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Filed under: Coupes , Sports/GTs , Tech , Tokyo Motor Show , Supercars , Acura , Honda We don't know what the next Acura (Honda) NSX will ultimately look like, but we do know that it will have a 5.5-liter V10 throwing down 560 hp through a torque-vectoring SW-AWD setup. The folks over at Auto Express have a cutaway view of the NSX's gizzards, and what lurks beneath the creased and chevroned skin of the next do-it-all-faster supercar could be good for a few extra heartbeats. We do hope, however, that these exterior renderings are quite a ways off. Otherwise, it might not be so bad if Acura offers a cutaway version of the actual car so that you don't have to see its body, because even under the camo, the new NSX is shaping up to be um, homely. [Source: Auto Express ] Under the skin of the 2010 Acura NSX originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Gadgets , Tech , Honda Click above for more shots of the Honda Walking Assist Device Those who have difficulty walking may not be bound to a Segway for like thanks to Honda. The Japanese automaker is developing a new technology called the experimental walking assist device. These accessory legs have been designed as a means to offer a helping, um... leg to those who have difficult supporting themselves in day-to-day life but are capable of walking without assistance. Ongoing research for Honda's humanoid Asimo project spurred the robotic leg development, which began in earnest way back in 1999. Honda is now testing the legs at one of its Japanese factories in Sayama, Saitama. To use the legs, the wearer slips on the special (and extremely stylish) shoes and adjusts the seat so that it supports their weight. Two motors move the frame and seat position while lithium-ion batteries keep the system powered for about two hours on a full charge. Are we the only ones who think...
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Filed under: Minivans/MPVs , Japan , Safety , Tech , Honda What other automaker would spend the time and expense of developing a new airbag just because, you know, airbags could be better? The same one who developed a new rail car for the same reason. The Japanese automaker has developed a new airbag it claims will give drivers better protection in accidents. The shaped bag uses a spiral seam to induce more even inflation, which provides a larger surface area and creates uniform pressure around the bag more quickly than in a conventional airbag system. Thus, the driver is cushioned sooner. The i-SRS system also uses a gas release valve that helps control airbag deployment and pressure, and holds the gas inside the bag until a preset time. The technology is already slated to appear on the Honda Life in Japan this November. Outside the vehicle, Honda will be adding a new multi-view camera to the upcoming JDM Odyssey, much like Nissan's Around View Monitor . Four wide-angle CCD cameras...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Green , Japan , Tech , Honda , Nissan Honda and Nissan are looking for ways to make cars lighter, better, and more recyclable, both for their own benefits and their customers. We've heard about the increased use of aluminum to save weight; next on the heavy R&D frontier could be carbon fiber. Both companies have teamed up with Japanese carbon fiber company Toray, and Mitsubishi Rayon -- a Japanese version of DuPont -- to research new, less expensive carbon fiber for cars. Their efforts will be helped by the government, which is injecting two billion yen into the project over five years. The plan is that by the middle of the next decade, they'll be able to mass produce a cost effective carbon fiber and use it to reduce the weight of cars by 40-percent. And when they're finished with it, they will also be able to recycle it to reduce production costs. The current price of carbon fiber makes its use prohibitive except for ornamentation or for use on...
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Filed under: Safety , Tech , Honda , Motorcycles Many motorcycles in today's market feature anti-lock brakes, including models from Honda like the Interceptor and Silverwing scooters. Now, though, the red-winged manufacturer of motorcycles has announced a new system which completely removes the rider's direct connection with the front and rear brakes. Instead of a cable connection, the system uses brake-by-wire technology and allows an on-board computer to apply pressure to both the front and rear brakes as it sees fit. This new system is expected to debut on sportbikes first, which raises some eyebrows in the cycle-riding community. The highest performing bikes have ridiculously powerful brakes which are capable of locking up the front tire very easily. Still, hardcore riders have proven very reluctant to give up any control to computers, especially on race tracks, where supersport bikes are expected to thrive. Being Honda, though, there is a prevailing sense that the technology...
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Filed under: Etc. , Tech , Honda Click above to view video after the jump While our blogging brethren over at Engadget are just relieved that Honda's ASIMO robot didn't attempt a global coup while conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra last night, we're more impressed it didn't fall over and crack its head open. (Seriously Honda, you don't think you're ever going to live that down , do you?) As we reported late last month, Honda's creepy little humanoid robot opened for Yo-Yo Ma in Detroit by conducting the DSO in a rousing rendition of "Impossible Dream". We're not sure what great advances in technology are demonstrated by having a robot conduct an orchestra, however, because we're pretty sure that an actual human conductor is just a glorified metronome. Check out some video of ASIMozart conducting after the break . Gallery: ASIMO conducting orchestra [Source: Engadget ] Continue reading ASIMO succeeds in leading orchestra, does not fall...
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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Green , Tech , Acura , Honda We've been hearing about Honda's upcoming clean diesel for quite some time now, and the automaker was kind enough to show a cutaway of the i-DTEC clean diesel for us at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Expect to see the engine appear first in an upcoming and unnamed Acura product around 2009 - but while you may have to wait over a year for the engine, you can see some cutaways of it right now in our photo gallery below. Click past the jump for some brief commentary on what we learned about Honda's i-DTEC clean diesel in Detroit. Gallery: Honda i-DTEC engine cutaway Continue reading Detroit 2008: Honda gives us a peek at the i-DTEC clean diesel Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Etc. , Green , Tech , Hatchbacks , Honda Click the image above to see more photos of Franken-Civic Car mods and great fuel economy are frequent topics here at Autoblog, but pair the two and sometimes they go together about as well as milk and whiskey. One gentlemen has modded his 1992 Honda Civic to achieve an alleged 85 mpg at 70 mph, but he had to beat the vehicle with a 500-lb ugly stick to get the job done. The would-be engineer used coroplast and aluminum (not papier-mâchié, as it would appear) to add a "front spoiler", underbody cover , wheel covers, and a missile-like "boat tail." We're not sure why the muffler is wearing a codpiece , but this guy seems to know what he's doing, so we'll give him the benefit of the doubt. The end results of the modifications are Prius-destroying fuel economy, very little drag, and zero chance of ever getting a date while driving it. We do have to give props where props are due, however. If...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Japan , Tech , Honda Honda CEO Takeo Fukui has said Honda will now take the hybrid war seriously, with a claim that, "The real competition has just begun." Honda is planning to come out with a hybrid-only model in early 2009 that will provide genuine competition for the Toyota Prius. It seems everyone has been forced to play off the Prius' cues, such as when Fukui says that, "Until now, it has been an image-based competition, not a business-based competition." Which explains the Civic Hybrid being a misstep, because according to CNW research , 50-percent of folks who buy hybrids need the world to know it's a hybrid because they don't want people to think they are burning the remains of giant lizards. How does Honda plan to get the consumer's attention a year from now? Primarily, sticker shock -- but the good kind. Fukui said he wants the car to come in below the price of the current Civic Hybrid...
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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Tech , Honda Click the FCX Clarity for a high res gallery Two years after unveiling the fuel cell-powered FCX concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda today revealed the production version of the car that will be available next summer, along with a name and a price. The car now known as the FCX Clarity will be available to retail customers starting in mid-2008 for a three year lease. The $600/month price tag will include all maintenance and collision insurance. Unlike GM's Project Driveway program, Honda made it clear that engineers won't be following these cars around. People will be able to come into a Honda dealer, sign the papers and drive away. At least if they live in southern California. Initially, the cars will only be available to customers in areas where hydrogen filling stations are available. The production version remains true to the concept with the only real change being the nose, which has been stretched...
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Filed under: Convertibles , Sports/GTs , Tech , GM , Honda Honda's S2000 roadster has legions of fans who are very happy with its balanced mix of performance and handling. Then there are those who just can't be satisfied. One of those power-hungry S2000...
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