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We drive Honda's turbo/manual Civic prototype (briefly)

You could almost hear it. There was a furor. And it all had to do with a transmission. On September 16, Honda showed the all-new, tenth-generation Civic. Fitted with a turbocharged engine for the first time, enthusiasts were excited. Until they realized the new 1.5-liter Earth Dreams four-cylinder turbo would only be offered with a continuously variable transmission, something that elicits a passionate, all-consuming, and utterly unquenchable hatred among (most) enthusiasts. Honda was listening. On the recent Civic Coupe launch, the company confirmed to us that a manual transmission will soon be offered on turbocharged Civics, regardless of body style. And then we drove a prototype. Now, let's be very clear, the car we drove was an early test vehicle. It was camouflaged, cobbled together – it was born with a turbo and an automatic before Honda's engineers got their hands on it – and to cap it all off, we got approximately five minutes of seat time. We couldn't even shoot the darn thing, which is why you're looking at one really bad iPhone picture up top. But five minutes is better than nothing at all, right? View 40 Photos The 1.5T and six-speed manual are a natural fit, simply because they're both already so good on their own. Our immediate impression is that even though this is an early development vehicle, fitting the 1.5-liter turbo with a manual transmission is a natural pairing. This is largely because the engine and transmission are so good on their own. We've raved about the turbocharged four-cylinder and its ultra-broad torque peak before – all 162 pound-feet of torque are on tap between 1,700 and 5,500 rpm – but the six-speed stick is no slouch either. Normally paired with the 2.0-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder, the clutch's action is light and springy, and finding the catch point is easy. And the shift lever, in typical Honda fashion, has a smooth, enjoyable action and easy-to-access gates. Putting the turbo and manual together doesn't transform a normal Civic into an Si or Type R, but it automatically (sorry) makes for a more engaging and entertaining compact sedan. Because of the broad torque curve, more speed is just a single-gear downshift away. And that downshift is downright easy to kick out, too. Simply put, the turbocharged engine feels more urgent and eager, especially off the line, with the manual.

A 1903 Harley is worth how much? Hagerty adds bikes to price guide

Whenever the big auctions begin in places like Monterey, it's hardly a surprise to hear about classic Ferraris or other exotics crossing the block for a few million dollars. But, the record sale price last year for the "Captain America" bike from Easy Rider is just a small sign that there's a growing market to own a piece of motorcycle history, as well. To answer this demand, vehicle insurance and valuation company Hagerty is now including vintage bikes in its price guide. The most expensive cycle there is a 1903 Harley-Davidson Single with a value pegged at an eye-watering $15 million for an example in No. 1 condition. You don't need to be a multi-millionaire to buy a vintage bike, though. If there's an old cycle you're eyeing or there's one already in the garage, you can check what Hagerty thinks it's worth on the company's website, now. The database includes 61 motorcycle makers and 9,200 models from 1894-1996. The pages also have a ton of useful details, including a price history for four conditions. According to Hagerty, the market for classic bikes is up over 50 percent since 2010, and more of them are showing up at auction, as well. The vintage cycles with the biggest demand are Harley-Davidson FLHs from the '60s and '70s. Hagerty Launches Motorcycle Valuation Tools Motorcycle Market Demand Drives Creation of Database Covering Everything from $15 Million Harley-Davidsons to $1,500 Yamahas TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN (October 14, 2015) —Hagerty, the world leader in collector vehicle insurance and valuation tools, is pleased to announce the Hagerty Price Guide now includes motorcycles. The motorcycle guide, published on the Hagerty Valuations Tools website, includes 61 makes, 9,200 individual motorcycles built from 1894 -1996, and pricing for four conditions. Like its vehicle car and truck valuation guides, Hagerty's comprehensive motorcycle guide features model histories, images, current and historic pricing, and recent auction sales. "Motorcycles are one of the fastest growing segments in the collectible vehicle market," said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty. "The recent interest is inspiring enthusiasts to pull their bikes out of long-term storage to enjoy again and share with the next generation.

Glickenhaus's SCG 003 to pack twin-turbo Honda V6?

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus has made (or commissioned) two vehicles to date - the P4/5 and the P4/5 Competizione - and is now hard at work on its third. The first was based on the Ferrari Enzo and the second on a Ferrari F430, but the third is being developed independently from the ground up. The question, then, is what engine will it use?
Well now we may have our answer as Jalopnik reports that the SCG 003 (as it's known at the moment) will be powered by a 3.5-liter V6 sourced from Honda, fitted with twin turbochargers and producing in excess of 500 horsepower.
Honda's J35Y engine produces 278 horsepower in the Accord, 290 hp in the Acura MDX and 310 hp in the RLX. It also forms the basis for the HR35TT racing engine which Honda Performance Development puts in its Daytona Prototype, so if the rumors turn out to be true, chances are that's probably the engine in question - with the possible addition of a hybrid electric assist - but we'll have to sit tight to find out for sure.