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This P-51 Mustang replica flies with a Honda Odyssey engine

The legendary WWII P-51 Mustang fighter ranks right up there with hot dogs, baseball, and apple pie. So sought after is the original Mustang that one of the 200 or so airworthy P-51s left will run you at least $1.5 million. That's why there's a thriving replica market with three-quarter-scale aircraft like this Titan T-51D Mustang. It looks every bit the part until you crack open the cowling and find not a howling Rolls-Royce Merlin V12, but the V6 from the Honda Odyssey minivan. To be precise, the Titan T-51 uses Honda's J35A6 60-degree SOHC V6. It's one version of the ubiquitous J-series engine, found in the Odyssey minivan as well as the Honda Pilot. Other variations of the Ohio-built powerplant pull duty in the Accord and several Acura models. But why a Honda V6? Titan Aircraft president John Williams says the company began production of the T-51 with a Rotax 912F four-cylinder boxer engine, but its 100-horsepower output wasn't cutting it for customers. They wanted "more power and more noise." So the search began for a lightweight, easily-packaged V6, leading first to a Suzuki 2.5-liter with 160 hp. "Our guys still wanted more power, so the next choice was either going to be a Chevy V8 or a Honda V6. The Honda is a little bit lighter and from a V6 standpoint, it's a brute. In the Honda Pilot or the Odyssey, it's rated from 240 to 250 horsepower," Williams explains. Converting the V6 to an airworthy powerplant requires minor modifications, such as swapping the stock engine control unit (ECU) for an aftermarket one. Car-specific parameters for things like anti-knock sensing and rev limiters simply don't work well in the air. "You don't want your timing retarded when you're trying to clear a tree," Williams chuckles. With a hotter Acura camshaft and exhaust modifications, the naturally aspirated Honda engine makes about 300 hp in the T-51D, Williams says. The V6 mates to a custom gearbox designed to yield a 2-to-1 reduction for the propeller. Rather than the original Mustang's crankcase oil, the Titan's nosecase uses automotive gear oil. And while the engine can obviously use regular unleaded from any gas station, it runs well on the 100-octane low-lead aviation fuel commonly found at airports. The T-51 is a kit airplane that buyers can build themselves for less than $100,000. And like most kit manufacturers, Titan offers a builder-assistance program to help with assembly.

On sale in Japan, Honda won't bring $31k Odyssey Hybrid to US

Japanese minivan customers have been spoiled for choice when it comes to gas-electric versions of their favorite family haulers. Toyota, for example, started selling the Estima - the world's first hybrid minivan – in 2001, and it also offers the Aphard hybrids. Starting tomorrow, buyers will be able to buy the new Odyssey Hybrid minivan from Honda for a not-unreasonable price. US buyers? We're not so lucky. That's because the Japanese Odyssey and the version sold in the US don't share much except the name. That means that the only company bold enough to put a hybrid powertrain – and a plug-in version at that – into a US-bound minivan is FCA, which just introduced us to the Pacifica Hybrid. So, we'll have to just pine for what's available over in Japan. There, the new Odyssey Hybrid comes with an updated dual-motor Sport Hybrid i-MMD powertrain that uses a 2.0-liter and no transmission. It is offered in two versions (standard and 'Absolute') and a total of six trim levels. The hybrid Odyssey starts at the equivalent of $31,235 US and tops out at $34,725, which is a level that Honda says is, "affordably-priced." Related Video: Honda to Begin Sales of Refreshed Odyssey and Odyssey Absolute -- Hybrid model will be newly added to the Odyssey lineup TOKYO, Japan, February 4, 2016 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. will begin sales of an affordably-priced hybrid version as well as the newly refreshed gasoline-powered version of the Honda Odyssey and Odyssey Absolute premium minivans on Friday, February 5, 2016 at dealerships across Japan. A new addition to the Odyssey lineup, the hybrid version realizes both excellent fuel economy and high-quality driving in the Odyssey and Odyssey Absolute which have been well-received for their spacious cabin, stately styling and exhilarating yet stable driving experience. The newly-added Odyssey Hybrid and Odyssey Hybrid Absolute are the first Honda premium minivan models equipped with the revolutionary Honda-developed powertrain Sport Hybrid i-MMD*1 and realize class-topping*2 fuel economy of 26.0 km/L (JC08 mode)*3. In the thorough pursuit of system efficiency, Honda developed a new motor that features an innovative winding method and structure. This newly-developed motor is approximately 23% smaller and lighter than the previous version and yet realizes high torque and high output.

Total auto recalls already on record pace in 2014

If you've noticed that there have been more recalls than usual this year, you may be on to something. According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the US market is on pace to break a record for recalls. In 2013, 22 million cars were recalled. We're only a third of the way through 2014, though, and we've already halved that figure, with 11 million units recalled. That's wild.
Considering the past few months, it shouldn't be a surprise that General Motors is leading the charge, with six million of the 11 million units recalled coming from one of the General's four brands. Between truck recalls, CUV recalls and the ignition switch recall, 2014 hasn't been a great year for GM.
Other recall leaders include Nissan (one million Sentra and Altima sedans), Honda (900,000 Odyssey minivans), Toyota (over one million units in a few recalls), Volkswagen (150,000 Passat sedans), Chrysler (644,000 Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs) and most recently, Ford (434,000 units, the bulk of which were early Ford Escape CUVs). So while it's been a bad year for GM so far, its competitors aren't doing too well, either.