Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan

A massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit the northeast part of Japan earlier this morning triggering a 10-meter high tsunami on the coasts of the country sweeping away homes, cars and buildings. The disastrous earthquake, which was followed by many aftershocks, is said to be the world's fifth-largest since 1900 and the biggest in Japan in 140 years.
The full extent of damages caused by the earthquake and the ferocious tsunami remain unknown for now, but we’re already hearing news of people being evacuated and many homes and factories destroyed.
On the automotive front, Toyota and Honda were forced to shut down some of their production plants and evacuate their workers from several factories in the quake zone. According to reports, Toyota, which has a large manufacturing presence in northern Japan, was affected the most with the shutdown possibly affecting production of cars like the Yaris sedan and the Scion xB and xD models.
Honda initially closed down both its Suzuka and Sayama plants, but production at the first factory resumed shortly after. The Sayama plant, which manufactures the US-bound Fit among other models, remains closed. 

Videos 









Photos

Honda Accord 2011

It seems that the petrol-sniffing Yellow Sac spider that forced Mazda to issue a recall on some 52,000 cars in the USA last week has a thing for mid-size Japanese sedans as the eight-legged arthropod also caused problems to Honda in the past. According to reports, Honda posted a Technical Service Bulletin in the summer of 2009 alerting its dealers to check Accords for possible infestation by the Yellow Sac spider, but had not issued a recall then.
“Spider webs are clogging the EVAP canister vent hose or the drain box,” said Honda’s service bulletin with the corrective action being to clean the webs and install a spring in the drain box.
Now, in the wake of the Mazda6 recall, Honda reportedly told its dealers to be on the lookout for the same spider in 2008-2009MY Accords.
But while in the Mazda6 the spider webs could cause air pressure problems in the gas tank potentially leading to a crack and fuel leakage, Honda says that’s not the case with the Accord. "It's just not happening in our cars," Honda spokeswoman Christina Ra told CNN. The company said that in the Accord, the spider webs create blockages with the only visible symptom being a "check engine" light coming on.


photos 

 

New Honda Civic Ti

A new limited edition version of the Civic hatchback inspired by its BTCC-sibling has been added to Honda's car lineup in Britain. The new Civic Ti is based on the five-door 1.4-liter and 1.8-liter i-VTEC SE gasoline variants and according to Honda, it comes with £3,700 worth of extra equipment over and above the standard model.
Offered in an exclusive Premium White Pearl body paint, the Ti is fitted with unique, 17-inch ‘Pro Race’ wheels finished in matt black from Team Dynamics, Honda’s racing partner in the BTCC, and a Crystal Black GP body kit that includes front spoiler, rear spoiler (finished in white), side skirt inserts and rear body skirts.
Inside, Honda has added a standard Pioneer Navigation Multimedia System, which offers full-scale sat nav, entertainment and communication with a 3D graphic touch screen.
Honda plans to build 500 examples of the limited edition Civic Ti, which will go on sale in March with prices starting at £15,995 OTR for the 1.4 i-VTEC and £16,995 for the 1.8-liter variant.

 photos

Read more In Cars

Honda Odyssey Concept, 2010

 Honda Odyssey Concept, 2010

 

 The Honda Odyssey Concept, on display at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, introduces a sleek and distinctive exterior styling direction for the next generation of the industry's best-selling minivan, set to debut this fall, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

The Honda Odyssey Concept dramatically departs from conventional minivan styling with its low and wide stance, highlighted by a "lightning-bolt" beltline that further distinguishes the vehicle's profile. Compared to the 2009 Honda Odyssey, the Concept's slightly lower roofline (-1.0 inch) and wider stance (+1.4 inch) contribute to a sleeker, stronger and more dynamic presence with improved aerodynamics that help increase fuel economy. Forthcoming improvements to the production Honda Odyssey's interior are designed to further enhance the current model's accommodating space for people and cargo.

The steeply raked front and rear roof pillars, unique side-glass profile, chamfered roof line, and tapered rear cabin shape combine to create a dynamic and distinctive appearance from any perspective. The lightning-bolt beltline dives toward the rear of the vehicle emphasizing the new Honda Odyssey's sporty appearance while enhancing outward visibility for third-row passengers. Aggressive body-to-wheel proportions reduce the perception of vertical height common to most minivan designs. Fender flares further accent the vehicle's securely planted and stylish persona. The concept vehicle's projector beam headlights, LED taillights and form-fit fog lights further heighten the sophisticated quality of the design.

Enhanced aerodynamics and advanced powertrain technologies will contribute to the next-generation Honda Odyssey's increased fuel efficiency. The all-new 2011 Honda Odyssey is expected to achieve an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 19 city/28 highway miles-per gallon on select models (preliminary estimate determined by Honda).

Currently in its third generation, the Honda Odyssey's unique array of features, including its superior driving dynamics, 3rd-Row Magic Seat and efficient i-VTEC V-6 engine with three-mode Variable Cylinder Management™ (available) all combine to offer a sophisticated environment with room for up to eight people (seven on Odyssey LX). The Odyssey has been America's best-selling minivan since 2008 and is produced exclusively in Alabama by Honda Manufacturing of Alabama (using domestic and globally sourced parts). Both the concept and production vehicles, along with all development activity for the 2011 Odyssey, are being designed at Honda R&D Americas in Torrance, California, and Raymond, Ohio.

The Honda Odyssey has won numerous awards and critical acclaim. Recent accolades include the Edmunds.com 2010 "Top Recommended" minivan award, U.S. News and World Report 2010 "Best Minivan for the Money" award, Automotive Lease Guide 2010 "Best Minivan for the Money," the Kelley Blue Book award as one of the ten "Best New Family Vehicles of 2009" and "2009 Best Resale Value Award" in the van category, which recognizes vehicles that are expected to have segment-leading resale value after five years of ownership.

Honda Odyssey Concept Basic Dimensions
    * Length: 202.8"
    * Width: 78.5"
    * Height: 68.3"
    * Wheelbase: 118.1"

Top Bike Launches Expected In India In 2011

Year 2010 has been a very eventful year where Car and Bike Launches are concerned. Recently we covered – 94 Top Indian Car & Bike Launches Of Year 2010 on Car Blog India. We hope that with the recovering economy globally and a strong economic growth in India, we will see another eventful and prosperous year ahead for Indians and Indian industries. In this article we look forward to the coming year 2011 and see what all is expected from Indian automobile industry in this year to come.

1. Kawasaki Ninja 650R For India

Had i been a wealthy person, i would have bought the bike that we are going to talk about today. I am talking about the soon to be introduced Kawasaki Ninja 650R which is sibling of very popular motorcycle already running on the roads on India, Kawasaki Ninja 250R.Kawasaki is a world renowned brand which initiated the trend of bikes with Ram Air engines. The line-up offered globally is certainly worth its price with a host of features and breathtaking performance right at a push of the throttle and now with the addition of Ninja 650R in March 2011, the expansion plans of the company seem to take shape.

2. KTM Duke 125 For India

KTM will soon launch its KTM 125 Avatar concept 2010 variant in India. The Sporty Dirt bike will be called KTM Duke. The bike looks sporty, feels sporty, and don’t go by the 125 CC mileage, because this monster gives 20 PS power which is much higher than the normal 125 CC commuter bikes which deliver 12 to 13 PS power.

3. ktm duke 200 For India

With the entrance of the Yamaha FZ-16 and Yamaha R-15, the India two-wheeler market scenario has been transformed and taken to another and certainly a much better level. Earlier where it was only a dream for bikers to buy a stripped down version of a performance bike, now has been drastically changed.For the Indian market the most important thing to keep in mind is the price tag and one can only offer performance bikes at affordable prices by stripping down some of their features. The trend was brought by Yamaha and is being followed by a number of brands like Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki and now KTM.

4. Honda CBR250R Launch In India

In February 2011 Honda will open Honda CBR 250 booking in India. It will start receiving token money for booking, the deliveries will start in April 2011. The pricing of the Honda CBR 250 has not been announced as of now but it is believed that it will take on Ninja 250 in a big way by competitive pricing. We are keeping our eyes on it and will update you as soon as any official information arrives.

5. TVS Apache RTR 180 With ABS

Fuel Injection, Delta Frames, Disc Brakes, Digital gizmos are the desires that every young man wants to be an integral part of his life. So far no Indian company has evolved with their bikes, but TVS seems to be taking much interest in different technological stuff and even Bajaj is there with TVS. TVS already has one of the finest motorcycles in India in the form of TVS Apache RTR 180 which is not only one of the fastest in production but also upholds the tag of being the best stopper among all the machines produced in its segment in India.

6. Yamaha Gearless Scooters For India

Honda Activa, Mahindra Rodeo, TVS Wego and Suzuki Access are one of the most popular and hot selling gearless scooters in India these days. Yamaha is correct in gauging this demand and claim its share of the pie. With demand of popular scooters like Honda Activa being as much as two months, it’s a right move for Yamaha to enter the segment and create more choices in the segment.

7. BMW Motorcycles For India

BMW is going extremely well with appreciable car sales still increasing at a good rate and has also confirmed its plans of launching motorcycles in India. On one hand where Yamaha, Honda, Ducati, Suzuki and Harley Davidson have already entered the two-wheeler arena with high end performance bikes, BMW has to make sure that it offers everything to attract customers.Now the question arises which are the bike that the brand is going to launch? The answer is BMW R1200GS and BMW S1000RR are the two machines that this German manufacturer will offer initially. The S1000RR is a sport bike whereas the R1200GS is a dual-sport one.