2013 Honda Cr-v Lx on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Bisimoto's 911 and Honda Odyssey each pack 1,000 hp

There aren't a lot of vehicles on the road that pack a thousand horsepower. The Bugatti Veyron and McLaren P1 are in rare company, but there have been a handful of aftermarket tuners that have managed to extract that much power out of lesser vehicles. Bisimoto is responsible for more than its fair share, so Matt Farah and the team at Drive stopped by the workshop in Southern California to check out the craftsmanship for the latest episode of Tuned. What they found is two vehicles with that astronomical four-figure output that otherwise couldn't be more different from each other. First up is the vintage, stripped-out 911 that company founder Bisi Ezerioha built for himself. It's based on a 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera with a widebody kit and a pair of turbochargers hanging off the back. The result is that thousand-horsepower output and, as Farah found out, one of the scariest, hairiest, and squirliest automobiles ever devised. As if that weren't enough, there's a thousand-horsepower minivan on the docket, too. This one is based on a Honda Odyssey, rebuilt on an air suspension and a six-speed manual gearbox conversion out of an Acura TL. And of course the engine's been tuned to deliver that headline output figure. Honda and Bisimoto showcased the vehicle at the SEMA show a couple of years ago, where Farah says he didn't think it could possibly hold together. But as he discovered in the video above, it actually does, and accelerates with tenacity... and plenty of room for the kids.

Honda execs take 'quality-related' pay cut after Fit Hybrid's 5th recall

Generally, the best policy in life is to admit when you're wrong and just accept the consequences. However, that attitude generally seems to be a bit less common in the world of business - at least without some government or legal prodding. So, it's especially surprising to learn that top Honda executives in Japan are taking a pay cut for the next three months following the fifth recall of the Fit Hybrid (pictured above) in the last 12 months.
According to Reuters, Chief Executive Takanobu Ito is taking a 20-percent pay cut to make amends for the quality issues. Also, 12 other high-ranking executives are taking 10 percent drops in their salaries. In addition to those temporary changes, Honda is creating a new position in charge of monitoring vehicle quality.
The latest recall fixes "noise-related defects," according to Reuters, on both the hybrid and naturally aspirated versions of the Fit, both variants of the Vezel (the sibling to the future HR-V in the US) and the N-WGN. There have also been three recalls for problems with the hybrid's seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. None of them have caused reported injuries or deaths, and these issues haven't affected US models.

Honda Civic 5-Door mule spotted testing

Rather than the current split between the North American Civic and the European version, Honda is taking the popular compact model global for its new generation. We've already caught glimpses of the next coupe in patent documents, covered in camouflage, and even in concept form in New York. However, the promised five-door hatch to be assembled in the UK but available in the US has remained more of a mystery – at least until these great spy shots. There's no mistaking that this mule started life as an Acura ILX, but the luxury sedan is highly modified for this duty. At the front, look closely to see where Honda's engineers tack on extra width around the wheel arches. Of course, the big star here is the rear end. The back is completely covered in camo, but the concealment isn't good enough to hide the hump of the hatchback. The sliced-off shape is actually somewhat reminiscent of Europe's current Civic five-door. Also, note that the taillights on this test car are similar to the ones on the concept in the Big Apple. Honda promises coupe, sedan and five-door body styles, and the next-gen Civic will be powered in the US by a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder with the choice between a six-speed manual and a CVT. The first of them go on sale here this fall, although not all the variants will likely launch at the same time.