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The new Honda Ridgeline will debut in Detroit

Hey, remember the Ridgeline? Honda's unibody midsize truck is coming back, and you'll see it at the Detroit Auto Show next month. I actually already saw it at a private event, but I can't tell you anything about it. Let's just say that this is one debut you won't want to miss at NAIAS in January. There's not much to go on with regard to the accompanying teaser image and press release (below). All I can say is that it's a truck, it's a Honda, and it's called Ridgeline. Expect it to offer all the usual Honda interior packaging magic, as well as a ton of onboard tech and safety equipment. The midsize truck segment is booming right now. General Motors launched the new Colorado and Canyon twins, Toyota is now selling the updated Tacoma, and now Honda's getting back into the game with a similarly sized truck. But given its unibody construction, I'm interested to see how the Ridgeline will stack up against its literally tough competition. Stay tuned for more, next month. Honda Accelerates Sweeping Light Truck Makeover with New Ridgeline Pickup Set for Global Debut at the 2016 North American International Auto Show Honda will challenge conventional thinking in the midsize pickup segment with the return of the Honda Ridgeline truck, set to make its world debut at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Monday, January 11 at 1:15 p.m. EST. Designed, developed and manufactured in America, the all-new Ridgeline is the fourth new or significantly refreshed light truck model introduced by Honda in the past 18 months and will hit roads nationwide in the first half of next year. "We developed this new Honda Ridgeline to offer something new and fundamentally better suited to the way many buyers use their truck," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division. "Ridgeline will deliver everything you'd expect in a Honda from incredible packaging and fuel-efficiency to top safety technologies and innovative, segment-first features. We're honored to once again debut the Ridgeline in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show." Honda began the complete remake of its light-truck lineup in the fall of 2014 with the freshened 2015 Honda CR-V, America's best selling SUV. Earlier this year, Honda launched the all-new HR-V crossover, gateway to the Honda truck lineup, and the third generation of its popular Pilot three-row SUV.

Clarion Builds 1991 Acura NSX Review | Restored to greatness

Few automobiles garner as much mystique as the original Acura NSX. I worshiped this car from afar, consigned to the fact that the closest I was ever going to get to the steering wheel was a Playstation controller. When I got the email inviting me to drive Clarion Builds' restored and tuned 1991 NSX, I thought it was spam, a chain email with some generic header sent to a dozen or so people to garner some press coverage. Surely this wasn't a real invite where I get to drive a real NSX using my real hands and feet. Some people say don't meet your heroes. Some people are wrong. I knew the car by reputation. In roughly 10 months, Clarion Builds, a division of the Japanese electronics company mostly known for high-end audio systems, worked with partners like AEM and AutoWave to transform a '91 NSX with nearly a quarter-million miles on the clock into what you see here. Everything, from the engine to the bodywork to the leather on the seats, has been upgraded and restored with a mix of both OEM and aftermarket parts. The final product is a stunner. It's tuned, but not slammed, stanced or any other adjective that describes a car with compromised performance and questionable looks. It's simply a tastefully tuned NSX. The NSX, especially an early car with pop-up headlights, is one of the all-time great car designs. There are no unnecessary lines or curves. It's all purposeful. As expected with something with 230,000 miles, this NSX had a number of dings and dents. Clarion Builds has fixed those, replacing the hood and spoiler with carbon-fiber parts from an NSX-R. The fenders are slightly wider than stock, helping cover the staggered Rays Engineering VOLK ZE40 wheels, 18-inch up front and 19-inch out back. After seeing it in the flesh with the blue paint, black roof and bronze wheels, I don't think there is a better fit for this car. The original but tired 3.0-liter V6 and five-speed manual have been swapped for a 3.2-liter V6 and six-speed manual from a 2004 NSX. Stock, this engine is a wonderful ode to the internal combustion engine. It sings a sweet song all the way to a sky-high 8,200 rpm redline. Still, it wasn't enough. The engine now wears a Whipple-style supercharger, pushing roughly 9 psi of boost. Other modifications include a one-off carbon-fiber intake, a hand-built exhaust and a new ECU, all from AEM. All in, Clarion Builds says this NSX makes 403 horsepower and 296 pound-feet of torque at the wheels. God, it feels good to push this thing.

Honda CR-V vs. Subaru Forester Cupholder Test | King of cups

When I got our long-term Subaru Forester back from the shop to fix a mysterious source of moisture, I also happened to have a Honda CR-V Hybrid taking up temporary residence in my driveway. After testing out my large son's car seat in each to these two right-sized vehicles, I moved on to the examine their capacity for the second-most-precious cargo they could carry: beverages.  I counted eight cupholders in each of these cars, which amounts to two per outboard passenger. Two front cupholders on the center console, one in each front door, one in each rear door, and two in the center armrest that folds down in each rear row. That's not Subaru Ascent levels of beverage storage (19 cupholders!), but it should be plenty to keep a family hydrated on a short-to-medium drive. Though these two appear to be equal in quantity, let's take a closer look and see if they're equal in quality, too. I brought along a Klean Kanteen bottle that's about the same size as most other brand of metal water bottles folks carry around, a big Corkcicle 24-ounce insulated tumbler, a standard 12-ounce soda can, and a skinny, 7.5-ounce soda can that's the same width as a lot of canned energy drinks. As a bonus, I — the man known to Twitter as "that one dude with the Nalgene bottle" — brought my trusty 32-ounce Nalgene to see if it fits anywhere. Let's start with the spots we use the most. I like the placement of the CR-V's front cupholders for their easy reach, but beverages block the wireless charging pad (only available on the Touring trim and as Riswick discovered, it has issues). In the Forester they're further back, out of the way of the center stack, but a somewhat awkward angle for retrieval. Now let's fill 'em up, starting with the Honda. As expected, there's plenty of room for the cans, but perhaps too much room. They both wobble around quite a bit in there. The bottle and cup fit much more securely, but the water bottle rattles around a bit in there. The Corkcicle cup is going nowhere. In the Forester, the little rubber doodads inside the cupholder do a much better job of holding even the smaller can in place. A perfect fit! As for the reusables, the Corkcicle cup is snug, while the bottle has a little bit of wiggle room, though not quite as much as in the CR-V. OK, let's try the front door pockets. In the CR-V, the cans are a bit loose, but the purple Klean Kanteen fits as though the pocket were designed for it. The mighty Corkcicle is too big to fit securely.