HONDA

PICTURES OF HONDA EK

noreply@blogger.com (NICK DA GREAT) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:42:00 +0000

PICTURES OF HONDA CARS

noreply@blogger.com (NICK DA GREAT) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:10:00 +0000

ABOUT HONDA CIVIC

noreply@blogger.com (NICK DA GREAT) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:36:00 +0000

Honda Civic Type R

Honda Civic Type-R

Startling looks and a new handling party trick come with a hefty price-tag.

Startling looks and a new handling party trick come with a hefty price-tag.

Rating: 3.5/5

Price: From $41,990 plus on-road/dealer costs

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder, 148kW/193Nm, six-speed manual, 9.3 L/100km, 219g/km CO2, FWD

What it has: Limited slip differential, tyre deflation warning system, parking sensors, single CD tuner with USB port and aux jack, dual-climate control, cruise control, a trip computer, bodykit, rear wing, alloy wheels, red footwell lighting, six airbags and stability control

For: Limpet-like handling; limited slip diff works; sounds racy and looks racy; spaceship-like styling yet surprisingly functional cabin.

Against: Price; hard ride; some outward visibility problems.

Not all cars are about functionality and efficiency. Some, like the Honda Civic Type R, emphasise the fun factor.

Launched here in 2007, the British-built hot hatch has just been updated with a Torsen limited slip differential (LSD) to help keep the front wheels gripping in corners.

What do you get?

The Type R is based on the Civic three-door hatchback and is built only at Honda's Swindon plant in Britain. To confuse matters, the popular Civic sedan comes from Thailand and shares only some mechanicals with the hatch.

Apart from the LSD, the R's new equipment list includes a tyre deflation warning system, parking sensors, an auxiliary jack, USB port and red footwell lighting. Dual-zone climate control, cruise control, a trip computer, a single-CD tuner, a bodykit including surfboard rear wing and alloy wheels are already standard. A full-sized spare tyre is not.

Despite so few changes, the list price has risen $2000 to $41,990.

How safe?

The reverse parking sensors are an important safety addition considering the limited visibility the Type R offers.

Other standard safety equipment includes six airbags, stability control and anti-lock brakes. The Civic hatch has collected the maximum five stars in Euro NCAP crash testing.

What's inside?

The Type R's spacecraft dash features red-lit and stacked instruments, the digital speedo sitting at the top, furthest away and sometimes hard to read. The analog tacho, with its 8000rpm redline, has the trip computer mounted in its centre. The dash wraps around the driver and the gearshift sits high in the upswept centre console, the alloy knob falling easily to hand.

There is substantial storage up-front including big door bins, double cupholders and a centre bin with lid.

The rear seat is spacious for two (and has only two seatbelts), has a sizeable storage area underneath the bench and can be split-folded flat to expand the already sizeable boot from 415 litres to 1282 litres.

The problem for rear seat passengers is claustrophobia, thanks to the tiny windows.

Under the bonnet

Pumping 148kW out of a 2.0-litre normally aspirated engine is a pretty good effort, even if it does arrive at an astronomical 7800rpm. However, torque is a relatively puny 193Nm at 5600rpm.

That means you have to rev the Type R like mad to get any sort of meaningful response. Around town and cruising, the engine is tractable enough to live with, although something like the Golf GTI shames it for usability.

The 9.3 litres per 100 kilometres combined fuel consumption average is closer to reality, so the hip pocket can have a good time as well.

The Type R's six-speed manual is enjoyable because of its short throw and high position.

But you still wish for a dual-clutch DSG-style 'box or auto around town.

On the road

You also wish for a more compliant ride around town. The Type R tends to bounce and crash from pothole to bump at slower speeds. It's not poorly set up but it has short suspension travel and low-profile rubber. The upside is a front-wheel-drive chassis that is a hoot to punt along a winding road.

The electric steering provides razor-sharp response and the handling offers limpet grip.

Does the Torsen LSD help out? The Type R showed admirable grip on soaked mountain hairpin corners, refusing to spin the wheels despite plenty of provocation.

Yep, great fun and safer too.

Verdict

The beauty of the Civic Type R is that it feels fast when it's actually not. The engine noise, the tight chassis, the lairy bodykit, the red instrumentation, the drilled alloy pedals — it's atmospheric rather than ballistic.

The LSD is an improvement but hardly one that justifies a $2000 price increase. It makes the Type R no less loveable, just that much less affordable.

The competitiors

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI

From $40,490 plus on-road/dealer costs, Drive's three-time Car of the Year category winner is now awaiting the Mark VI version that promises to pick up where the Mark V left off. A great hot hatch with practicality and safety in spades. 4.5/5

MAZDA3 MPS

From $39,690 plus on-road/dealer costs. A more grown-up version of the devil of all hot hatches. Trick electronics seek to quell torque steer. Huge 190kW/380Nm turbo 2.3L engine. Full airbag/stability control kit. Yet to be tested.

ALFA ROMEO MITO SPORT

From $37,490 plus on-road/dealer costs. Spiritual successor to the Alfasud. Sport gets higher-output 1.4-litre turbo (114kW/230Nm). Switchable engine mapping a gimmick but the car is fun to drive. Seven airbags and stability control. 4/5

Honda Civic gains added value

Honda Civic

With sales of Civic sedan in the first nine months of 09 running over 46 per cent behind the same time in 2008 Honda has introduced a limited-edition VTi with savings of over $4800.

The 40th anniversary five-speed manual Honda Civic sedan is at the special drive-away price of $24,990. Five-speed automatic adds $2300.

Metallic/pearlescent paint adds $475. Additional features include four alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, fog lights, fitted floor mats and a chrome exhaust finisher. Total value of the no-cost extras is $2806.

The no-cost extras come on top of the Civic VT i standard equipment list which includes electronic stability control, traction control, dual front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, body-coloured bumpers, door handles and rear-view mirrors, air-conditioning, and cruise control.

Other features include a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, driver’s seat height adjustment, CD player with MP3 and WMA compatibility, disc brakes all round, ventilated on the front, a full size steel spare wheel, a driver’s foot rest, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors and a single fold/down rear seat back.

The Civic VTi sedan is built in Thailand and the lack of an equivalent hatchback limits its sales in the competitive small car segment. Once Honda Australia’s top-selling model it was outsold during September by the smaller Honda Jazz.

The current eighth-generation Honda Civic sedan was introduced in 2006 – the 1.8-litre 103kW manual VTi returns 6.9L/100km on the official combined city/country cycle, the automatic returns 7.2L/100km.

Honda’s has also introduced a limited-edition Honda Accord VTi sedan – the 2.4-litre 133kW four-cylinder 40th anniversary VTi is now at the special drive-away price of $34,990.

It also gains free reverse parking sensors, Bluetooth phone connectivity, tailored floor mats and fog lights valued at $1300. Total saving is $2691.

Equipment includes stability control, dual front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, dual-zone climate control air-conditioning, 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, a six-disc CD stacker with MP3 and WMA compatibility, tilt adjustable steering wheel with audio controls, remote central locking and power windows and mirrors.

TYPES OF HONDA

noreply@blogger.com (NICK DA GREAT) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:53:00 +0000

It’s been a long time since Honda sold a sports coupe. The late-great Prelude has now become a collector’s item and the once vaunted CRX remains popular amongst tuners and weekend racers, so the upcoming CR-Z is highly anticipated.

The CR-Z, of course, wouldn't be racing, unless challenging Toyota’s Prius in a hybrid shootout, but at least we’ll get to see a production prototype at next month’s Tokyo auto show, where the original concept hit the stage in 2007.

The production car will arrive in its domestic Japanese market early next year and other markets, including Canada, sometime later, with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder under its sleek hood plus Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist hybrid drivetrain. Making it sportier than the average hybrid will be a six-speed manual, while a CVT will be available for more relaxed commuters.

This “concept” won’t change much at all if any before the real thing hits the auto show stage, possibly at the upcoming Los Angeles auto show later this year, so if you like the shapely form of Honda’s sexy hybrid, you can make plans.

Honda to Show EV-N Retro Electric in Tokyo

Sometimes a retro design is so well executed that it simply must be built. BMW introduced the first modern-day Mini concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1997, and every British car enthusiast had to have one. The most recent retrospective subcompact is Fiat’s 500, which has taken Europe by storm and is due on our shores in jus

t a little over a year. So why doesn’t Japan get in on the mix?

By the looks of things at Honda, it might just. The new EV-N is an electrically-powered micro car with a retrospective twist. Modeled after the N600 from the late ‘60s and early ‘70s (hence the “N” in the name), predecessor to Honda’s now legendary Civic, the small-displacement four-cylinder gasoline engine expected isn’t part of the package. Rather, it gets down the road via a state-of-the-art electric motor and battery pack.

Details about the EV-N’s powertrain are scarce, but Hon

da did offer a few morsels of information about swappable seat fabrics, a solar roof, and a communications system integrated into in the black front fascia. What might be even more interesting is that the EV-N's passenger door holds a UX-3 super gyroscopic robot unicycle, if piloting a totally clean subcompact around isn’t enough.

The EV-N will debut next month at the Tokyo auto show in Honda’s “Hello! Zone,” a dedicated showcase of electric vehicles.

2010 Honda Accord
- MSRP: $21,055 - $29,305
- Market Price: N/A
- Invoice: $19,101 - $26,556
- Fuel Economy Range: 31 mpg Hwy, 22 mpg City
- NHTSA Driver's Crash Rating:
- Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
- Fuel Type: regular unleaded
Accord photos
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2010 Honda Civic
- MSRP: $15,455 - $22,055
- Market Price: N/A
- Invoice: $14,250 - $20,304
- Fuel Economy Range: 34 mpg Hwy, 26 mpg City
- Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
- Fuel Type: regular unleaded
Civic photos
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2010 Honda Civic Hybrid
- MSRP: $23,800 - $23,800
- Market Price: N/A
- Invoice: $21,904 - $21,904
- Fuel Economy Range: 45 mpg Hwy, 40 mpg City
- Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
- Fuel Type: gasoline hybrid
Civic Hybrid photos
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2010 Honda CR-V
- MSRP: $21,545 - $27,745
- Market Price: N/A
- Invoice: $20,056 - $25,806
- Fuel Economy Range: 28 mpg Hwy, 21 mpg City
- Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
- Seating capacity: 5
CR-V photos
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2009 Honda Element
- MSRP: $20,275 - $23,270
- Market Price: $20,275 - $23,270
- Invoice: $18,878 - $21,656
- Fuel Economy Range: 25 mpg Hwy, 20 mpg City
- NHTSA Driver's Crash Rating:
- Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
- Seating capacity: 4
Element photos
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2010 Honda Fit
- MSRP: $14,900 - $16,410
- Market Price: N/A
- Invoice: $14,380 - $15,829
- Fuel Type: regular unleaded
- Fuel Economy Range: 33 mpg Hwy, 27 mpg City
- NHTSA Driver's Crash Rating:
- Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
Fit photos
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2010 Honda Insight
- MSRP: $19,800 - $21,300
- Market Price: $19,584 - $21,063
- Invoice: $18,688 - $20,098
- Fuel Economy Range: 43 mpg Hwy, 40 mpg City
- NHTSA Driver's Crash Rating:
- Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
- Fuel Type: gasoline hybrid
Insight photos
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2010 Honda Odyssey
- MSRP: $26,805 - $40,755
- Market Price: N/A
- Invoice: $24,297 - $36,903
- Fuel Economy Range: 23 mpg Hwy, 16 mpg City
- Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
- Seating capacity: 7
Odyssey photos
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2010 Honda Pilot
- MSRP: $27,895 - $38,645
- Market Price: $27,895 - $38,645
- Invoice: $25,282 - $34,996
- Fuel Economy Range: 22 mpg Hwy, 16 mpg City
- NHTSA Driver's Crash Rating:
- Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
- Seating capacity: 8
Pilot photos
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2010 Honda Ridgeline
- MSRP: $28,450 - $34,430
- Market Price: N/A
- Invoice: $25,783 - $31,187
- Fuel Economy Range: 20 mpg Hwy, 15 mpg City
- Towing Capacity: 5,000 lbs.
- Payload: 1,546 lbs.
- Fuel Type: regular unleaded
Ridgeline photos
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2009 Honda S2000
- MSRP: $34,995 - $36,995
- Market Price: $34,995 - $36,995
- Invoice: $31,698 - $33,505
- Fuel Economy Range: 25 mpg Hwy, 18 mpg City
- NHTSA Driver's Crash Rating:
- Basic Warranty: 36 months/36,000 miles
- Fuel Type: premium unleaded

ABOUT HONDA

noreply@blogger.com (NICK DA GREAT) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:06:00 +0000

Founded : 24 September 1948
Founder(s) : Soichiro Honda Takeo Fujisawa
Headquarters : Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Area served : Worldwide
Key people : Satoshi Aoki (Chairman)
Takanobu Ito (CEO)
Industry : Automobile
Truck manufacturer : Motorcycle
Products : automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, electrical
generators, robotics, marine equipment, jets, jet engines, and
lawn and garden equipment. Honda and Acura brands.
Revenue : ▲ US$ 101 Billion (FY 2009)
Operating income : ▲ US$ 2.34 Billion (FY 2009)
Net income : ▲ US$ 1.39 Billion (FY 2009)
Total assets : ▼ US$ 120 Billion (FY 2009)
Total equity : ▼ US$ 40.6 Billion (FY 2009)
Employees : 167,231 (Sep 2008)
Website : Honda.com

Honda Motor Company, Ltd. (Japanese: 本田技研工業株式会社, Honda Giken Kōgyō Kabushiki-gaisha?, Honda Technology Research Institute Company, Limited) Honda_giken_kougyou.ogg listen (help·info) (TYO: 7267) is a Japanese multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. Honda is the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume. Honda surpassed Nissan in 2001 to become the second-largest Japanese automobile manufacturer.

Honda was the first Japanese automobile manufacturer to release a dedicated luxury brand, Acura in 1986. Aside from their core automobile and motorcycle businesses, Honda also manufactures garden equipment, marine engines, personal watercraft and power generators, amongst others. Since 1986, Honda has been involved with artificial intelligence/robotics research and released their ASIMO robot in 2000. They have also ventured into aerospace with the establishment of GE Honda Aero Engines in 2004 and the Honda HA-420 HondaJet, scheduled to be released in 2011.

HISTORY

From a young age, Soichiro Honda (本田宗一郎, Honda Sōichirō) had an interest in automobiles. He worked as a mechanic at a Japanese tuning shop, Art Shokai, where he tuned cars and entered them in races. A self-taught engineer, he later worked on a piston design which he hoped to sell to Toyota. The first drafts of his design were rejected, and Soichiro worked painstakingly to perfect the design, even going back to school and pawning his wife's jewelry for collateral. Eventually, he won a contract with Toyota and built a factory to construct pistons for them, which was destroyed in an earthquake. Due to a gas shortage during World War II, Honda was unable to use his car, and his novel idea of attaching a small engine to his bicycle attracted much curiosity. He then established the Honda Technical Research Institute in Hamamatsu, Japan, to develop and produce small 2-cycle motorbike engines. Calling upon bicycle shop owners across Japan to take part in revitalizing a nation torn apart by war, Soichiro received enough capital to engineer his first motorcycle, the Honda Cub. This marked the beginning of Honda Motor Company, who would grow a short time later to be the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles by 1963.

The first production automobile from Honda was the T360 mini pick-up truck.[citation needed] Powered by a small 356 cc straight-4 gasoline engine, it was classified under the cheaper Kei car tax bracket.

The first production car from Honda was the S500 sports car.Its chain driven rear wheels points to Honda's motorcycle origins.

LEADERSHIP

1948-1973 — Soichiro Honda
1973-1983 — Kiyoshi Kawashima
1983-1990 — Tadashi Kume
1990-1998 — Nobuhiko Kawamoto
1998-2004 — Hiroyuki Yoshino
2004-2009 — Takeo Fukui
2009-present — Takanobu Ito

BACKGROUND

Honda headquarters building in Japan

Honda is headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Their shares trade on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange, as well as exchanges in Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kyoto, Fukuoka, London, Paris and Switzerland. American Honda Motor Co. is based in Torrance, California. Honda Canada Inc. is headquartered in the Scarborough district of Toronto, Ontario, and is building new corporate headquarters in Markham, Ontario, scheduled to relocate in 2008[5]; their manufacturing division, Honda of Canada Manufacturing, is based in Alliston, Ontario. Honda has also created joint ventures around the world, such as Honda Siel Cars and Hero Honda Motorcycles in India [6], Guangzhou Honda and Dongfeng Honda in China, and Honda Atlas in Pakistan.

With high fuel prices and a weak US economy in June 2008, Honda reported a 1% sales increase while its rivals, including the Detroit Big Three and Toyota, have reported double-digit losses. Honda's sales were up almost 20 percent from the same month last year. The Civic and the Accord were in the top five list of sales.Analysts have attributed this to two main factors. First, Honda's product lineup consists of mostly small to mid-size, highly fuel-efficient vehicles. Secondly, over the last ten years, Honda has designed its factories to be flexible, in that they can be easily retooled to produce any Honda model that may be in-demand at the moment.

Honda is the 6th largest automobile manufacturer in the world as well as the largest engine-maker in the world, producing more than 14 million internal combustion engines each year. As of August 2008, Honda surpassed Chrysler as the 4th largest automobile manufacturer in the United States. Currently, Honda is the second largest manufacturer in Japan behind Toyota and ahead of Nissan.

Honda, Nissan, and Toyota, three of the strongest vehicle companies in the world, were still not immune to the global financial crisis of 2008, as these companies reduced their profitability forecasts. The economic crisis has been spreading to other important players in the vehicle related industries as well. [10][11]

Honda spends about 5% of its revenues into R&D.

CHINESE JOINT VENTURE

At the 2008 Beijing Auto Show, Honda presented the Li Nian ("concept" or "idea") 5-door hatchback and announced that they were looking to developed an entry-level brand exclusively for the Chinese market similar to Toyota's Scion brand in the USA.[13] The brand would be developed by a 50-50 joint-venture established in 2007 with Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group.

PRODUCT

AUTOMOBILES

Honda's global lineup consists of the Fit, Civic, Accord, Insight, CR-V and S2000. An early proponent of developing vehicles to cater to different needs and markets worldwide, Honda's lineup varies by country and may feature vehicles exclusive to that region. A few examples are the latest Acura TL luxury sedan and the Ridgeline, Honda's first light-duty pickup truck. Both were engineered primarily in North America and are exclusively produced and sold there.

The Honda Civic is a line of compact cars developed and manufactured by Honda. In North America, the Civic is the second-longest continuously-running nameplate from a Japanese manufacturer; only the Toyota Corolla, introduced in 1968, has been in production longer.[16] The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded. Having gone through several generational changes, the Civic has become larger and more upmarket, and it currently slots between the Fit and Accord.

2008 Honda Accord (USA Spec)

Honda Automobiles is of the Big Asian Four (with Toyota, Nissan and Hyundai).
The 2006 Ridgeline was a reintroduction of the concept of a Uni-Body truck. Earlier examples of this concept are the Subaru Brat and Baja, Volkswagen Rabbit pick-up, and Dodge Rampage/Plymouth Scamp.

Honda increased global production in September 2008 to meet demand for small cars in the U.S. and emerging markets. The company is shuffling U.S. production to keep factories busy and boost car output, while building fewer minivans and sport utility vehicles as light truck sales fall.

Honda produces the Insight, an affordable hybrid electric vehicle that competes with Toyota Prius

Its first entrance into the pickup segment, the lightduty Ridgeline, won Truck of the Year from Motor Trend magazine in 2006 (also in 2006, the redesigned Civic won Car of the Year from the magazine, giving Honda a rare double win of Motor Trend honors).

MOUNTAIN BIKES
Mountain bikes
See also: Honda RN-01 G-cross

Honda has also built a Downhill racing bike, known as the Honda RN-01. Honda has taken on several people to pilot the bike, among them is Greg Minnaar. The team is known as Team G Cross Honda. The key feature of this bike is the gearbox, which replaces the standard Derailleur found on most bikes.

MOTORCYCLES

During the 1960s, when it was a small manufacturer, Honda broke out of the Japanese motorcycle market and began exporting to the US. Taking Honda’s story as an archetype of the smaller manufacturer entering a new market already occupied by highly dominant competitors, the story of their market entry, and their subsequent huge success in the US and around the world, has been the subject of some academic controversy. Competing explanations have been advanced to explain Honda’s strategy and the reasons for their success.

The first of these explanations was put forward when, in 1975, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) was commissioned by the UK government to write a report explaining why and how the British motorcycle industry had been out-competed by its Japanese competitors. The report concluded that the Japanese firms, including Honda, had sought a very high scale of production (they had made a large number of motorbikes) in order to benefit from economies of scale and learning curve effects. It blamed the decline of the British motorcycle industry on the failure of British managers to invest enough in their businesses to profit from economies of scale and scope.
2004 Honda Super Cub

2004 Honda Supercub

The second explanation was offered in 1984 by Richard Pascale, who had interviewed the Honda executives responsible for the firm’s entry into the US market. As opposed to the tightly focused strategy of low cost and high scale that BCG accredited to Honda, Pascale found that their entry into the US market was a story of “miscalculation, serendipity, and organizational learning” – in other words, Honda’s success was due to the adaptability and hard work of its staff, rather than any long term strategy. For example, Honda’s initial plan on entering the US was to compete in large motorcycles, around 300 cc. It was only when the team found that the scooters they were using to get themselves around their US base of San Francisco attracted positive interest from consumers that they came up with the idea of selling the Supercub.

The most recent school of thought on Honda’s strategy was put forward by Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad in 1989. Creating the concept of core competencies with Honda as an example, they argued that Honda’s success was due to its focus on leadership in the technology of internal combustion engines. For example, the high power-to-weight ratio engines Honda produced for its racing bikes provided technology and expertise which was transferable into mopeds.

Honda's entry into the US motorcycle market during the 1960s is used as a case study for teaching introductory strategy at business schools worldwide.

It created the first luxury Japanese car (1985 Legend) and motorcycle (2006 Gold Wing bikes) equipped with an airbag, as well as the first mid-size pickup truck with independent rear suspension (2006 Ridgeline).

ENGINES

Honda Outboard motor on a pontoon boat

Honda is the largest engine maker in the world. Honda has a number of firsts in many categories, including the first engine to meet the 1970 US Clean Air Act (1975 CVCC).

ROBOTS
ASIMO at Expo 2005

ASIMO is the part of Honda's Research & Development robotics program. It is the eleventh in a line of successive builds starting in 1986 with Honda E0 moving through the ensuing Honda E series and the Honda P series. Weighing 54 kilograms and standing 130 centimeters tall, ASIMO resembles a small astronaut wearing a backpack, and can walk on two feet in a manner resembling human locomotion, at up to 6 km/h (3.7 mph). ASIMO is the world's only humanoid robot able to ascend and descend stairs independently.[19] However, human motions such as climbing stairs are difficult to mimic with a machine, which ASIMO has demonstrated by taking two plunges off a staircase.

Honda's robot ASIMO (see below) as an R&D project brings together expertise to create a robot that walks, dances and navigates steps.

AEROPLANES
Main article: Honda HA-420 HondaJet

Honda has also pioneered new technology in its HA-420 HondaJet that allows new levels of reduced drag, increased aerodynamics and fuel efficiency thus reducing operating costs.

MOTORSPORTS

Honda has been active in motorsports.

See also: Honda F1
Rubens Barrichello driving for Honda

Honda entered Formula One as a constructor for the first time in the 1964 season at the German Grand Prix with Ronnie Bucknum at the wheel. 1965 saw the addition of Richie Ginther to the team, who scored Honda's first point at the Belgian Grand Prix, and Honda's first win at the Mexican Grand Prix. 1967 saw their next win at the Italian Grand Prix with John Surtees as their driver. In 1968, Jo Schlesser was killed in a Honda RA302 at the French Grand Prix. This racing tragedy, coupled with their commercial difficulties selling automobiles in the United States, prompted Honda to withdraw from all international motorsport that year.

After a learning year in 1965, Honda-powered Brabhams dominated the 1966 French Formula Two championship in the hands of Jack Brabham and Denny Hulme. As there was no European Championship that season, this was the top F2 championship that year. In the early 1980s Honda returned to F2, supplying engines to Ron Tauranac's Ralt team. Tauranac had designed the Brabham cars for their earlier involvement. They were again extremely successful. In a related exercise, John Judd's Engine Developments company produced a turbo "Brabham-Honda" engine for use in IndyCar racing. It won only one race, in 1988 for Bobby Rahal at Pocono.

Honda returned to Formula One in 1983, initially with another Formula Two partner, the Spirit team, before switching abruptly to Williams in 1984. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Honda powered cars won six consecutive Formula One Constructors Championships. WilliamsF1 won the crown in 1986 and 1987. Honda switched allegiance again in 1988. New partners Team McLaren won the title in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991. Honda withdrew from Formula One at the end of 1992, although the related Mugen-Honda company maintained a presence up to the end of 1999, winning four races with Ligier and Jordan Grand Prix.

Honda debuted in the CART IndyCar World Series as a works supplier in 1994. The engines were far from competitive at first, but after development, the company powered six consecutive drivers championships. In 2003, Honda transferred its effort to the rival IRL IndyCar Series. In 2004, Honda-powered cars overwhelmingly dominated the IndyCar Series, winning 14 of 16 IndyCar races, including the Indianapolis 500, and claimed the IndyCar Series Manufacturers' Championship, Drivers' Championship and Rookie of the Year titles. In 2006, Honda became the sole engine supplier for the IndyCar Series, including the Indianapolis 500. In the 2006 Indianapolis 500, for the first time in Indianapolis 500 history, the race was run without a single engine problem.[20]

During 1998, Honda considered returning to Formula One with their own team. The project was aborted after the death of its technical director, Harvey Postlethwaite. Honda instead came back as an official engine supplier to British American Racing (BAR) and Jordan Grand Prix. Honda bought a stake in the BAR team in 2004 before buying the team outright at the end of 2005, becoming a constructor for the first time since the 1960s. Honda won the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix with driver Jenson Button.

It was announced on 5 December 2008 that Honda would be exiting Formula One with immediate effect due to the 2008 global economic crisis.[21] The team was sold to former team principal Ross Brawn and renamed Brawn GP.[22]

MOTORCYCLES
Main article: Honda Racing Corporation

Honda CBR1000RR sport bike

Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) was formed in 1982 by Richard Hynda. The company combines participation in motorcycle races throughout the world with the development of high potential racing machines. Its racing activities are an important source for the creation of leading edge technologies used in the development of Honda motorcycles. HRC also contributes to the advancement of motorcycle sports through a range of activities that include sales of production racing motorcycles, support for satellite teams, and rider education programs.

Soichiro Honda, being a race driver himself, could not stay out of international motorsport. In 1959, Honda entered five motorcycles into the Isle of Man TT race, the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world. While always having powerful engines, it took until 1961 for Honda to tune their chassis well enough to allow Mike Hailwood to claim their first Grand Prix victories in the 125 and 250 cc classes. Hailwood would later pick up their first senior TT wins in 1966 and 1967. Honda's race bikes were known for their "sleek & stylish design" and exotic engine configurations, such as the 5-cylinder, 22,000 rpm, 125 cc bike and their 6-cylinder 250 cc and 380 cc bikes.

1979 saw Honda return to Grand Prix motorcycle racing with their exotic, monocoque-framed, four-stroke NR500. The NR500 featured elongated cylinders each with 8 valves and with connecting rods in pairs, in an attempt to comply with the FIM rules which limited engines to four cylinders. Honda engineered the elongated cylinders in an effort to provide the valveinant two-stroke racers. Unfortunately, it seemed Honda tried to accomplish too much at one time and the experiment failed. For the 1982 season, Honda debuted their first two stroke race bike, the NS500 and in 1983, Honda won their first 500 cc Grand Prix World Championship with Freddie Spencer. Since then, Honda has become a dominant marque in motorcycle Grand Prix racing, winning a plethora of top level titles with riders such as Valentino Rossi and Mick Doohan.

In motocross, Honda has claimed 6 motocross world championships. In the World Enduro Championship, Honda has captured six titles, most recently with Stefan Merriman in 2003 and with Mika Ahola in 2007 and 2008.

In observed trials, Honda has claimed 3 world championships with Belgian rider Eddy Lejeune.

ELECTRIC AND ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES

COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS

2009 Honda Civic GX hooked up to Phill refueling system

The Honda Civic GX is the only natural gas vehicle (NGV) commercially available in some parts of the US.[23][24] The Honda Civic GX first appeared in 1998 as a factory-modified Civic LX that had been designed to run exclusively on compressed natural gas. The car looks and drives just like a contemporary Honda Civic LX, but does not run on gasoline. In 2001, the Civic GX was rated the cleanest-burning internal combustion engine in the world by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency‎ (EPA).

First leased to the City of Los Angeles, in 2005, Honda started offering the GX directly to the public through factory trained dealers certified to service the GX. Before that, only fleets were eligible to purchase a new Civic GX. In 2006, the Civic GX was released in New York, making it the second state where the consumer is able to buy the car.[27] Home refueling is available for the GX with the addition of the Phill Home Refueling Appliance.[28]

FLEXIBLE-FUEL

Top: Brazilian flexible-fuel Honda Civic. Below: US Honda Civic Hybrid.

Honda's Brazilian subsidiary launched flexible-fuel versions for the Honda Civic and Honda Fit in late 2006. As others Brazilian flex-fuel vehicles, these models run on any blend of hydrous ethanol (E100) and E20-E25 gasoline.Initially, and in order to test the market preferences, the carmaker decided to produce a limited share of the vehicles with flex-fuel engines, 33 percent of the Civic production and 28 percent of the Fit models.Also, the sale price for the flex-fuel version was higher than the respective gasoline versions, around US$ 1,000 premium for the Civic, and US$ 650 for the Fit, despite the fact that all other flex-fuel vehicles sold in Brazil had the same tag price as their gasoline versions.In July 2009, Honda launched in the Brazilian market its third flexible-fuel car, the Honda City.

During the last two months of 2006, both flex-fuel models sold 2,427 cars against 8,546 gasoline-powered automobiles,jumping to 41,990 flex-fuel cars in 2007,[35] and reaching 93,361 in 2008.Due to the success of the flex versions, by early 2009 a hundred percent of Honda's automobile production for the Brazilian market is now flexible-fuel, and only a small percentage of gasoline version is produced in Brazil for exports.

In March 2009 Honda launched in the Brazilian market the first flex-fuel motorcycle in the world. Produced by its Brazilian subsidiary Moto Honda da Amazônia, the CG 150 Titan Mix is sold for around US$2,700.

HYBRID ELECTRIC

2010 Honda Insight hybrid electric vehicle (Second generation).

Honda launched in late 1999 the first commercial hybrid electric car sold in the US market , the Honda Insight, just one month before the introduction of the Toyota Prius, and initially sold for USD 20,000. The first-generation Insight was produced from 2000 to 2006 and had a fuel economy of 70 miles per US gallon (3.4 L/100 km; 84 mpg-imp) for the EPA's highway rating, the most fuel-efficient mass-produced car at the time. Total global sales for the Insight amounted to only around 18,000 vehicles.

Honda introduced the second-generation Insight in its home nation of Japan in February 2009, with release in other markets to expected through 2009 the U.S. market will receive the new Insight in April 2009. At USD 19,800 as a five-door hatchback it will be the least expensive hybrid available in the US. Honda expects to sell 200,000 of the vehicles each year, with half of those sales in the United States.

Honda has also been selling since 2002 the Honda Civic Hybrid (2003 model) in the US market,. It was followed by the Honda Accord Hybrid, offered in model years 2005 through 2007. Honda is also planning to introduce a hybrid version of its Fit, as well as another unique small hybrid vehicle based on the CR-Z sports car concept that it introduced at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show.

HYDROGEN FUEL CELL

Honda FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell vehicle

In Takanezawa, Japan, on 16 June 2008, Honda Motors produced the first assembly-line FCX Clarity, a hybrid hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. More efficient than a gas-electric hybrid vehicle, the FCX Clarity combines hydrogen and oxygen from ordinary air to generate electricity for an electric motor.

The vehicle itself does not emit any pollutants and its only by products are heat and water. The FCX Clarity also has an advantage over gas-electric hybrids in that it does not use an internal combustion engine to propel itself. Like a gas-electric hybrid, it uses a lithium ion battery to assist the fuel cell during acceleration and capture energy through regenerative braking, thus improving fuel efficiency. The lack of hydrogen filling stations throughout developed countries will keep production volumes low.Honda will release the vehicle in groups of 150. California is the only US market with infrastructure for fueling such vehicle, though the number of stations is still limited. Building more stations is expensive, as the California Air Resources Board (CARB) granted $6.8 million for four H2 fueling stations, costing $1.7 million USD each.

MARKETING

Honda's official slogan is "The Power of Dreams". They have never used this slogan to sell their products. Mr. Honda's belief is that well built products will sell themselves.

In 2003, Honda released its Cog advertisement in the UK and on the Internet. To make the ad, the engineers at Honda constructed a Rube Goldberg Machine made entirely out of car parts from a Europe Domestic Market Honda Accord (upon which the USDM Acura TSX is based). To the chagrin of the engineers at Honda, all the parts were taken from two of only six hand-assembled pre-production models of the Accord. The advertisement depicted a single cog which sets off a chain of events that ends with the Honda Accord moving and Garrison Keillor speaking the tagline, "Isn't it nice when things just... work?" It took 606 takes to get it perfect.

In 2004, they produced the Hate Something advert, usually immediately followed by a shortened version of the 2005/2006 Impossible Dream advert.

A post 2005 style Honda dealership in Moncton, Canada

In 2006, Honda released its Choir advertisement, for the UK and the internet. This featured a 60-person choir who sang the car noises as film of the Honda Civic are shown.

In December 2005, Honda released The Impossible Dream a two-minute panoramic advertisement filmed in New Zealand, Japan and Argentina which illustrates the founder's dream to build performance vehicles. While singing The Impossible Dream (The Quest), a man reaches for his racing helmet, leaves his trailer on a minibike, then rides a succession of vintage Honda vehicles: a motorcycle, then a car, then a powerboat, then goes over a waterfall only to reappear piloting a hot air balloon, with Garrison Keillor saying "I couldn't have put it better myself" as the song ends. The song is from the 1960s musical "Man Of La Mancha", sung by Andy Williams.

In Australia, Honda advertised heavily during most motor racing telecasts, and were the official sponsor of the 2006 FIA Formula 1 telecast on broadcaster channel "Ten". In fact, they were the only manufacturer involved in the 2006 Indy Racing League season. In a series of adverts promoting the history of Honda's racing heritage, Honda claimed they "built" cars that won 72 Formula 1 Grand Prix. Sceptics[who?] have accused Honda of interpreting their racing history rather liberally, saying that virtually all of the 72 victories were achieved by Honda powered (engined) machines, whereas the cars themselves were designed and built by Lotus F1, Williams F1, and McLaren F1 teams, respectively. However, former and current staff of the McLaren F1 team have reiterated that Honda contributed more than just engines and provided various chassis, tooling, and aerodynamic parts as well as funding. Ayrton Senna, arguably the greatest F1 driver of all time, repeatedly stated that Honda probably played the most significant role in his three world championships. He had immense respect for founder, Soichiro Honda, and had a good relationship with Nobuhiko Kawamoto, the chairman of Honda at that time. Senna once called Honda "the greatest company in the world". Nevertheless, the majority of victories attributed to Honda in the advertisements were won by Formula 1 cars which were neither built nor designed by Honda, and have little or no connection with Honda's current F1 operations.

For the last several years in the United States, during model close-out sales for the current year before the start of the new model year, Honda's advertising has featured an animated character known simply as Mr. Opportunity, voiced by Rob Paulsen. The casual looking man talks about various deals offered by Honda and ends with the phrase "I'm Mr. Opportunity, and I'm knockin'", followed by him "knocking" on the television screen or "thumping" the speaker at the end of radio ads. Also, commercials for Honda's international hatchback, the Jazz, are parodies of well-known pop culture images such as Tetris and Thomas The Tank Engine.

As part of their marketing campaign, Honda is an official partner and sponsor of Major League Soccer.

In late 2006 Honda released an ad with ASIMO exploring a museum, looking at the exhibits with almost child-like wonderment (spreading out its arms in the aerospace exhibit, waving hello to an astronaut suit that resembles him, etc.), while Garrison Keillor ruminates on progress. It concludes with the tagline: "More forwards please".

Honda also sponsored ITV's coverage of Formula One in the UK for 2007. However they had announced that they would not continue in 2008 due to the sponsorship price requested by ITV being too high.

In May 2007, focuses on their strengths in racing and the use of the Red H badge — a symbol of what is termed as "Hondamentalism". The campaign highlights the lengths that Honda engineers go to in order to get the most out of an engine, whether it is for bikes, cars, powerboats — even lawnmowers. Honda released its Hondamentalism campaign. In the TV spot, Garrison Keillor says, "An engineer once said to build something great is like swimming in honey", while Honda engineers in white suits walk and run towards a great light, battling strong winds and flying debris, holding on to anything that will keep them from being blown away. Finally one of the engineers walks towards a red light, his hand outstretched. A web address is shown for the Hondamentalism website. The digital campaign aims to show how visitors to the site share many of the Hondamentalist characteristics.

At the beginning of 2008, Honda released - the Problem Playground. The advert outlines Honda's environmental responsibility, demonstrating a hybrid engine, more efficient solar panels and the FCX Clarity, a hydrogen powered car. The 90 second advert features large scale puzzles, involving Rubik's cubes, large shapes and a 3-dimensional puzzle.

On 29 May 2008, Honda - in partnership with Channel 4 - broadcast a live advertisement. It showed skydivers jumping from an aeroplane over Spain and forming the letters H, O, N, D and A in mid-air. This live advertisement is generally agreed to be the first of its kind on British television. The advert lasted three minutes. The next flight of one of the two planes involved resulted in a fatal crash as the plane broke apart in mid-air.

Since 2008, Honda has become a major sponsor of the CBS gameshow The Price Is Right. On episodes in which a Honda car makes an appearance, both games that are played for cars use Hondas as a prize, as well as the Showcases. Additionally, Honda's U.S. headquarters are located in the home state of both host Drew Carey and announcer Rich Fields (Ohio).

In 2009, American Honda released the "Dream the Impossible Documentary Series," a collection of 5-8 minute web vignettes that focus on the core philosophies of Honda. Current short films include Failure: The Secret to Success, Kick Out the Ladder and Mobility 2088. They feature Honda employees as well as Danica Patrick, Christopher Guest, Ben Bova, Chee Pearlman, Joe Johnston and Orson Scott Card. The film series plays at dreams.honda.com.