Ivory Four Door Honda Civic on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Honda working on mid-engine sports car?

The NSX and new Civic Type R might not be the end of Honda's performance push. Patent images obtained by Autovisie in the Netherlands show the Japanese brand's possible design for another mid-engine sports car with what looks to be a removable top. According to Autovisie, the patent was registered on May 27 and was just released. However, nothing else official is known about the vehicle at this time. We can think of several possibilities as to what this might be. Honda is reportedly already working on the design for a future NSX convertible, although these images show significant changes to the overall shape compared to the coupe, which makes this possibility dubious. The automaker is also considering a performance model to slot below its halo car in the future, but without any scale, the size is hard to judge here. The S660 coming to North America is rumored as well, and maybe these shots are a redesign. Of course, the company's designers might just be toying around and patenting the shape for something else. This design definitely has a familial resemblance with the NSX and S660, and it looks great. Let us know in Comments what you think the vehicle might be.

Honda bringing Civic hatchback concept to Geneva

Honda will give us another taste of things to come for the Civic next month at the Geneva Motor Show where the Japanese automaker will unveil a new hatchback concept. Following the Civic sedan revealed last September and the Civic Coupe unveiled in LA, the concept will preview the hatch's stubby liftgate. The five-door has traditionally been reserved for markets overseas, but the manufacturer confirms that "the car will be exported to global markets, including the US." As you can see from this teaser rendering, the hatchback will incorporate a similar taillight design to the versions we've already seen. The rear end will also feature a pair of tailpipes mounted side by side at the center, and what look to be some rather large vents in the rear bumper. The trailing edge of the roof appears to incorporate some aerodynamic elements to it as well. Of course this is just a sketch for a prototype, so the finished product will end up looking a little different once it reaches production early next year. Alongside the Civic hatch, Honda will also display the Clarity Fuel Cell Vehicle for the first time in Europe. The new NSX will also be on hand at the Geneva Motor Show, as will a customized Jazz/Fit concept dubbed Keenlight, and the new CRF1000L Africa Twin motorcycle. HONDA CIVIC HATCHBACK PROTOTYPE SET FOR WORLDWIDE DEBUT AT THE 2016 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW - Global premiere of Civic Hatchback Prototype redefines Honda's core European model - Clarity Fuel Cell to make European debut - European customer deliveries of NSX to start in 2016 - New Jazz concept turns on the style Honda is set to unveil the next step in the renewal of its European car range at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, including the global premiere of the Civic Hatchback Prototype. Civic Hatchback Prototype The Civic Hatchback Prototype receives its global premiere at Geneva Motor Show, previewing the exterior design of the all-new hatchback model, scheduled for a European launch in early 2017. Produced at Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM), the car will be exported to global markets, including the US. Clarity Fuel Cell The Clarity Fuel Cell will make its European debut at Geneva, following its global unveil at Tokyo motor show in October last year. Clarity Fuel Cell is the world's first production fuel cell saloon to house the entire fuel cell powertrain under the bonnet.

China's largest dealer body pushes back against foreign automakers over huge inventories

Do not think for a second that automakers forcing inventory on dealers in order to pad the numbers is a ruse known only in the US. Stories of individual brands have hinted at the trouble Chinese dealerships are having trying to move units as the country's economic growth remains hot but comes off the boil, like the one revealing that 95 percent of Toyota-FAW showrooms are losing money. Yet Toyota isn't the only culprit, and the issue has become so dire that the China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA), the largest dealer body in the country, has written to the government to complain. Chinese car sales are expected to close out the year with an annualized growth of six-percent, down from last year's 14 percent when targets were set, while in the background the pace of overall economic expansion is the slowest its been since the early nineties. Automakers, shipping cars on schedule to make their earlier targets, have blown up inventories such that they are an average of 1.8 times monthly sales, when the preferred multiplier is from 0.9 to 1.2. According to the CADA, the price wars and necessary incentives mean that only 30 percent of dealers are operating in the black. That number is down a whopping forty percent since 2010. In response, Toyota has already said it will not make its 2014 target of 1.1 million cars sold. We're a long way from 2012, when Toyota planned on selling 1.8 million cars in China in 2015, a target that's now as realistic as a manticore. BMW, Honda and Nissan have erased numbers on their spreadsheets, too; BMW growth dropped from 20 percent to 8 percent midyear after it began "reducing wholesale supplies," and Honda has been reworking its plans as sales have decreased each of the past six months. It's a big deal for Chinese dealers to begin protesting publicly, the CADA saying, "In the past, dealers were angry, but dared not speak out. But now, they have to shout because the situation is getting so unbearable." With six-percent growth forecast for next year and dealers unwilling to remain underwater, The Year of the Sheep coming in 2015 could portend meaning beyond the zodiac. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong BMW Honda Nissan Toyota Car Buying Car Dealers