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Affordable, lightweight Honda roadster revival in the works?

There's a joke phrase from a popular movie that gets tossed around the Autoblog offices when ever a big change or announcement is coming: "Hold on to your butts." It's usually accompanied by a video of Samuel L. Jackson. That's the advice we'd recommend for reading this article. GTChannel is reporting that a new, small, lightweight, quick successor to the Honda S2000 is being "seriously considered."
Citing an unnamed source within the Japanese automaker, GTChannel goes on to list a few interesting tidbits about the new vehicle. From the sounds of it, though, if Honda is planning a new roadster, it's in the absolute earliest stages of development.
What's apparently being discussed is a car that's smaller than a Mazda MX-5, in terms of its dimensions. Under hood would be a VTEC engine, displacing anywhere from 1.3 to 1.5 liters, with GT Channel making the apt suggestion that the 1.5-liter, 132-horsepower mill from the Honda Fit could make its way into the new roadster. Curb weight would be in the realm of 2,000 pounds, which would make a 130-odd-hp engine seem absolutely heroic. Rear-wheel drive would be a given, although we aren't sure about the site's suggestion that a five-speed manual will be on offer. Styling could draw from the N-One, a popular, Honda-badged kei car.

Honda reveals IndyCar aero kit

The IndyCar Series is stepping into a new era of competition that won't quite see manufacturers building their own chassis like they do in Formula One, but it's inching closer. This season, participating automakers will provide their customer teams not only with engines as they have in the past, but with complete aerodynamic packages. Chevy revealed its new aero kit last month, and now Honda – the only other automaker currently in the series – has followed suit with its own. Like Chevy's package, the new Honda kit is designed specifically for road courses and short ovals with a high degree of downforce that would hamper high-speed running around super speedways. The lower-drag package will likely be revealed sometime before the Indy 500 that will be the first speedway race on the calendar when it kicks off in May. The design of the package is a result of what Honda describes as an exhaustive development process that borrowed from the company's experience with Le Mans prototypes. It started out using CAD and CFD software before being validated on simulators, tested in wind tunnels and run on track with participation from Andretti Autosport. The aerodynamic appendages will be affixed to the existing Dallara chassis and powered by Honda's V6 engines, allowing individual teams to tweak the elements to their own requirements. With the manufacturers now allowed a greater degree of participation, series organizers will undoubtedly be hoping for more of them to join in on the action. The last time there were more than two automakers participating was in 2005, before Toyota pulled out. Ford was the sole engine supplier in the Champ Car series from 2003 until the series reunited with the Indy Racing League to form the current IndyCar Series. Honda Unveils 2015 IndyCar Series Aero Kits Mar 9, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. - Road Course/Short Oval package shown - Efficient development utilized CFD and multiple simulation tools - Wide range of aerodynamic tuning options available to teams Honda today debuted the package of aerodynamic upgrades and components its teams will use in the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series, as the manufacturer seeks to add to an already impressive list of accomplishments in American open-wheel racing. The 2015 Honda Indy car "aero kit", produced by Honda Performance Development, Honda's racing arm in North America, includes nearly 200 individual pieces that can be fitted to the existing Honda-powered Dallara Indy car chassis.

Honda to lead Rose Parade with hybrid tech

What are you doing New Year's Day? We're probably going to watch Urban Meyer's retirement bash the Rose Bowl, but we love a nice parade, too. To kick the day off, Honda will be leading the 130th Rose Parade with its own float, an Insight hybrid and an Acura RDX crossover. Not only will Honda be celebrating the new year, it'll also celebrate its 60th anniversary in the U.S. As such, the main float will be shaped like a 25-foot-tall birthday cake. And 60 band members from the historically black colleges and universities' marching bands — which recently took part in a battle of the bands sponsored by Honda — will represent the candles on the cake. It'll also be decorated to re-create the look of the automaker's first storefront in Los Angeles. The float will be called "Celebration of Dreams," a fitting title for a company whose founder Soichiro Honda famously said, "The day I stop dreaming is the day I die." (The first thing you see when entering the amazing Honda Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi is a large, circular glass sculpture with the word "Dream" and Soichiro Honda's signature). For the parade, the Honda Insight will serve as the official pace car, while the Acura RDX will play the role of sound car. The float itself will be propelled by a modified Honda hybrid powertrain. The main float will be flanked by five "satellite" floats, each representing facets of the company. These will include a Honda Super Cub motorbike; a floral representation of a 1975 Civic CVCC; a float with crash test dummies and an arch with five stars to represent safety; a Honda Accord, which is built in the U.S.; and a float incorporating elements from the HondaJet to represent the future. The Rose Parade broadcast begins bright and early at 8 a.m. Pacific on Jan. 1. Check out the rendering at the top of the page to get a sense of what to expect. Related Video: