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Honda issues bizarre non-recall on Odyssey over badge placement

Without looking under the hood or at a vehicle history report, one of the easiest way to tell if a car has had body work done is to check the location and placement of the exterior badges. A crooked, misplaced or missing badge can be a telltale sign that there has been some sort of body or paint work. For this reason, Honda is suggesting that some owners of the 2014 Odyssey take their vans into the dealership for a little rebadging.
The topic was brought to light after Consumer Reports received a notice from Honda saying that the "Odyssey" badge on its test vehicle was incorrectly installed at the factory. The badge is supposed to go on the driver's side of the liftgate (as shown above), but the customer vehicles had it placed on the passenger side of the car. Not a huge deal unless an owner is trying to sell the vehicle and the improperly installed badge leads potential owners into believing the vehicle may have been damaged in some way. Here's what Honda said in its letter:
On some 2013 Odyssey vehicles, the Odyssey emblem was incorrectly installed on the passenger's side of the rear tailgate. The emblem should be installed on the drivers' side of the rear tailgate. American Honda Motor Company highly recommends that you participate in this Product Update. The placement of the emblem may indicate that the vehicle has had repairs performed that are consistent with it being in a crash. This could affect the resale value of the vehicle.

Next Honda Ridgeline previewed in sketch

Honda's big debut at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show may be the all-new Pilot crossover, but the Japanese automaker has released another juicy morsel for us here in the Windy City. Previewed in a sketch, Honda is giving us our first glimpse at the next-generation Ridgeline pickup (note that the drawing pictures the truck on an actual ridgeline – good one, guys). The Ridgeline always sort of steered away from conventional pickup truck wisdom, using a unibody construction with passenger-car roots. We don't know much more about the new truck, the company only saying that the next Ridgeline "will take the original's award-winning performance, comfort and utility to new levels with completely new styling that communicates unmistakably that it's a pickup, yet with a uniquely Honda flair." It's unclear exactly when the new Ridgeline will debut, though Honda expects it to go on sale sometime next year.

Honda Project 2&4 concept has 212 hp, 893 lbs, and our hearts

Take one look at the Honda Project 2&4 concept, and it's immediately clear that the minimalist track special is the result of a collaboration between automotive and motorcycle designers. The body's styling is a modernized take on the Japanese brand's RA272 Formula One car from the 1960s, but then you notice the weird driver's seat that's fully exposed and suspended just inches above the road. The result is a vehicle that looks absolutely deadly, but like an absurd thrill to pilot, too. The Project 2&4's floating seating design simultaneously evokes both a sport bike and a go-kart. There's no dashboard or windshield at all, and the driver simply gets a steering wheel and a glass panel for the instruments. It's hard to imagine pairing things down much more than this, especially since the whole vehicle weighs just 893 pounds. The concept's other major piece of motorcycle DNA is the mid-mounted 1.0-liter V4 sourced from Honda's RC213V that races in MotoGP. Tuned here for road use, it puts down over 212 horsepower when spinning at 13,000 rpm, and peak torque of 87 pound-feet hits at a still stellar 10,500 rpm. The redline is at a stratospheric 14,000 rpm. The high-revving engine bangs through the gears through a six-speed dual clutch transmission. Unfortunately, the Project 2&4 has zero provisions for even a modicum of driver safety, and that makes it exceedingly unlikely for one to ever see customer orders. We still look forward to seeing that bizarre, floating seat on display at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, though. HONDA PROJECT 2&4 POWERED BY RC213V TO DEBUT AT FRANKFURT: A COMBINATION OF GLOBAL CREATIVITY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP Winner of Honda's 'Global Design Project' to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show Cabin-less structure features a floating seat design for immersive driving experience Powered by Honda's MotoGP RC213V engine, modified to run on public roads 'Honda Project 2&4 powered by RC213V', the winning entry from Honda's 'Global Design Project', will make its global debut at the 66th Frankfurt Motor Show at stand B11 in Hall 9.0. Embodying the concept of 'creative craftsmanship', Honda Project 2&4 celebrates Honda's position as the world's leading engine manufacturer, providing engines to 28 million people per year across two- and four-wheel automotive, power equipment, marine and aerospace applications.