2006 Honda Civic Si on 2040-cars

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2023 Acura Integra A-Spec Interior Review: How it compares to Civic

For better and for worse, the 2023 Acura Integra borrows a lot from the Honda Civic. The air vents may seem like the most obvious bits, but they are in fact different: the Civic's mesh consists of hexagons whereas the Integras are diamonds. Wow, right? The little air direction nubs seem to be the same. Personally, I think the Civic's full-width application looks more special and even premium, especially given the Integra's rather blah gray dash trim, but shrug.  Otherwise, the switchgear is identical, including the steering wheel, climate controls, stalks and touchscreen(s). The two center console designs are also shared, one for CVT-equipped cars and the other for manual-equipped cars like this one, although there are a few differences I'll mention later. How much does this really matter? Ultimately, you can decide, but for now, let's do the full James Cameron and deep dive into the Integra A-Spec interior. Alright, since I've already talked about them, here are the Integra A-Spec and Civic Hatchback with six-speed manual side by side. We haven't taken a pic of the Si interior at the same angle (and Honda seems to have given up on its usual exceptional press photo packages), so just imagine more red and a shifter similar to (but not the same as!) the Integra's. And here's the vent comparison. Again, the Civic Si has red trim surrounding the hexagon mesh instead of silver. Here's that aforementioned blah gray dash trim. Those dots are textured, but in general, it lacks a certain premium appearance. The rest of the dash trim is sufficiently low sheen and padded.  Speaking of low sheen and padded, let's talk door trim. While at first glance the front and back door tops look the same, they are not. Look closer and you'll see the pattern is slightly different, which is indicative of the fact that the front doors have a soft-touch rubbery material and the back doors are rock-hard plastic. This is definitely more compact car than luxury car. This Upstairs, Downstairs theme continues ... Let's talk seats and upholstery. This is an A-Spec, which means it gains access to the optional Red interior. Yes, just literally "Red" whereas your other choices are "Ebony," "Orchid" and "Graystone." That's not the weird bit. While all seats are "Red," they do not have the same upholstery. The front seats have centers in micro-suede fabric with leatherette bolsters in red and black. Sorry, "Ebony."  The back seats are just leatherette. Weird, right?

Former NHTSA chief may lead automaker-backed Takata investigation

An automaker-led effort may see the former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration take on the probe into the Takata airbag inflator disaster. A coalition of at least ten automakers is in talks with former NHTSA administrator David Kelly, with unnamed sources familiar with the discussions telling The Wall Street Journal he is "among those we are considering to coordinate" the investigation.The Detroit News, meanwhile, is reporting he could be hired "in the coming days." Takata, the Japanese seatbelt and airbag manufacturer, has been the center of a defect scandal since last year. Takata is under fire for air bag inflators that can explode, shooting out metal and plastic pieces. At least five deaths and dozens of injuries have been linked to the problem worldwide. Earlier this year, Honda Motor Co., the automaker with the biggest exposure to the defective Takata air bags, was fined $70 million in the U.S. for not reporting to regulators some 1,729 complaints that its vehicles caused deaths and injuries, and for not reporting warranty claims. It was the largest civil penalty levied against an automaker. Should he take the role, Kelly would be at the fore of an investigation being assembled by an alliance of ten automakers, which includes the Detroit Three and Honda. Toyota first suggested a joint investigation back in December, The Journal reports. Kelly's goals, meanwhile, will be many. The Detroit News reports that questions abound regarding not only the recalled airbag inflators and the conditions that cause them to fail, but the whether the replacement units will have similar problems in the future. The automaker committee is far from the only one analyzing the airbag issue. Takata has assembled its own panel, led by former Secretary of Transportation Samuel Skinner, while NHTSA's deputy administrator, David Friedman, has brought in an outside engineering firm to investigate the inflators, The Detroit News reports. Separately, on Friday Takata Corp., the Japanese seatbelt and air-bag maker at the center of a defect scandal, is expecting more red ink for the fiscal year through March. It is projecting a 31 billion yen ($264 million) loss, worse than the previous forecast for a 25 billion yen ($214 million) loss, despite higher sales expected for the fiscal year. Ten automakers have recalled about 12 million vehicles in the U.S. and about 19 million globally for problems with the air bags.

This P-51 Mustang replica flies with a Honda Odyssey engine

The legendary WWII P-51 Mustang fighter ranks right up there with hot dogs, baseball, and apple pie. So sought after is the original Mustang that one of the 200 or so airworthy P-51s left will run you at least $1.5 million. That's why there's a thriving replica market with three-quarter-scale aircraft like this Titan T-51D Mustang. It looks every bit the part until you crack open the cowling and find not a howling Rolls-Royce Merlin V12, but the V6 from the Honda Odyssey minivan. To be precise, the Titan T-51 uses Honda's J35A6 60-degree SOHC V6. It's one version of the ubiquitous J-series engine, found in the Odyssey minivan as well as the Honda Pilot. Other variations of the Ohio-built powerplant pull duty in the Accord and several Acura models. But why a Honda V6? Titan Aircraft president John Williams says the company began production of the T-51 with a Rotax 912F four-cylinder boxer engine, but its 100-horsepower output wasn't cutting it for customers. They wanted "more power and more noise." So the search began for a lightweight, easily-packaged V6, leading first to a Suzuki 2.5-liter with 160 hp. "Our guys still wanted more power, so the next choice was either going to be a Chevy V8 or a Honda V6. The Honda is a little bit lighter and from a V6 standpoint, it's a brute. In the Honda Pilot or the Odyssey, it's rated from 240 to 250 horsepower," Williams explains. Converting the V6 to an airworthy powerplant requires minor modifications, such as swapping the stock engine control unit (ECU) for an aftermarket one. Car-specific parameters for things like anti-knock sensing and rev limiters simply don't work well in the air. "You don't want your timing retarded when you're trying to clear a tree," Williams chuckles. With a hotter Acura camshaft and exhaust modifications, the naturally aspirated Honda engine makes about 300 hp in the T-51D, Williams says. The V6 mates to a custom gearbox designed to yield a 2-to-1 reduction for the propeller. Rather than the original Mustang's crankcase oil, the Titan's nosecase uses automotive gear oil. And while the engine can obviously use regular unleaded from any gas station, it runs well on the 100-octane low-lead aviation fuel commonly found at airports. The T-51 is a kit airplane that buyers can build themselves for less than $100,000. And like most kit manufacturers, Titan offers a builder-assistance program to help with assembly.