2013 Honda Cr-v Ex-l on 2040-cars

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Petrolicious profiles the Triple Nickel, a 1968 Honda CB160

Petrolicious often puts as much of a focus on the owners as it does on their machines in its videos, but the latest one goes even further as a short documentary that tells the story of a woman getting back into vintage motorcycle racing after an accident. Stacie B. London bought her first bike in 2009, but she jumped into the hobby with both feet. Not too long after getting her cycle, she started competing on two wheels. Fantastic cinematography is always one of the great strengths of Petrolicious' clips, but it absolutely nails the audio here, too. If you enjoy the sound of vintage bikes revving for all they can, then this is a must see. Of course, the story of someone getting into vintage motorcycle racing is also fascinating. London's 1968 Honda CB160 wears the 555 number when on the circuit, hence the nickname Triple Nickel. Not only do we get to see her open up the bike up on the salt flats, but we get to watch part of her first competition on track after recovering from a serious crash. For a relative newcomer not only just to riding a motorcycle but also racing one, London already seems to be hooked.

2016 Honda Civic Coupe First Drive

[A Honda spokesperson confirmed to Autoblog today that the Honda Civic Coupe equipped with the 2.0-liter engine, which is reviewed below, is not affected by the engine-assembly issue that is at the heart of the stop-sale order currently affecting Civic Sedans. That particular issue was corrected before the Coupe began production. We expect to have more news about a recall involving the 2.0-liter Civic Sedans as soon as the NHTSA officially responds to Honda. - Ed.] Let's not beat around the bush – mechanically, this Honda Civic Coupe is the same as the new-for-2016 sedan, minus a couple of doors. For a lot of consumers, that lack of utility is a big problem, and it's why compact sedan-based coupes are a dying breed. Why spend the same amount of money on a car that drives identically but is less practical? But in the case of the Civic Coupe, we offer this: When a car looks this good, screw logic. The new Civic is one of the most competent vehicles to wear the H-badge in at least a decade. And this new two-door does nearly everything the four-door can do while looking like an absolute stunner. From the A-pillar forward, this is the same reserved but handsome Civic that broke cover in 2015. The new Civic is one of the most competent vehicles to wear the H-badge in at least a decade. Like a mullet (stay with us...), the Civic only gets more interesting as we proceed toward the back. The rear window sits 0.8 inches lower than on the Sedan, but that's only part of what makes the two-door more dramatic. The Coupe is 5.4 inches shorter than the sedan, but all of that is behind the rear axle – the wheelbase is identical. So while the rear window and roofline aren't dramatically lower than the sedan, you just run out of car far more suddenly. The downside, of course, is that you lose three cubic feet of cargo volume, but we think that's a fair price to pay for something that looks this good. Climb inside and feast your eyes on the cabin, which – you guessed it – is essentially exactly the same as what you find in the sedan. The seats get a standard two-tone color scheme and the door panels are ever so slightly different, but that's about it. The big change, of course, is in the backseat, which in this case should really just be reserved for passengers under five feet, five inches. In the video below, you can see your author go from front to back in a Civic Sedan, and then attempt the same feat in the Coupe. It's not pretty.

Honda to ax Civic Hybrid, CNG models

Honda will kill off the Civic Hybrid and Civic Natural Gas models at the end of the 2015 model year as part of a massive product overhaul, a top executive said Monday in Detroit. The moves come in response to consumer preferences as the Japanese automaker prepares to launch the 10th generation of the Civic later this year, said John Mendel, executive vice president, American Honda Motor Co. "These moves will allow greater focus on Civic's sporty new driving character," Mendel said. Honda revealed the close-to-production Civic concept this spring at the New York auto show and confirmed it will include Si and Type R variants. The powertrain lineup will feature a new turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, a short-throw six-speed manual, and a continuously variable transmission. The Type-R is expected in 2017, Mendel said. Though the new car marks a return to more athletic Civics, some versions will still get more than 40 miles per gallon in highway driving. The changes come as Honda pivots toward an expanded fuel-cell strategy with a new model set to launch in 2016. "We're creating the strongest and most balanced vehicle lineup in our history," he said. In addition to tweaking the Civic line, Honda has discontinued the plug-in hybrid Accord to focus on the updated Accord Hybrid, which launches in early 2016. Eventually, the plug-in Accord will be replaced by a new plug-in model in 2018, Mendel said. The changes come as Honda pivots toward an expanded fuel-cell strategy with a new model set to launch in 2016. The automaker has spent $14 million with California company FirstElement Fuel to set up 12 hydrogen filling stations. The new Civic is part of an influx of new products set for 2015-2016. The next-gen Ridgeline will arrive in 2016 with a more traditional truck design, Mendel said, admitting the styling of the current generation was divisive. "Design was polarizing," he said. "No one wants to have to explain why they bought what they bought." The next-generation Odyssey will also launch after the Ridgeline in 2016, Mendel said. He was also asked about a 'baby NSX' sports car by a reporter in the wake of trademark drawings that leaked last week, though he declined to elaborate. "No I can't tell you anything about the baby NSX," he said. "I mean I could, but I'd probably be fired." In other news, Mendel said Honda continues to work with airbag supplier Takata as it grapples with the massive recall and increased attention from the NHTSA.