Honda Accord on 2040-cars

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2016 Honda Civic Coupe spied inside and out

Honda may be prepared to unveil the 2016 Civic Coupe on Sept. 16, but that doesn't mean work is done on the eagerly anticipated new fastback. Honda is continuing testing, as evidenced by this latest round of photos, which even gives us a glimpse of the cabin. As we can see, the exterior's shape has been toned down compared to the concept shown earlier this year in New York City, although the overall fastback rear end, high beltline, and generally aggressive styling is still present. Closer details, particularly around the front fascia, are harder to discern owing to the camouflage. The last-generation Civic did things very wrong. It went budget at a time when compact consumers demanded more premium features, options, and materials. Things were so bad that Honda had to rush a lackluster refresh to market. But with the new Civic, it finally looks like the Japanese brand is on its A-game. While plastic appears to still be the dominant material, the quality on display looks like it's been elevated substantially. The steering wheel is small, relatively sporting, and wrapped in black leather, while the beige leather seats look to have a modest dose of bolstering. The switch gear looks good, almost like it's been plucked from a higher-end model, like the Pilot, while our spies report that there will be a better array of optional extras, including stuff that's shown up as part of the Honda sensing suite of technology. Check out the spy images at the top of the page, and be sure to head back here on Sept. 16 for the Civic's official unveiling. Related Video:

Honda shines the spotlight on Project Drive-In success

Project Drive-In, a Honda-sponsored campaign to save drive-in theaters across the country, is beginning to bear fruit, as the first theaters have been informed that they'll be getting free digital projectors. Many theaters still use 35-millimeter film, which is being phased out rather aggressively in the movie industry. The move to digital, meanwhile, requires nearly a six-figure investment, forcing many drive-ins to close up shop for good.
The first phase of the campaign saw the public vote for their favorite drive-in, with the top five getting a free digital projector, courtesy of Honda. There's some touching reaction videos of the owners being informed that they'd won down below. The next phase in the program takes place on Indiegogo, where Project Drive-In is trying to raise $100,000 for the drive-in that's gotten the next highest number of votes. If the Indiegogo campaign reaches that figure before its expiration on October 7, it'll make the donation and reset the meter to save another theater.
Take a look down below for the video from Honda on Project Drive-In, and then do yourselves a favor, and head over to the Project Drive-In Indiegogo campaign, and make a donation.

Takata airbag recalls add another 5 million vehicles

The Takata airbag inflator recall expanded by about 6.5 million vehicles recently when Toyota and Nissan announced global expansions to replace the faulty parts. You can add another 5 million more as Honda and Daihatsu also broaden their replacement campaigns. Although in this latest case, none of the affected models are in the United States or Canada. Honda is recalling 4.89 million more vehicles globally, and Daihatsu has about 260,000 to repair in Japan, according to Automotive News. With these latest expansions, all of the affected automakers have needed to fix about 36 million vehicles globally for these faulty airbags since 2008. Some of the first instances of these problems were found in an Isuzu campaign in 2001. This latest round of recalls was sparked by a study from Takata that found the inflators' propellant could be affected by moisture over time. While the automakers received this information in March, it took time to determine the number of vehicles in need of repair and where they were located, according to Automotive News. To make sure all of the affected vehicles in the US are repaired in a timely fashion, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is reportedly considering a strategy to force things to speed up. Honda and Toyota are already using outside suppliers for the parts they need. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Shizuo Kambayashi / AP Photo Recalls Honda Daihatsu Safety Takata airbag recall