1995 Honda Civic Del Sol S Coupe 2-door 1.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Honda has more tricks in store for next Civic Type R

While we can only admire the current Honda Civic Type R from afar, the next version is slated to make its way to American showrooms. That's not expected to happen until 2017, but our friends over at CivicX.com got a sneak peek at the engine that will provide its motivation. And it looks to be shaping up to be a real firecracker. Honda's latest 2.0-liter inline-four is slated to take its advanced design even further. Not only will it combine a turbocharger with the company's signature VTEC variable valve timing system, but closer inspection of the pictured engine reveals that it will also feature an electric actuator on the wastegate as well as a bypass valve integrated into the compressor housing. Expect the new Type R to be even faster and more potent than the current version. That's saying a lot considering that the existing Type R already packs 306 horsepower and clocked the fastest time for a front-drive car at the Nurburgring – besting the Renaults and Seats that diced it for top honors until now. It'll surely be an expensive piece of kit, though, which brings us to another potential piece of good news. This engine is tipped to make it into the lower-level Civic Si as well, albeit in a somewhat detuned state. As it is, the outgoing Civic Si packs 205 horsepower, so there's plenty of room to improve before it starts threatening even the existing Type R, let alone the more potent model to come. All of which tells us that the Si will be no slouch either, and with those features will surely prove a favorite once again in the tuner crowd. Related Video:

MotorWeek checks out two sides of the '90s Japanese car scene

MotorWeek's Retro Reviews let you feel nostalgic about a huge range of classic cars, and the latest two releases offer a look at two very different sides of the Japanese car market in the 1990s. The video above shows off tuned examples of the Mazda RX-7 and Nissan 300ZX. Check out the clip below to remember the 1997 Honda CR-V, if you want to reminisce about something a little more utilitarian. The RX-7 and 300ZX were among the era's best Japanese sports cars, and these examples' suspension and engine overhauls gave them an extra boost. Peter Farrel Supercars tunes the Mazda, and the vibrant yellow paint and body kit make it look ready for an episode of Initial D. The updated powertrain stands up to the mean styling and gets the RX-7 to 60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds. The Stillen 300ZX GTZ sports a giant wing, and new turbos take the output to 465 hp. It sprints to 60 in 4.9 seconds. The CR-V sits on the opposite end of the automotive spectrum as the tuned RX-7 and 300ZX, but it's even more important in a historical sense. The Honda (along with the Toyota RAV4 and others) was among the progenitors of today's mega-popular compact crossovers. These early examples set the foundation for offering buyers a utilitarian vehicle in a comfortable package with good fuel economy at an affordable price. The CR-V had some quirky charm, too, like the removable picnic table hidden in the cargo floor. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Honda profit targets tumble in wake of Takata scandal

Takata's massive airbag inflator recall will likely do some damage to Honda's bottom line this year, according to the Japanese automaker's latest forecasts. The company will allocate 50 billion yen ($425 million) to fulfill costs related to the safety campaigns, Reuters indicates. The decision will reduce estimated operating profit by about 6.5 percent to 720 billion yen ($6.1 billion US) for the fiscal year ending March 31. In addition to lower profits, Honda also cut back its sales estimate for the year to 4.45 million vehicles from the previous 4.62 million, according to Reuters. This was largely due to lower-than-expected demand in Japan. "We are not seeing a big impact on sales in North America from the airbag issue," company vice president Tetsuo Iwamura (pictured above) told Reuters. The decreased forecasts come at the same time as the possibility of another death in a Honda vehicle from the Takata parts. According to Automotive News, a man in Florida died in a crash in his 2002 Accord, but investigators have not yet determined whether the inflator was the cause. However, the vehicle was included in a 2011 recall for the part and was not repaired. The family intends to file a lawsuit alleging the inflator ruptured, spraying metal shrapnel into the driver's neck. Reportedly, the owner was never notified of the recall. While the Takata inflator recall is affecting many companies with alleged links to at least five deaths and 139 injuries worldwide, Honda has it among the worst. Including vehicles covered under the previous regional repair campaign for the issue, the automaker needs to repair roughly 5.4 million vehicles just in the US. Honda has taken action by employing suppliers other than Takata to supply some of its replacement parts for the recall. The business is also reportedly switching airbag suppliers for the next-gen Accord and possibly the 2016 CR-V and Odyssey.