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Honda launches Project Drive-In to save these American icons

Honda wasn't really a major player in the automotive industry when drive-in movie theaters were popular in the US, but the automaker is doing its best to preserve the place where automotive and cinema histories collide. Using Project Drive-In, Honda is helping bring awareness to a story we brought up last month, where we saw how a move away from 35-millimeter film could put some of the few drive-in theaters remaining in the US out of business.
As production studios switch to digital film, theaters are required to upgrade to digital projectors, which Honda says will cost about $80,000 for drive-ins. While Project Drive-In asks people to donate money to the cause or pledge to go to a drive-in theater, Honda will also be donating projectors to five of the remaining drive-ins based on votes received on its website. Scroll down to watch a short video describing Project Drive-In, and be sure to vote, pledge and even contribute to save the drive-ins.

Honda Civic Type R blitzes five iconic European circuits

European automakers habitually produce some of the best hot hatches. So it took the revival of a Japanese legend to beat them on their home turf when the Honda Civic Type R stole the front-drive lap record at the Nurburgring away from the likes of Renault and Seat. Volkswagen struck back and reclaimed the prize for Europe with the new Golf GTI Clubsport S, but rather than return to the Green Hell for another attempt, Honda took revenge on five other Grand Prix circuits across the continent. The campaign started in April at Silverstone, where three-time British Touring Car champ Matt Neal set a lap time of 2:44.45 in the wet, then returned once it was dry to beat his own time at 2:31.85. With the front-drive record at the home of the British Grand Prix now in hand, Honda moved on to Belgium, where factory driver Rob Huff tackled Spa-Francorchamps and its infamous Eau Rouge complex to set another lap record at 2:56.91. Then it was off to Monza, home of the Italian Grand Prix, where the Civic Type R – still mechanically unmodified and on road tires – set another record at 2:15.16 at the hands of World Touring Car Championship driver Norbert Michelisz. Former F1 driver Tiago Monteiro was supposed to tackle the Estoril next, until he was taken out of commission in a WTCC crash. So on short notice, the series' safety-car driver Bruno Correia stepped in and lapped the former home of the Portuguese Grand Prix in 2:04.08. The last record fell at the Hungaroring where Michelisz returned to the cockpit and set another front-drive lap record at 2:10.85 last week. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Honda Civic Type R sets new benchmarks at five legendary European race circuits - Honda announces new benchmark times set by Civic Type R at five legendary European circuits - Lap times achieved in standard production car with no mechanical modifications - Benchmarks set at Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, Estoril and Hungaroring - Stars of Honda's WTCC and BTCC squad pilot Type R throughout five circuit campaign Honda's 'race car for the road' Civic Type R has crisscrossed Europe in an effort to set new benchmarks for front wheel drive production cars at five legendary circuits across Europe.

Honda further expands Takata recall to 340k vehicles in Japan

Just days ago, Honda announced it would expand its global Takata airbag inflator recall by 4.89 million vehicles globally, though none of those were in the US. Now, the automaker has broadened the safety campaign in Japan by 340,000 units. The company's Japanese expansion includes 80,000 vehicles to replace their driver's side inflators. According to Reuters, these cars were covered under an earlier recall but weren't yet repaired. There are also 260,000 additional automobiles in the country in need of passenger side replacements. A broadened campaign is also coming for the US, but its extent isn't known yet. According to Reuters, Honda submitted the necessary documents to regulators on May 27. However, the automaker has decided to wait for National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to make the official announcement. Takata's exploding inflators are linked to six deaths and many injuries. Research indicates that exposure to moisture causes the part's propellant to ignite too quickly when the airbag is activated and can cause these ruptures. In testing on components taken from recalled vehicles, Takata found hundreds of cases of them bursting. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Tomohiro Ohsumi / Bloomberg via Getty Images Recalls Honda Safety Takata airbag recall