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SEMA Honda Civic show cars prove the model's continuing tuner appeal

Anyone familiar with the import tuning scene knows that the Honda Civic has been a staple for decades, and Honda's display at the 2016 SEMA show shows its potential to continue the tuning legacy. The company tapped three outside companies to create custom Civic models, and also showed its own work. First up is a bright yellow Civic Coupe from perennial SEMA show builder, TJIN Edition. In addition to giving it a name that will give editors nightmares, TJIN gave the Civic modifications to its appearance and handling with the goal of making it the "ultimate street cruiser." Up front is a front lip spoiler from Apollo Top One Auto Part, and the side skirts and rear bumper are Honda Factory Performance accessories. The car is lowered on BC Racing BR Series coilover suspension, and sits atop Rotiform OZT wheels. For stopping, the Civic uses Baer brakes. The yellow color scheme is also carried inside with Katzkin leather and suede seats. MAD Industries took a similar tack to TJIN Edition in focusing on handling and appearance. The company gave it carbon fiber ground effects from Carbon 2 Carbon, along with some special touches such as a single, center-exit exhaust out the rear bumper. The car also features Eibach Pro Kit springs and Toyo T1R tires wrapped around Rotiform QLB wheels. Inside, black leather and suede seats get blue stitching, and various parts of the dashboard received a splash of blue as well. Meguiar's Civic X Concept was apparently inspired by '90s tuner cars. The company lowered its 2016 Civic sedan on a coilover suspension and gave it some classic SSR mesh wheels. The hood has been replaced with a carbon fiber version, and black accents on the mirrors and door handles complement it. The interior is finished in red and black Alcantara, and gets an upgraded sound system with multiple amplifiers and subwoofers. Some modifications by Greddy have been made under the hood as well, but no details were given. We do spot a front-mounted intercooler, so we imagine this Civic is a bit more potent than the standard turbo model. Honda also showed a race-prepped version of the Civic Coupe that will be eligible for racing in America and around the world. Among the modifications done to it are an FIA-certified roll cage and an absolutely enormous wing. The car will make its racing debut at this year's 25 Hours of Thunderhill in December.

2016 Honda HR-V: Long-Term Introduction

From the moment we first drove Honda's new HR-V, it was clear that this car would be a hit in the now-booming small crossover segment. Through October of this year, Honda moved 33,727 examples of its new HR-V, and last month alone, the CUV outsold its platform-mate Fit nearly three-and-a-half times over. Considering its importance not only for the segment, but for Honda as a brand, we knew a longer test of the cute little HR-V was in order. Enter our latest addition to the Autoblog long-term fleet, a mid-level HR-V EX with all-wheel drive. We chose EX because it's the volume model, representing the majority of the cars out on the road. Even so, it's incredibly well-equipped with 17-inch wheels, heated seats, a seven-inch infotainment system (that lacks navigation on this model), tinted windows, a sunroof, foglamps, a standard array of tech features, Honda's Lane Watch camera system, and more. Adding all-wheel drive was a no-brainer, considering Autoblog's headquarters in snowy metro Detroit, though this meant being forced to live with the continuously variable transmission. (Front-wheel-drive HR-Vs can be had with a pleasant six-speed manual.) Our car features the light cloth interior, and we'll be interested to see how it holds up over the course of a year. All in, the Alabaster Silver Metallic car you see here stickers for $24,115. All in, the Alabaster Silver Metallic car you see here stickers for $24,115, including $900 for destination. That means the HR-V is the least-expensive car we've ever had in the long-term fleet. Every HR-V comes with one powertrain: a 1.8-liter, naturally-aspirated inline-four, good for 141 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque. That's adequate considering the 3,094-pound curb weight, and allows the HR-V to return EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings of 27 miles per gallon city and 32 mpg highway. Our car arrived with only 130 miles on the odometer, so we're going to let the engine fully break in before we start tracking our observed fuel economy data. That said, the HR-V has been a hot commodity in the Autoblog fleet ever since its arrival. In its first week on the job alone, the Honda handled a road trip to northern Michigan and helped one of our staffers move. (The Magic Seats and 55.9 cubic-feet of cargo space are fantastic, by the way – more on that in a future update.) "Control layout is a lot simpler than other recent Hondas.

Honda trademarks ZSX, could be for baby NSX

While there have been many rumors dating back to 2008 about a mid-engined sports car from Honda, last year's report was provided the most detail about what seemed to be a scaled-down version of the NSX hybrid supercar. Honda may have added some fuel to the rumor-fire by recently filing a trademark application for "ZSX," reports Australia's Performance Drive. The trademark application was sent to the European Union Intellectual Property Office late last month and is obviously close to the NSX nomenclature. The Australian outlet also reports that an unnamed source within Honda claims the ZSX, whatever it may be, could be revealed as early as next year. The anonymous employee also claims that the ZSX will be offered as a coupe and a hard-top convertible variant, with both being powered by the automaker's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the Honda Civic Type R. Just like the NSX, the ZSX is rumored to get electric motors on the front and rear axles. Previous reports match the unnamed source's claims, as the ZSX was expected to be a replacement for the Honda S2000 that ended production in 2009. It now sounds like it'll be more of a mini-NSX, with rumors pointing towards one electric motor powering the rear wheels, while two motors would be on the front axle. Patents from last year, which are pictured above, match the rumors of a mid-engined sports car. The ZSX trademark is for Europe only as of right now, while the automaker's previous patents and trademarks included the US, as well. Only time will tell if "ZSX" really stands for a sports car, or if Honda actually goes through with its plans. Remember, Nissan ditched similar plans for a small rear-wheel-drive sports car recently. Related Video: Featured Gallery Honda ZSX Patent News Source: EUIPO, Performance DriveImage Credit: autovisie Green Acura Honda Coupe Hybrid Performance trademark rumor honda nsx