honda

Honda makes an environmentally conscious design with the CR-Z. The little sports car, which borrows styling from the past CR-X, uses a hybrid powertrain. Interior elements come from the current generation of the Civic. Honda is committed to building some form of this little sports car in 2009.

A good part of the exhibition space at the 2007 Tokyo auto show is devoted to motorcycles. Manufacturers such as Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda had some fascinating concept bikes on display, showing how they see the future of motorcycling. From big, high-tech concepts that look like they came straight out of Akira, to green and clean fuel-cell scooters, these bikes show off two-wheelers for every purpose. And there's even a four-wheel motorcycle in the mix.

Click here for photos of motorcycle concepts at the 2007 Tokyo auto show.

Although none of these cars are likely to make it to production, they represent some of the most interesting, or, possibly, aberrant, ideas in automotive design. From the Nissan R.D/B.X, designed to let its occupants interact, to the Honda Puyo with its gel-covered body, these concepts are as wild as they come.

Click here for photos of wild concept cars at the 2007 Tokyo auto show.

While car companies want to show off their environmental credentials, they also realize that performance never goes out of style. We spent quite a bit of time going over these sporty concept cars at the 2007 Tokyo auto show. They range from small, fun performance cars from the likes of Honda and Peugeot, to big sport luxury concepts from Nissan and Suzuki, and all the way up to pure design plays like the Mazda Taiki.

Click here for photos of sport concept cars at the 2007 Tokyo auto show.

Amid the excitement of the 2007 Tokyo auto show, Honda has confirmed that it will be unveiling a production version of its much-anticipated 2008 FCX hydrogen fuel-cell car next month in Los Angeles. Why the Japanese auto maker chose LA for the unveiling rather than its own back yard may have to do with the fact that a considerable number of the production FCXs will be leased to customers in the United States beginning next year. According to USA Today, Honda has not decided on the final number of models bound for the U.S. market, although it quotes Honda … Read more

Japan and gadgets go hand in hand, so it's no wonder that car technology figures prominently in automaker displays at the 2007 Tokyo auto show. Both Honda and Volkswagen put up exhibits showing their latest-generation navigation systems, which are generally available as in-dash options in their cars. Both companies embrace the new trend of hard drive-based navigation. These types of systems offer faster data access than DVD-based systems, and there is usually a bit of space left over for music storage. Honda uses a 40GB drive, the largest we've heard of as a factory install, while the Volkswagen … Read more

Honda is upping its production of gas-electric hybrid cars, but has no immediate plans to develop the kind of hybrid that would recharge from an electrical outlet, the company announced Tuesday.

Honda CEO Takeo Fukui also publicly criticized General Motors for its pursuit of the Chevy Volt at a press conference on Tuesday in Japan.

If that kind of high-performance battery power is possible then carmakers would be better served making a completely electric vehicle from an environmental standpoint, said Fukui, according to the The Wall Street Journal (subscription required).

Honda is scheduled to release several environmentally friendly vehicles at the 2007 Tokyo auto show … Read more

Congratulations to Honda's Asimo, world champion of Crave's 2007 nonviolent robot tournament. In the final battle of the tournament, the smooth and sophisticated bipedal robot ousted Star Trek: The Next Generation's Data by a 78-22 percentage score.

Oh, and get your Asimo souvenir pennant here.

The total vote count was even more impressive. Asimo boasted 2,873 votes to Data's 861. Either total would have won any other game in the tournament, a testament to the feverish excitement created by the tourney across the world.

The odds-on favorite to win the competition, Asimo beat out 32 … Read more

Honda is thinking very much inside the box for next week's Tokyo auto show, where it will unveil its latest hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered concept. The Puyo, whose name--according to Honda--is intended to convey "the sensation of touching the vehicle's soft body," is designed to be "kind to both people and the environment".

To achieve this, the bubble-shaped vehicle (we can't bring ourselves to call it a car) has no sharp edges and features a "gel body" made from soft materials to minimize injury to pedestrians. Those unfortunate to be hit by a … Read more