japanese industrial giant has stepped into yet another territory of motorized transportation. Though Honda first started experimenting with aircraft as far back as the 1980s, the development of the HondaJet as we now know it dates back to the late 1990s when designer Michimasa Fujino – now chief executive of the Honda Aircraft Company – first penned its form. The company has been working on getting it into the air and into customer hands ever since, with that process culminating now on no less fitting a day than just this past Christmas Eve. Following the type certification received from the Federal Aviation Administration earlier this month, the handover of the first customer aircraft took place at the company's headquarters at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, NC. That's where Honda will be producing all its aircraft, performing service and maintenance, and training its customer pilots, which has already begun on its on-site, full-motion flight simulator. A network of dealers handles sales across North America, South America, and Europe. The company did not disclose the identity of the first customer, but suffice it to say it was not Jenson Button – even though he is, once again, driving a Honda-powered F1 car. The HondaJet HA-420 is classified as a very light business jet, measuring 42 feet and 7 inches long with a 39'9" wingspan. Power comes from a pair of turbofan engines produced by Honda and General Electric, each good for over 2,000 pounds of thrust and together are capable of propelling the aircraft to a cruising speed of 435 miles per hour or a top speed of 483 mph. That makes the HA-420 far and away the fastest vehicle Honda makes across numerous modes of transportation. In addition to cars, trucks, and jets, the company produces motorcycles, ATVs, marine engines, and lawnmowers, making it one of the most diverse manufacturers in the industry. Related Video: Honda Aircraft Company Begins HondaJet Deliveries Dec 23, 2015 - GREENSBORO, N.C. Honda Aircraft Company today announced it has begun deliveries of the HondaJet, the world's most advanced light jet. The company delivered the first aircraft today at its world headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Why Japan's government is looking to curb its adorable kei car market

Each region around the world has its stereotypical vehicle. The US has the pickup and Europe the five-door hatchback; but in Japan, the kei car reigns supreme. These tiny cars are limited to just 660cc of displacement but they've also come with lower taxes to make them more affordable. To make of the most of their small size, they've often had quite boxy styling like the Honda N-One shown above, and because they're Japanese, they've often had quirky names like the Nissan Dayz Roox. However, if the Japanese government has its way, the future popularity of these little guys might be in jeopardy. The problem facing them is that Japan is an island both literally and figuratively. After World War II, the Japanese government created the class as a way to make car ownership more accessible. The tiny engines generally meant better fuel economy to deal with the nation's expensive gas, and the tax benefits also helped. It's made the segment hugely popular even today, with kei cars making up roughly 40 percent of the nation's new cars sales last year, according to The New York Times. The downside is that these models are almost never exported because they aren't as attractive to buyers elsewhere (if indeed they even meet overseas regulations). So if an automaker ends up with a popular kei model, it can't really market it elsewhere. The government now sees that as a threat to the domestic auto industry. It believes that every yen invested into kei development is wasted, and the production takes up needed capacity at auto factories. The state would much rather automakers create exportable models. To do this, it's trying to make the little cars less attractive to buy, and thus, less attractive to build. The authorities recently increased taxes on kei cars by 50 percent to narrow the difference between standard cars, according to the NYT. If kei cars do lose popularity, it could open the market up to greater competition from foreign automakers. Several companies complained about the little cars stranglehold on the Japanese market last year, but since then, imported car sales there have shown some growth thanks to the improving economy. Featured Gallery 2013 Honda N-One View 20 Photos News Source: The New York TimesImage Credit: Honda Government/Legal Honda Nissan JDM kei kei car