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2017 Honda Civic Si fills the performance gap between Sport and Type R

Yes, North America will finally get the hyper hot Civic Type R. But that doesn't mean Honda has dismissed the Si from duty. On the contrary, the Civic Si is back, and the Prototype coupe that's debuting at the Los Angeles Auto Show looks better than ever. Honda's senior VP and general manager Jeff Conrad says, "This will be, hands down, the fastest, best-handling Si we've ever offered to our customers." To do this, Honda has equipped the Si with a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder. The company didn't reveal output, but considering Conrad's statement, it's probably be safe to say it will make somewhere between 205 horsepower (the output of the previous Si) and 306 horsepower (the output of the previous Type R). That engine will send power through a six-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential. Also part of the Si package will be active steering and dampers, plus a high-performance tire option. View 16 Photos Honda made sure to upgrade the Civic Si's looks to match the performance, but not to the extremes of the Type R. The body appears to have the same overall width of the standard coupe, and it gets the front bumper and black grille from the hatchback along with a revised rear bumper. The front bumper gets a splitter, and the tail gets a wing. One of the most distinctive styling elements is the center-exit exhaust, which features a single hexagonal tip. Of course, both ends of the car get red Si badges, and the whole thing rides on 19-inch wheels. Surprisingly absent, though, are Honda's traditional "i-VTEC" stickers along the sides, which have appeared on Civic Sis since at least the 1999 model. The interior also gets a sporty treatment, and that apparently involves a healthy application of the color red. The floor mats, contrast stitching, instrument panel, and infotainment system are all finished in the hue. The seats are Si-exclusive, and feature the Si logo stitched into the seatbacks. Drivers will shift with an aluminum ball-shaped knob, and dance on aluminum pedals. There's a "sport" button next to the shifter, which we can guess probably sharpens up the shocks and steering. Honda says this prototype interior "closely previews" the final production version. Though Honda only showed a coupe version of the Si, the company will offer a sedan version for people who need the added practicality. There's so far been no mention of a hatchback version. Honda only provided a rough release window of next year and hasn't give any pricing.

Honda S660 proving popular with middle-age Japanese buyers

The S660 roadster has been a success so far for Honda. (At least, that is, insofar as a niche-market sports car limited to the Japanese Domestic Market can be considered a big seller.) It just hasn't resonated with the customers that the company expected. Honda revealed the S660 in concept form at the Tokyo Motor Show nearly two years ago, and subsequently put it into production. The convertible Kei car pays homage to models like the S500, S2000, and Beat. It packs a tiny 660cc three-cylinder engine mounted amidships and driving the rear wheels. Despite its connection to past models, the S660 features an entirely modern design that, along with its low price, was expected to appeal to younger buyers. But while Honda has already sold out all 8,600 examples it's slated to build this year, a surprising 80 percent of them have been snapped up by customers over the age of 40 who are mostly buying them as second cars. The development is not entirely isolated. As Bloomberg points out, the number of licensed drivers in Japan "under the age of 40 has fallen 46 percent over the last 13 years." Those are rather startling numbers that dwindle the market down for youth-oriented vehicles like the S660. Honda is expected to begin taking orders for next year's allocation of S660s in October. At that point, the company anticipates the average age of its customer base will drop. But with fewer young drivers on the road in Japan, it shouldn't expect it to drop by much.

Leno meets the nicest people on his bored-out Honda CB750

Jay Leno's Garage is back to its tried-and-true formula this week with Jay taking a close look at a seriously cool vehicle with a guest. This time he invites in Adam Gaspic from Gasser Custom to take a look at a highly customized 1975 Honda CB750.
The bike is really an amalgam of styles from different eras and various Honda parts. Its looks are inspired by '50s hot rods with its white-wall tires and satin, metallic fuel tank, but there is a little British café racer in there, as well. A digital instrument panel and LED turn signals lend an air of modernity to it, too. Mechanically, the bike rides on a modified '75 frame with the front and rear suspension from an '80s Honda. However, the pièce de résistance is its engine, bored out to 836cc with additional head work and a custom exhaust.
Once on the road, the bike really sings. It sounds just the way a classic Japanese motorcycle should with a mix of whine at high-revs with rumble down low. A cycle that mixes this many styles should probably be a mess, but this fuses it all together perfectly. Scroll down to take a look at this motorcycle mixing classic and modern in Jay Leno's Garage.