2013 Honda Fit Hatchback 5-door 1.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Honda NM4 concept motorcycles channel Akira

Honda has rolled out a pair of new motorcycle concepts at the Osaka Motorcycle Show in its home market of Japan, and they're our first glimpse at the company's "neo-futuristic" NM4. Shown in both stealthy black and an eye-catching white, the NM4s are sharp creations that feature interesting riding positions.
Honda calls the concepts' seating "the cockpit position," claiming that it unifies bike with rider. We don't know about that, but we will admit that compared to most sportbike seats - which are more or less just bits of padding to squeeze between your legs - these bikes' saddles look more or less like conventional seats. Honda says that their backrests are adjustable, which should provide a comfortable riding experience. Still, with these bikes' sporting looks, we can't imagine their low seats are going to be great for dipping knees through the bends (although the should lower the center of gravity, so perhaps it's a wash).
Both show bikes, NM4-01 and NM4-02, are powered by 745-cc, two-cylinder engines, while dual-clutch transmissions are employed to dispatch unspecified amounts of power to their wide rear tires. The bikes are nearly identical save for different colors, but the NM4-02 features an integral set of hard panniers for increased utility. We've got a gallery of both, so hop up above and take a look. You can also scroll down for a brief press release from Honda.

2014 Honda Odyssey set to clean up in NY with world's first in-car vacuum

Much of the minivan segment's volume has been sucked up by the industry's ever-increasing appetite for crossovers, but a few major players are hanging in there, eager to serve as beasts of burden for America's families. Chief among those players is Honda, which is showing its revamped 2014 Odyssey at this week's New York Auto Show with a potential game-changing feature - an in-car vacuum.
Co-developed with Shop-Vac, the HondaVAC system will come standard on the range-topping Touring Elite model. The system includes a replaceable filter and canister bag, along with a range of attachments located in the cargo hold. Honda says this first-ever feature includes a hose that is long enough to clean the entire interior. Better still, the vacuum will run for up to eight minutes after the vehicle is turned off, so you can get every last Cheerio out of the seat cushions, and it never needs plugging in or recharging, as it runs off of the vehicle's electrical system.
In other news, the 2014 Odyssey gets a new aluminum hood and fenders to pair with its revamped grille and lower fascia. Headlamps get a more sinister look thanks to darker surrounds, and there are new LED taillamps out back, as well as revamped side mirrors on the doors. Underneath the skin, Honda says the 2014 Odyssey has received structural changes to help it ace the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety's new small-overlap frontal crash test, and it's also added active safety features like lane departure warning and forward collision warning to the optional features list.

Driver saved from sinking car in Houston by live news reporter

Heavy rains in Houston, Texas, have turned some roadway underpasses into temporary lakes. While covering the adverse weather, a reporter named Steve Campion engaged in what may be the most half-hearted rescue attempt ever captured on video. The whole clip is a slow-motion disaster that's hard to look away from. The reporter and a cameraman are already on the scene when a driver in a Honda Insight arrives and thinks he can ford the deluge. The plan fails immediately, and the car is quickly in too deep. Despite trying to reverse out of the bad situation and even turning on the windshield wipers, this guy is stuck. Floating, in fact. Campion doesn't even try to hide his contempt and confusion as this unfolds in front of him. "Why are you doing that," the journalist initially asks. He and the cameraman don't leap to action at this scene, either. "What do we do? I don't want to..." the reporter says. The Insight driver seems to be in shock, seemingly unable to process the situation even as his vehicle is sinking. Eventually, the reporter and cameraman convince the guy to leave his vehicle. By the time the driver gets to dry land, his Honda is barely visible above the water. The Honda owner seems unharmed, but the reporter probably doesn't deserve much credit for the rescue, regardless of how it's portrayed on KTRK in Houston. See if you agree after watching the video. Related Video: