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The new Honda Ridgeline will debut in Detroit

Hey, remember the Ridgeline? Honda's unibody midsize truck is coming back, and you'll see it at the Detroit Auto Show next month. I actually already saw it at a private event, but I can't tell you anything about it. Let's just say that this is one debut you won't want to miss at NAIAS in January. There's not much to go on with regard to the accompanying teaser image and press release (below). All I can say is that it's a truck, it's a Honda, and it's called Ridgeline. Expect it to offer all the usual Honda interior packaging magic, as well as a ton of onboard tech and safety equipment. The midsize truck segment is booming right now. General Motors launched the new Colorado and Canyon twins, Toyota is now selling the updated Tacoma, and now Honda's getting back into the game with a similarly sized truck. But given its unibody construction, I'm interested to see how the Ridgeline will stack up against its literally tough competition. Stay tuned for more, next month. Honda Accelerates Sweeping Light Truck Makeover with New Ridgeline Pickup Set for Global Debut at the 2016 North American International Auto Show Honda will challenge conventional thinking in the midsize pickup segment with the return of the Honda Ridgeline truck, set to make its world debut at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Monday, January 11 at 1:15 p.m. EST. Designed, developed and manufactured in America, the all-new Ridgeline is the fourth new or significantly refreshed light truck model introduced by Honda in the past 18 months and will hit roads nationwide in the first half of next year. "We developed this new Honda Ridgeline to offer something new and fundamentally better suited to the way many buyers use their truck," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division. "Ridgeline will deliver everything you'd expect in a Honda from incredible packaging and fuel-efficiency to top safety technologies and innovative, segment-first features. We're honored to once again debut the Ridgeline in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show." Honda began the complete remake of its light-truck lineup in the fall of 2014 with the freshened 2015 Honda CR-V, America's best selling SUV. Earlier this year, Honda launched the all-new HR-V crossover, gateway to the Honda truck lineup, and the third generation of its popular Pilot three-row SUV.

This three-cylinder Honda is faster than a Bugatti Veyron

Honda's S660 roadster, a tiny Japanese sports car that makes a Mazda MX-5 Miata look large, is powered by a three-cylinder engine that puts out 63 horsepower. As you might imagine, it's not very fast. Stick that engine into a vehicle that closely resembles the HondaJet, though, and it sets a new FIA class record of 261.875 miles per hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats. While the S-Dream Streamliner's three-cylinder, 600-cc engine is similar to the one found in the S660, it has been heavily modified to produce what Honda claims is three times the original amount of power. A Veyron-beating top speed from roughly 190 hp is still plenty impressive. The record car topped out at 266 mph at one point, but it didn't match that speed on the return run. The team of 16 Japanese Honda engineers, who were chosen from a pool of 100 volunteers, set a new FIA World Record for a vehicle in the class – Category-A Group-1 Class-4 – and even bested Honda's previous land speed record at Bonneville, set by the Honda Racing F1 team in 2006. The V10-powered F1 car averaged 248.548 mph. The aerodynamic vehicle was piloted by Japanese motorcycle rider Hikaru Miyagi, who can now claim having driven the fastest Honda car ever. The company still has some way to go, though, before one of its land vehicles surpasses the HondaJet, which can travel at approximately 485 mph. Related Video: Featured Gallery Honda S-Dream Streamliner News Source: HondaImage Credit: Honda Honda Lightweight Vehicles Racing Vehicles Special and Limited Editions fia world record bonneville salt flats honda s660

Japan's government gives hydrogen vehicles a big boost

The Japanese government is really paving the way for hydrogen fuel cell technology on its roads. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry is changing regulations on fuel tanks to make hydrogen cars more appealing to drivers, which should help put the country ahead of others in the race to develop a viable H2 fleet. Japan is raising the allowed pressure of hydrogen tanks from 700 atmospheres to 875, which has the effect of increasing driving range by 20 percent. This move puts the country in line with others with high-pressure fueling regulations. Japan is also in talks with the United Nations and the European Union to streamline inspection rules to make it easier to export Japan's fuel-cell vehicles. Toyota premiered its hydrogen-powered FCV Concept at the Tokyo Motor Show last year and plans to release a production version as early as next year. Honda also plans to build its own fuel-cell cars for 2015, and it debuted its FCEV Concept at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show. Nissan is sending mixed messages on hydrogen, both questioning the availability of a refueling infrastructure and working on developing the vehicles. In Japan, a relatively small country, increasing the range of fuel-cell vehicles makes creating a usable infrastructure a bit less daunting. Will hydrogen-fueled electric cars see the same sort of success as Toyota's Prius hybrid or battery-powered EVs? Only time will tell, but we can keep our fingers crossed that it will, and that the popularity spills over beyond Asia. Featured Gallery Toyota FCV (Fuel Cell Vehicle) Hydrogen Concept View 24 Photos News Source: Nikkei via Green Car Reports Government/Legal Green Honda Toyota Hydrogen Cars charging station infrastructure fcev fcv