1997 Honda Civic Dx Sedan 4-door 1.6l on 2040-cars

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This is what Honda's new F1 engine will sound like

It appears that not even the legendary pairing of McLaren and Honda can produce a 2015-regulation Formula One engine that sounds as good as the current V8s. Much like Mercedes-AMG Petronas, McLaren Honda have released a clip of their turbocharged, 1.6-liter V6 ahead of next season, and well, at least to our ears, it's not the sweetest of singers.
We've reported on concerns that the new engines wouldn't sound "right," after years of the high-revving V8s and V10s. The more we're hearing of these new engines, the more reasonable those worries seem. That said, we'll need to wait until we really hear these cars driven in anger to render a final verdict.
Scroll down to view the official press release from Honda and to hear what the future McLaren Honda will sound like when it hits the grid in 2015. For comparison, we've also included some on-board footage of Jenson Button's McLaren's V8 from last season.

4.5 million Hondas, Acuras are being recalled worldwide to fix a fuel pump defect

Honda is recalling more than 4.5 million cars worldwide because of a fuel pump problem that could lead to engine failure or stalling in traffic, which could cause an accident. The recall includes 2.54 million vehicles in the United States. The automaker had previously recalled 628,000 U.S. vehicles in 2021 and 136,000 in 2020 for the same issue. Honda issued recalls over the same issue earlier this month in China and Japan. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall documents say the impellers inside fuel pumps of 2017-2020 Hondas and Acuras were improperly made, meaning they “can deform and interfere with the fuel pump body” over time. This could prevent the engine from starting, or can cause a stall while driving, which depending on the situation in traffic, could be dangerous. Fortunately, Honda says it hasn't received any reports of crashes or injuries. To remedy the problem, Honda will replace the in-tank fuel pumps, at no cost to owners, in the entire U.S. recall population of 2,539,902 vehicles, though the defect may be present in only 1 percent of those cars. Because of the size of the recall, repairs will be done in phases, with first owners receiving notification letters in February. Dealer notifications began this week. “Countermeasure replacement parts are not available in sufficient quantities for all recalled vehicles at the time of this announcement, and American Honda intends to notify vehicle owners in stages," Honda wrote. Meanwhile, owners wishing to confirm that their vehicle is included can enter their VIN at the NHTSA recall site or at American Honda's and Acura's recall platforms.  NHTSA's campaign number for the recall is 23V858000. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. Owners may also contact Honda customer service by phone: 1-888-234-2138.

2016 Honda Pilot packs more of everything

Honda has come a long way over the course of its history, evolving from motorcycles to automobiles, marine engines, power equipment, robots and even jet aircraft. But its biggest push over the past couple of decades has been in crossovers and SUVs. From the Passport that was rebadged from the Isuzu Rodeo in the early 90s, Honda's high-riding lineup has expanded to include the CR-V, the smaller HR-V, the oddball Crosstour, the soon-to-be-updated Ridgeline pickup, a smattering of luxury crossovers from Acura, and this, the biggest of them all, the Pilot. And Honda has just revealed an all-new version here at the Chicago Auto Show. Now in its third generation, the all-new 2016 Honda Pilot is, like its predecessors, a three-row family-hauler. Compared to the decidedly boxy model it replaces, the new Pilot is certainly more dynamically styled to more closely match the latest crossovers in the Honda lineup, but it may start to resemble the Odyssey minivan (with which it shares its underpinnings) too closely for some tastes. The new Pilot is three inches longer than the model it replaces, primarily to the benefit of cargo space: Honda says you can now fit a full-size 82-quart cooler in the back without infringing on the third row of seats – ingress and egress from which are now enabled by a power folding second row that opens a wider aperture to the back to more easily fit in all eight passengers. (That is, unless you go for the available second-row bucket seats that reduce capacity to seven.) Interior amenities are increased all around, with a proliferation of power outlets and connectivity ports and an available panoramic roof. Despite the growth, though, the new Pilot is 300 pounds lighter than the model it replaces. It is also built on a more solid platform, to the benefit of handling, crashworthiness and NVH insulation. Of course the new Pilot benefits from all the latest safety and driver-assist systems, and Honda anticipates top ratings from both the National Highway Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Power comes from a 3.5-liter V6 with all the tricks in the book (short of a hybrid assist) to make it as economical as possible. The i-VTEC engine has direct injection, cylinder deactivation, stop/start ignition and an automatic transmission with either six or (for the first time from Honda) nine speeds, depending on the trim level. Buyers will also be able to choose between front- or all-wheel drive.