September 2012: American Honda

If there has been one piece of forbidden Honda fruit that enthusiasts have been clamoring for a few years, it has to be the Civic Type-R. The good news is that the Type-R is coming and Honda has revealed a "concept" of it at the Paris Motor Show.
Like most Honda/Acura concepts, the Civic Type-R Prototype is a thinly veiled preview of the production model. There is an aggressive body kit with new bumpers, hood scoop, wider fenders, 20-inch black wheels, and a large rear wing.
No details were given on the Type-R's powerplant, but it is expected that the new model would use the current Type-R's turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. In the current Type-R, the engine produces 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Expect a bit more power for the new model. A six-speed manual will route power to the front wheels. There will be a number of upgrades to the suspension, steering, brakes, and tires to handle all of this power.
Honda will begin production of the next-generation Civic Type-R sometime next year. We'll likely have more information when Honda shows off the Civic Type-R next month at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Source: Honda
 
Live Pic Credit: Newspress
Press Release is on Page 2


Radical New Honda Civic Type R Prototype Debuts in Paris; Making its North American Debut at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas
Sep 28, 2016 - TORRANCE, Calif.
New Civic Type R Prototype unveiled at 2016 Mondial de L'Automobile in Paris First-ever Honda-badged Type R coming to the U.S. Features wide, aggressive fascias, extended wheel arches and dramatic rear wing Bespoke "brushed aluminium" wrap provides eye-catching finish Fresh on the heels of the sales launch of the 2017 Civic Hatchback, the next-generation Civic Type R had its global debut in prototype form today at the 2016 Paris auto show. The radical new Civic Type R, with its sporty and sleek hatchback design and track-ready performance, will make its North American debut at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, November 1-4, 2016, marking the arrival of the first-ever Honda-badged Type R in the U.S.
The Civic Type R Prototype offers insight into the styling of the next-generation Civic Type R, which will be officially unveiled in 2017, joining the 10th Generation Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe and newly released Civic Hatchback, with the Civic Si variants also launching next year.
"We promised the most ambitious, sportiest Civic lineup ever and we're delivering on that promise with each new Civic," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "For the first time ever in America, Honda fans and enthusiasts will have access to the ultimate in Civic performance in the form of the new Type R."
Based on the low and wide proportion of the new Civic Hatchback, the Civic Type R Prototype is enhanced by muscular body styling and modifications to aid aerodynamic performance. The exterior is wrapped in a highly reflective, finely-grained brushed aluminum-effect finish, which is unique to the prototype car. At the front, the aggressive fascia is accentuated with a winged carbon fiber splitter and sporty red accent line. Additional slatted ducts add width to the fascia, and diamond-mesh inserts fill the sculpted air intakes.
Honda's iconic red "H" badge, which adorns all Type R models, sits prominently on the front grille at the nose of the car. There is a new intake on the hood, with an air scoop sited centrally in a trapezoidal recess. Smoked lenses for the LED headlights, indicators and side indicator repeater lights reflect the Type R Prototype's more aggressive character.
Carbon fiber side skirts run the length of the side sills, between 20-inch piano black alloy wheels with red accents and 245-section high-performance tires. A beefy carbon fiber diffuser runs below the wider rear fascia, which frames three fully-functional tailpipes flanked by a pair of directional strakes. The smaller diameter central tailpipe is highlighted in bright metallic red. Model-exclusive vortex generators at the rear edges of the roof point backward toward a visually striking rear wing.
The next generation Civic Type R was developed by the joint efforts of Honda R&D teams in Europe and Japan and will be officially unveiled in production form next year. The 2017 Civic Type R will be produced exclusively at the Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) plant in Swindon, the global manufacturing hub for the five-door hatchback.

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If there has been one piece of forbidden Honda fruit that enthusiasts have been clamoring for a few years, it has to be the Civic Type-R. The good news is that the Type-R is coming and Honda has revealed a "concept" of it at the Paris Motor Show.
Like most Honda/Acura concepts, the Civic Type-R Prototype is a thinly veiled preview of the production model. There is an aggressive body kit with new bumpers, hood scoop, wider fenders, 20-inch black wheels, and a large rear wing.
No details were given on the Type-R's powerplant, but it is expected that the new model would use the current Type-R's turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. In the current Type-R, the engine produces 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Expect a bit more power for the new model. A six-speed manual will route power to the front wheels. There will be a number of upgrades to the suspension, steering, brakes, and tires to handle all of this power.
Honda will begin production of the next-generation Civic Type-R sometime next year. We'll likely have more information when Honda shows off the Civic Type-R next month at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Source: Honda
 
Live Pic Credit: Newspress
Press Release is on Page 2


Radical New Honda Civic Type R Prototype Debuts in Paris; Making its North American Debut at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas
Sep 28, 2016 - TORRANCE, Calif.
New Civic Type R Prototype unveiled at 2016 Mondial de L'Automobile in Paris First-ever Honda-badged Type R coming to the U.S. Features wide, aggressive fascias, extended wheel arches and dramatic rear wing Bespoke "brushed aluminium" wrap provides eye-catching finish Fresh on the heels of the sales launch of the 2017 Civic Hatchback, the next-generation Civic Type R had its global debut in prototype form today at the 2016 Paris auto show. The radical new Civic Type R, with its sporty and sleek hatchback design and track-ready performance, will make its North American debut at the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, November 1-4, 2016, marking the arrival of the first-ever Honda-badged Type R in the U.S.
The Civic Type R Prototype offers insight into the styling of the next-generation Civic Type R, which will be officially unveiled in 2017, joining the 10th Generation Civic Sedan and Civic Coupe and newly released Civic Hatchback, with the Civic Si variants also launching next year.
"We promised the most ambitious, sportiest Civic lineup ever and we're delivering on that promise with each new Civic," said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda Division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "For the first time ever in America, Honda fans and enthusiasts will have access to the ultimate in Civic performance in the form of the new Type R."
Based on the low and wide proportion of the new Civic Hatchback, the Civic Type R Prototype is enhanced by muscular body styling and modifications to aid aerodynamic performance. The exterior is wrapped in a highly reflective, finely-grained brushed aluminum-effect finish, which is unique to the prototype car. At the front, the aggressive fascia is accentuated with a winged carbon fiber splitter and sporty red accent line. Additional slatted ducts add width to the fascia, and diamond-mesh inserts fill the sculpted air intakes.
Honda's iconic red "H" badge, which adorns all Type R models, sits prominently on the front grille at the nose of the car. There is a new intake on the hood, with an air scoop sited centrally in a trapezoidal recess. Smoked lenses for the LED headlights, indicators and side indicator repeater lights reflect the Type R Prototype's more aggressive character.
Carbon fiber side skirts run the length of the side sills, between 20-inch piano black alloy wheels with red accents and 245-section high-performance tires. A beefy carbon fiber diffuser runs below the wider rear fascia, which frames three fully-functional tailpipes flanked by a pair of directional strakes. The smaller diameter central tailpipe is highlighted in bright metallic red. Model-exclusive vortex generators at the rear edges of the roof point backward toward a visually striking rear wing.
The next generation Civic Type R was developed by the joint efforts of Honda R&D teams in Europe and Japan and will be officially unveiled in production form next year. The 2017 Civic Type R will be produced exclusively at the Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) plant in Swindon, the global manufacturing hub for the five-door hatchback.

Cadillac is offering 400 of its smallest dealers a buyout if they don't want to be part of the ambitious and contentious Project Pinnacle.
Automotive News reports the offers will range from $100,000 to $180,000. The dealers eligible for the buyout sold less than 50 new Cadillac models in 2015. While the 400 dealers make up 43 percent of Cadillac's total number of dealers in the U.S. (around 925), this group only made up 9 percent of total sales last year.
Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen said the buyouts is to give those an alternative who don't want to forward with the new program.
“This is going to be a long, arduous and challenging journey and certainly not one for the faint-hearted. Some people may choose to make life a little easier than what lies ahead,” said de Nysschen.
de Nysschen did say while Cadillac has too many dealers compared to their rivals, the buyout program isn't meant to be seen as a way to get rid of low-volume dealers. 
Project Pinnacle is a new incentive program that will separate dealers into five tiers based on sales volume. Each tier offers a varying level of customer perk along with different requirements for services and facilities. For example, small stores cannot stock vehicles on site. Instead, they would offer a virtual showroom for customers to explore and order a vehicle. This program has gotten backlash from dealer groups, saying it would violate franchise laws and be unfair to the smaller dealers. 
Those who have been offered the buyout have until November 21st to either take it or move forward with Project Pinnacle, which is expected to begin January 1st.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
 

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Cadillac is offering 400 of its smallest dealers a buyout if they don't want to be part of the ambitious and contentious Project Pinnacle.
Automotive News reports the offers will range from $100,000 to $180,000. The dealers eligible for the buyout sold less than 50 new Cadillac models in 2015. While the 400 dealers make up 43 percent of Cadillac's total number of dealers in the U.S. (around 925), this group only made up 9 percent of total sales last year.
Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen said the buyouts is to give those an alternative who don't want to forward with the new program.
“This is going to be a long, arduous and challenging journey and certainly not one for the faint-hearted. Some people may choose to make life a little easier than what lies ahead,” said de Nysschen.
de Nysschen did say while Cadillac has too many dealers compared to their rivals, the buyout program isn't meant to be seen as a way to get rid of low-volume dealers. 
Project Pinnacle is a new incentive program that will separate dealers into five tiers based on sales volume. Each tier offers a varying level of customer perk along with different requirements for services and facilities. For example, small stores cannot stock vehicles on site. Instead, they would offer a virtual showroom for customers to explore and order a vehicle. This program has gotten backlash from dealer groups, saying it would violate franchise laws and be unfair to the smaller dealers. 
Those who have been offered the buyout have until November 21st to either take it or move forward with Project Pinnacle, which is expected to begin January 1st.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
 

The automotive industry in the U.S. has been enjoying one of the best years in terms of sales. But one segment is seeing a drop in their sales. That segment is the midsize sedan.
Automotive News reports that the demand for midsize sedans is at a five-year low. The numbers tell this sad story. In the first quarter of 2016, sales of midsize sedans dropped 3.4 percent. The second quarter saw sales dropped 13 percent, while the third quarter saw a whopping 21 percent drop. For the month August, all 16 midsize sedans saw an average drop of 27 percent. The Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, and Nissan Altima reported drops of over 30 percent.
Automakers have been throwing money on the hoods of their midsize sedans to try and ignite sales. But this tactic isn't working.
Why are midsize sedan sales down? It comes down to consumers wanting crossovers and SUVs.
"It doesn't matter how deep you discount the leisure suit and bell-bottoms -- nobody's going to buy them if they're not fashionable. I don't think they're ever going to go away, but there's a lot more people who don't consider them anymore," said Eric Lyman, vice president of industry insights at TrueCar. 
The outlook for midsize sedan sales doesn't look good as we enter fall and winter.
"That larger sedan buyer just sees more value in the SUVs or CUVs," said Mike DeSilva, co-owner of Liberty Hyundai in Mahwah, N.J. "That's just where the activity is. And heading into the end of summer and going into winter, we're really going to get into SUV season."
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

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