$1 No Reserve Very Clean Awd Great Shape!! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Japan considering offering free hydrogen cars because $30k incentives apparently not enough

There's no such thing as a free lunch. A free hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle, though? It may become a possibility in Japan, says Automotive News. We know the Japanese government is being plenty supportive of hydrogen vehicles since it will provide about $20,000 worth of incentives to prospective customers of the $69,000 vehicle. And with local governments like Toyota City's Aichi prefecture supplying another $10,000, out of pocket costs could reach less than $40,000 for the Toyota hydrogen car. We don't know for sure that the 'free' H2 car will happen, but with Toyota starting sales of its first production FCV next spring (potentially named Mirai), it could happen. That would also spell good news for Honda, which will follow up Toyota's effort for its own hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. The case for the free car is still pretty tenuous. Automotive News, citing the Nihon Keizai business publication, reports that the Japanese government has thrown around the idea of subsidizing the vehicles outright to early adopters just to gain some momentum for this kind of zero-emissions vehicles. Heck, the government would even throw in free fuel for good measure. We'll see about that. To see some of the official hydrogen excitement, click here for a video of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe taking a Toyota fuel cell vehicle for a brisk test drive. Featured Gallery Toyota at 2014 Aspen Ideas Festival News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Toyota Government/Legal Green Honda Toyota Hydrogen Cars incentives h2

Alonso wants an NSX, but did Honda block him from Le Mans?

One of the biggest changes in store for the 2015 Formula One World Championship will see Fernando Alonso moving back to McLaren. That means he'll be driving under Honda power for the first time, after spending the bulk of his career driving for Renault and Ferrari. And being Honda's new poster child, as the two-time World Champion is fast discovering, has its advantages and its drawbacks. According to the latest reports, Alonso had been negotiating a clause in his contract with McLaren that could have seen him driving a Porsche 919 Hybrid at Le Mans this year, but Honda reportedly stepped in at the last minute and scuttled the plan. The drive would have been Alonso's first in the famous 24-hour race, after having had the honor of waving the flag at La Sarthe last summer. In one of the wilder rumors that emerged during the prolonged silence over his move for this season, the Spaniard was also linked to a potential return for Ferrari to Le Mans. That prospect came to naught, and now the Porsche deal has been wheeled into the garage, as well. The upcoming F1 season is expected to be one of transition, adjustment and development for McLaren and Honda, but the Japanese automaker's involvement in his hiring may not be all bad news for Alonso. Following the reveal of the new Acura NSX, Alonso tweeted "You still don't know, but one day we will be together..." followed by a series of heart-eyed smiley-face emoticons and accompanies by images of Honda's new supercar. The implication is that the two-time World Champion is expecting to get his talented hands on an NSX of his own, and we can certainly see how Honda would appreciate the imagery of Fernando driving around in its flagship. Even if it doesn't, though, we're sure McLaren would be glad to hook him up with a company car of its own – though Lewis Hamilton encountered some trouble securing (a very specific) one for himself. Even discounting the front-running F1 machinery he's been tasked with piloting on track to an impressive 32 career wins, Alonso has had some lustworthy company cars at his disposal over the years. At Renault, he had a Megane RS to drive, and during his last stint at McLaren, he had an SLR 722. But since signing with Ferrari, he's been given the keys to FCA models as varied as a Ferrari FF, a special 599 GTO, a Maserati GranCabrio, a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT and an Abarth 695... and those are just the ones we know about.

Renderings have us excited for reinvigorated Honda Civic Si

Realistically, we know there's no way the new Honda Civic Si will look exactly like the stunning, green, two-door coupe that debuted at the 2015 New York Auto Show. But, as these renderings show, there is a future where the production Si will look very nearly as good as that concept car. Now, it's very important to note that these are not official renderings. Instead, they've been assembled by CivicX.com, and are based on everything from the production Civic sedan, to spy shots of the upcoming coupe, to the flashy concept that foreshadowed the new compact earlier this year. Inspiration was also drawn from previous Si models. As always, take these shots with a grain of salt. That warning has never been so hard to follow, though. These renderings show off a coupe that is very nearly as cool as the concept, while still remaining firmly planted in the real world. In our mind, the front end is the most accurate part of these renderings, taking the production Civic Sedan's and applying a suitable layer of aggression. Other aspects look good, but are probably a bit too fanciful, like the huge wheels and ultra-low-profile tires – seriously, those look like 35-series rubber. That's madness. We aren't crazy about the back, either. With that pedestal spoiler, huge taillight element, and busy rear bumper, there's just too much going on at the tail of these Civic Si renderings. We wouldn't mind seeing a smaller spoiler, perhaps one that doesn't so heavily obscure the handsome fastback tail. A wider diffuser would help, too. It seems underdeveloped here, almost like it was tacked on at the last minute. Check out the full range of renderings, which give us a look at a potential version of the new Si in a variety of traditional colors, including what looks like Taffeta White and Rallye Red. Related Video: