Archive for August, 2009
Honda have catered for those who wanted a new Civic Type R but couldn’t afford one with the release of the Sport-Si Civic.
The Sport-Si Civic is soon to hit the UK market, starting with a 1.4 litre i-VTEC Si and then the 1.8 i-VTEC Si and 2.2 i-CTDi Si will follow a few months later.
With colour-coded body mouldings, Type R front grille, alloys, dark chrome features, half leather interior and USB connectivity, starting from just 15,800, pounds Honda are sure to be inundated with pre-orders.
Honda dealers are taking orders for the Sport-Si Civic now – click here for more info.
Lexus has unveiled their latest concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show – a car that they expect to take on BMW’s hugely successful 1 Series.
The Lexus CT concept car is to be a first sportsback for the Toyota subsidiary company. Whereas Lexus have concentrated on the coupe and SUV market they now aim to challenge BMW, Audi and the like and from the initial sketches of the concept car, they could gain significant market share.
This is new ground for Lexus and is set to be well received in Germany, as it is likely to be worldwide.
Japan seems to have surpassed us in just about everything. Cars, money, technology, you name it. The Japanese seem to be able to take their hand to almost anything and everything! But, the tables seem to have turned for this one subject at least.
Japan has a large market for sturdy, reliable cars, and Honda has provided their working class citizens with just that since September 1948 from their corporate headquarters in Minato, in Tokyo, Japan.
The Honda Civic Type R is made at the Swindon Honda factory but Honda is importing the hatchback, so that it can be sold in Japan.
The brand new Lexus HS 250h is selling like hot-cakes after it was unveiled in Japan and the US in July. Toyota was targeting 500 sales per month, but in their first month the car has already achieved a whopping 9,000 orders!
Lexus is undoubtedly a very reliable company, making many comfortable, stylish and sensible cars. Lexus’ are generally proven to be liked by consumers, so it isn’t surprising that the 2010 Lexus HS 250h is selling so well – it’s a beautiful car to look at and to drive.
The BMW 3 Series Saloon and Convertible have been named best compact executive car and best convertible. The two high-profile awards were awarded to the motoring company by th UK’s biggest selling weekly motoring magazine: Auto Express.
The panel of motoring experts from the magazine assessed the two cars and later awarded them the two prestiduous awards.
The road test team from Auto Express said: ‘BMW’s superior dynamics won the day. A model range that includes everything from a diesel variant capable of 62.8mpg to the supercar-chasing 414bhp M3 is unbeatable’ about the Saloon.
The MINI John Cooper Works Cabrio will join the Australian line-up next month. The new and exciting drop-top isn’t just the newest member to the John Coper Works range, but also is it’s fastest convertible yet. The turbocharged convertible is the third car in the John Cooper Works line-up and, being the quickest accelerating convertible in the sub-$100,000 range, it surely is a very fast MINI.
The John Cooper Works Cabrio (first unveiled at this years Geneva Motor Show), claims to be able to hit 100km/h in 6.9 seconds – wow!
Honda are to increase their global production following an increase in sales and sales forecasts.
A further 90,000 vehicles will be produced by Honda in response to higher than expected sales in China, India, Thailand and Brazil.
As a result Honda’s net income will increase. This is a significant turnaround for Honda who like so many car manufacturers had been hit hard by the global economic downturn.
This comes on the back of impressive domestic sales, with the Honda Insight becoming one of the fastest selling new cars in Japan.
Since 2001, Mini has of course changed a lot. Although the pre 2001 Mini has the same name and some of the same details, they are both very different cars. It is much more difficult to spot the differences between the early new Mini, and the Mini that is on sale today. The overall look has been maintained, but much of the bodywork, the engine and the headlamps have been altered.
Being the second biggest European market for convertibles, Britain will surely love this! Lexus‘ IS 250C.
Even though the weather is purely terrible in Britain, we all love a good drop-top. Many convertibles are much heavier, noisier and all together more tedious to drive. But not this. Lexus has claimed to have the world’s fastest metal folding roof on the IS 250C, so it surely mixes the advantages of a coupé with the fun of a cabriolet.
Over the years, Honda has been known for their affordable, stylish range of cars, but that’s not where it stops: Honda has also pushed the boundaries with their innovative and playful take on advertising, and that is where they are being recognised at the moment.
Five of their adverts, announcing that their Swindon plant is back to work, have won nominations for the 2009 Awards for National Newspaper Advertising (ANNAs). The ads were made by Wieden + Kennedy.
ANNAs judge Darren Bailes described Honda’s adverts as: ‘news in the form of advertising’ and picked the ‘Bacon’ execution as Ad of the Month for June. Other executions nominated were ‘Bolt’, ‘Uniform’, ‘Paint’ and ‘Tea’.
Just after they decided to withdraw from F1 at the end of this season, BMW announced that they will bring a highly efficient sports concept car to the Frankfurt Motor Show. The EfficientDynamics Vision will be taken to the show in September along with BMW’s production versions of the ActiveHybrid7 and ActiveHybrid X6 concepts that were shown at the show previously.
A member of the BMW management board, Dr Klaus Draeger, said in his statement: ‘the BMW EfficientDrive Vision will demonstrate how efficient a sports car can be.’
