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Sporty cars from the '80s get retro reviews from MotorWeek

The more things change, the more they stay the same. That's the feeling we're left with after watching the retro-review video above, in which MotorWeek – television's original automotive magazine, as if you didn't already know – takes a look at the 1984 Honda Prelude. A sporty coupe from Japan that lacks the outright performance and thrust of comparable American and European competitors, but makes any perceived slight up with unarguably supreme driving dynamics? That sounds sort of familiar, doesn't it? As always, we love taking a look back at the early days of MotorWeek (the more things change, they more they stay the same, remember?). And it doesn't end there. Far from it, in fact. Not only did MotorWeek bestow upon us the Prelude, Maryland's favorite public television show also unleashed retro reviews of (deep breath) the '82 Fiat X1/9, '84 Olds Cutlass, '88 Lotus Esprit Turbo, '84 Nissan 200SX Turbo, '88 Subaru XT6, '88 Toyota Celica All Trac, '84 Ford EXP Turbo, '89 Suzuki Swift GTi and '89 Mazda 323 GTX. Watch them all, up above and down below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Honda Nissan Toyota Automotive History Coupe Classics Videos retro review honda prelude oldsmobile cutlass

Next Honda Civic to get 1.5L turbo

The low-displacement, turbocharged engine is all the rage these days throughout the auto industry, whether considering the 1.0-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost from Ford or even Ferrari opting for a downsized turbo V8 in the latest 488 GTB. It looks like Honda might be the next one to follow this trend, and it could happen as soon as the next-gen Civic. "Downsized turbocharging will be the base, even for the Civic," Honda Research and Development boss Yoshiharu Yamamoto said to Automotive News. That included the US, he indicated. "Quite a bit will switch over to turbo, but there will still be some naturally aspirated ones remaining." The engine reportedly is a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder that offers better fuel economy, lower emissions and the power of a naturally aspirated mill of between 2.0- and 2.4-liters, according to AN. Since the current Civic gets 143 horsepower from its 1.8-liter four that suggests a healthy power bump for the future model. Making the news even more tantalizing, the new Civic with the 1.5-liter turbo could be revealed before the end of the year, according to Automotive News. Honda already confirmed a $340 million investment into its Anna, Ohio, plant to build the engines later this year. Honda first mentioned a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder in 2013 along with the 2.0-liter turbo now in the Civic Type R in Europe. At the time, the brand said these engines would appear in "a number of future global models." The HR-V in the US was also previously rumored to use the same powerplant.

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.