2005 Honda Accord Ex Sedan 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Honda rolls out various oddities for 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon

On January 9 the doors at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba will open for the 2015 Tokyo Auto Salon. and you know what that means, boys and girls: that's right, all sorts of strange mod jobs. Not to be confused with the Tokyo Motor Show that's Japan's main automotive expo, the Tokyo Auto Salon is the Nipponese equivalent of SEMA. Honda is among the first to announce its lineup for the show, and, well... let's just say they're not all hideous and leave it at that. The H brand has got a whole array of customized machinery in store for the tuner expo, starting with the new N-Box Slash that just went on sale in Japan as the company's latest Kei car. One version of the tall wagon on the tiny wheelbase is obviously inspired by America, or at least a Japanese impression of what American car culture is like: it's decked out in red with racing stripes, flame graphics, a highway road sign and strange checkerboard wheels. Another N-Box Slash dubbed the Cyber Code:89 concept looks like something from anime, all decked out in futuristic graphics and glowing lights. A third example is rather more tastefully done up in teal with yellow accents. Of course Honda hasn't put all its eggs in the Slash basket, turning its attention as it has to other models in the JDM lineup. There's a retro N-One concept with a low-key grey and white exterior but with a zany multicolor interior, a tasteful white N-WGN with Modulo accessories, an Odyssey Absolute 20th Anniversary edition minivan, a take on the NM4 cruiser bike that'd look right at home in Akira and – one of our favorites from the lot – a Mugen take on the Honda Legend that we know as the Acura RLX. Whether your plans will take you to Tokyo for the show or not, you can scope 'em all out in the high-res image gallery for a closer look.

Honda reveals more with Civic Type R concept bound for Paris

The reveal of the next-generation Honda Civic Type R has been a gradual one. First Honda showed us a camouflaged prototype, then let us drive one at its Japanese proving ground and followed up with a concept at the Geneva Motor Show. Now with the Paris Motor Show looming on the horizon, it has revealed yet another concept to keep hot-hatch enthusiasts on their toes.
The second Civic Type R concept appears almost identical to the first one - right down to the aggressive aero kit, quad exhaust tips, oversized wheels and ultra-low-profile rubber - but wears a new coat of Superman blue with go-fast decals. With its release, however, Honda has confirmed some of the salient details set for the production version.
In the nose sits a 2.0-liter turbo four with 276 horsepower and a 7,000-rpm redline, mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Adaptive dampers and a "steer axis" system promise to keep the power under control, while a push of the +R button tightens up the suspension, steering and torque mapping.

Honda CR-Z refresh coming this fall

Despite moving just 1,562 of them through July 2015 with sales down 33.7 percent, the Honda CR-Z is somehow still kicking in the US lineup. Honda isn't ready to give up and is even announcing a refresh for the hybrid hatchback in hopes of giving the little car a jolt. Before you get too excited, the powertrain remains unaltered for the update with the same 1.5-liter four-cylinder and IMA hybrid system making 130 horsepower. The refresh arrives in Japan in October, and according to Automotive News, the improvements arrive in the US in November. The styling sees the biggest change of the revisions. Up front, the lower air dam now slices through the grille and leads right to the foglights. A similar addition is found on the rear, as well. The brake discs grow to 15-inches, an inch larger than before. Japan gets LED headlights too, but they reportedly aren't coming here to keep prices down. To match the revised exterior, there are tech tweaks inside. An upgraded infotainment system that adds both noise cancelation and an engine sound amplifier to make those 130 ponies at least sound sporty. Another tiny change is the switch to an an electric parking brake and the addition of a center armrest. Rumors suggest Honda is considering whether to dump the hybrid in favor of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in the next-gen CR-Z. However, chief engineer Terukazu Torikai disagrees. When asked about the possibility of a non-electrified model, he told Automotive News, "There are no plans for that whatsoever."