September « 2010 « Japnanese Used Honda Cars

Honda Jazz Hybrid - Fully Flexible

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

The world debut of the Jazz Hybrid at the Paris motor show will offer the first opportunity to see that Honda has added IMA hybrid technology to the innovative hatchback while still retaining the flexibility of its unique folding Magic Seats.

01 s Importantly in the Jazz Hybrid the integration of the hybrid system into the car has not diminished the interior space, with the boot floor remaining at the same level as the current 1.2 and 1.4 Jazz models. The IMA battery pack and power control unit have been integrated in the area under the boot floor, keeping the normal boot (above floor) area of 300 litres and allowing the Magic Seats to fold in the same manner as non-hybrid versions. This means that the seats still fold entirely flat to provide a surprising large boot space of 831 litres or the seat bases can be folded to sit vertically to accommodate tall items within the car.

The IMA hybrid motor and control system are shared with the Insight and CR-Z hybrids, taking advantage of the proven reliability of this important technology. With almost two decades of development and 10 years of sales behind it, the Honda IMA system has proven itself to be a flexible and dependable technology, with over half a million vehicles on the road benefitting from its combination of low emissions and fuel economy.

Source: http://world.honda.com/news/2010/4100927Jazz-Hybrid/index.html

Best Quality Honda Used Cars from Japan

Posted in Honda News | No Comments »

HPD Teams Finish 1-2 in LMS P2 Championship

Friday, September 17th, 2010

A come-from-behind charge in the second half of Sunday’s Autosport 1000 Kilometers of Silverstone saw Strakka Racing claim its third Le Mans Series P2 prototype victory from five starts in its HPD ARX-01c, while RML locked down the LMP2 championship with a fourth-place finish in its HPD-engined Lola.

These two partner teams of Honda Performance Development scored a total of four LMS LMP2 wins - including an overall victory at the Hungaroring - to finish 1-2 in the series championship. It was an outstanding result for both the teams and HPD, in its first year of European-based LMS competition.

“This has been an outstanding first season for HPD in the Le Mans Series, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the efforts of both RML and Strakka this year,” said Stephen Eriksen, HPD assistant vice president. “Combined with our success at Le Mans, it’s been an incredible season, the first of many we hope to have in the LMS. A special thanks to our teams, HPD associates, and our friends at Wirth Research. We could not have achieved such success without such fantastic partners.”

Strakka claimed LMP2 honors at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, with RML finishing third. In addition to winning its class, the Strakka HPD was fifth overall and established a new LMP2 record for distance covered in the endurance racing classic.

In Sunday’s race at Silverstone, the Strakka HPD started from the class pole, the sixth pole for HPD in six events this year, and moved into a commanding early lead with Jonny Kane at the wheel. But a mid-race collision with a slower GT2 car sent the HPD, with Nick Leventis now driving, to the pits for repairs. Returning to the track in fourth place, Leventis climbed back up the leader board to return the HPD to the lead lap and second place, then handed driving duties over to Danny Watts for the final stint.

Watts caught and passed the Quifel - ASM Zytek of Oliver Pla with 31 laps remaining to secure the victory for Strakka and HPD. The victory secured second for Strakka in the final championship points standings.

“My stint required some catching up, so I had to get my head down,” Watts said. “So, I concentrated on reeling off the laps as quickly as possible without making mistakes. Jonny [Kane] had already told me the car was really good, and that gave me the confidence I needed to push.”

A fourth-place result from the RML trio of Tommy Erdos, Mike Newton and Ben Collins in their Lola B08/80 HPD was more than enough for the team to claim the LMS P2 championship, by a six-point margin over Strakka,

Next month, Patrón Highcroft Racing heads into the American Le Mans Series finale, the October 2 Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, leading both the ALMS team and drivers’ championships, with three LMP wins and four additional podium finishes in its HPD ARX-01c.. HPD holds a 16-point lead over Porsche in the Engine Manufacturers’ Championship, and a nine-point lead over Lola in the Chassis Manufacturers’ Championship.

Source: http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=5650

Best Quality Honda Used Cars from Japan

Posted in Honda News | No Comments »

Honda riders win races and take titles at Pala MX

Friday, September 17th, 2010

The Honda Red Riders took on the final round of the 2010 AMA Motocross Championship and Women’s Motocross Championship (WMA) at Pala Raceway in Pala, CA on Saturday, September 11, and Honda Red Bull Racing’s Andrew Short and Kevin Windham made solid runs up front aboard their CRF450Rs while teammate Ashley Fiolek took victory aboard her CRF250R. The biggest Honda winner at Pala was GEICO Powersports Honda’s Trey Canard, who won his first-ever AMA 250 Motocross Championship.

Short grabbed the holeshot in the first 450cc moto and was leading early on but relinquished two spots before the race’s end to take third. In moto two, he again fired off to a fine start and was in second behind GEICO Powersports Honda’s Brett Metcalfe until Metcalfe crashed on lap five, handing Short the lead. The likeable Honda Red Bull athlete held the lead for five laps, but ultimately finished second. Short’s 3-2 results gave him second overall and he finished the 450 series third in points.

Windham had his work cut out for him after suffering lackluster starts in both motos. The veteran Honda racer made solid come-from-behind charges in both motos to go 7-8 for seventh overall.

Metcalfe rounded the weekend out in third overall to finish his rookie AMA 450-class season in an impressive second overall. Troy Lee Designs Honda’s Ben Townley went 6-4 to end both the round and the series in fourth overall. Privateer Kyle Regal finished ninth overall on his CRF450R, good for ninth in the series standings.

GEICO Powersports Honda’s Trey Canard raced his way into the history books by winning his first-ever AMA 250 Motocross Championship. Coming into the round seven points behind series leader Christophe Pourcel, Canard knew he needed to race smart, consistent motos in order to have a chance at the title. Unfortunately, he crashed in the first moto, but rival Pourcel crashed as well—hard enough to take him out of the race. Canard remounted and charged back up to fourth in the first moto. In the second moto, he finished third, netting him third overall as well as enough points to win the 2010 AMA 250 Motocross Championship.

“This is a dream come true for me,” said Canard. “This is the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people. I’m so privileged to be a part of the GEICO Powersports Honda team and couldn’t have done this without them. I’m really proud to be able to deliver the team the championship in my final year in the 250 class. I won the Supercross Lites title a few years ago and to cap off my 250 career with the Motocross title is just awesome.”

Source: http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=5651

Best Quality Honda Used Cars from Japan

Posted in Honda News | No Comments »

Double Honda Victories at Steel City Motocross

Monday, September 13th, 2010

Torrance CA: Honda Red Bull Racing’s Kevin Windham came out on top at round eleven of the AMA Motocross Championship at Steel City Raceway in Delmont, PA on Saturday, September 4, aboard his CRF450R GEICO Powersports Honda’s Trey Canard made it a double victory for Honda by clinching the 250-class victory aboard his CRF250R.

Despite not competing in the premier 450 Motocross class for years, Windham showed that at 32 years of age he still has what it takes to win. In moto one the 16-year racing veteran battled for the lead with GEICO Powersports Honda’s Brett Metcalfe before taking control of the race and setting the stage for a Honda podium sweep. Windham came out on top, Metcalfe nabbed second and Troy Lee Design’s Ben Townley clinched third place aboard his CRF450R. In the second moto Windham moved into an early lead but relinquished a spot on lap four. The Honda racer held off a determined charge by Metcalfe once again to take the checkers in second place, which earned him the overall victory (1-2).

“This win is definitely up there with some of my greatest career moments and I’m stoked to have the opportunity to be out here racing,” said Windham. “I’m learning to cherish each and every one of these moments with each passing year as I’m not getting any younger and you never know when the next opportunity will come again. The Honda Red Bull Racing team was awesome this weekend and I really had to work hard to keep Metcalfe honest in both motos.”

The battle for second place in the championship got even hotter for Windham’s teammate Andrew Short, who came into Steel City with a three-point lead over Metcalfe in the series points standings. Short continued to rip off fast starts in both motos but his 4-5 moto results versus Metcalfe’s 2-3 tally saw the pair switch spots in the overall standings. Short’s hunt to regain second in the championship chase will be played out at the final round next weekend at Pala Raceway, CA.

Metcalfe’s 2-3 finishes at Steel City gave him second overall at the round. Despite suffering a broken nose during the first moto, Townley still finished third, but a first-turn pile-up in moto two took him out of the competition. Still his third place finish in moto one (plus a 37th in moto two) gave him 10th overall.

Source: http://powersports.honda.com/racing/news/mxsx/090111c080c1f927/detail.aspx

Best Quality Honda Used Cars from Japan

Posted in Honda News | 1 Comment »

Honda to Serve as Title Sponsor of Barber Motorsports Park IndyCar Event

Friday, September 10th, 2010

American - American Honda Motor Company, Inc., announced today it will be the title sponsor of the April 8-10 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama IZOD IndyCar Series race weekend at Barber Motorsports Park.

The multi-year agreement with event promoter ZOOM Motorsports of Birmingham, Alabama, adds the 2.38-mile Barber road course to a roster of Honda-titled IndyCar events that includes the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida and Honda Indy 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course north of Columbus.

“Barber Motorsports Park will be a great addition to the Honda family of IndyCar events,” said Steve Center, vice president, national marketing operations, for American Honda. “The Barber facility is incredible; it’s state-of-the-art and very spectator-friendly. It has already developed a large and enthusiastic fan base, and many associates at our nearby Alabama auto assembly plant are a regular part of that audience.”

Located in nearby Lincoln, Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC (HMA) employs 4,000 associates at its $1.4 billion vehicle and engine operation. The plant began production in 2001 and produces the Odyssey minivan, Pilot SUV, Ridgeline pickup, Accord V-6 Sedan and V-6 engines. Honda has the capacity to produce 300,000 vehicles and engines annually at its Alabama facility.

With today’s announcement, the opening two events of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series - at St. Petersburg and Barber Motorsports Park - will feature Honda title sponsorship.

In a North American open-wheel racing history that dates to 1994 - beginning with nine seasons (1994-2002) in the former CART/Champ Car Series, now the IZOD IndyCar Series - Honda has recorded 174 race victories, 12 drivers’ championships, 10 Manufacturers’ Championships and seven Indianapolis 500 victories.

Source: http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=5647

Best Quality Honda Used Cars from Japan

Posted in Honda News | No Comments »

Honda Marine Receives 2010 Customer Satisfaction Index Award from the National Marine Manufacturers Association

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Honda Marine announced today that it has received the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Award for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction for outboard engines in 2010 from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). This award marks the seventh consecutive year that Honda Marine has secured the honor.

The NMMA will formally recognize this year’s award recipients at the upcoming International Boat Builder’s Exhibition (IBEX) show and conference, scheduled for September 28 - 30 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

The CSI Award acknowledges companies that actively measure customer satisfaction to pursue continuous improvement. Recipients have achieved and maintained an independently measured standard of 90 percent or higher in customer satisfaction during the past year, based on customer surveys. Honda Marine outboard engines were recognized for their superior performance, high fuel efficiency, excellent reliability and quietness-at-cruise - all criteria important to consumers.

“We are honored to again receive this important award and recognition from NMMA,” said Scott Conner, vice president, Honda Power Equipment. “Providing our customers with the best experience possible is the ultimate goal for our team at Honda Marine, and this survey’s findings and analyses are key drivers that help our organization effectively meet that goal.”

NMMA launched its CSI program in 2001 to provide boat and engine manufacturers with an independently-measured, cost-effective tool to help improve customer satisfaction in the boating industry. Since the program’s inception, more than 500,000 surveys have been sent to new boat and engine customers, allowing participating manufacturers to monitor customer satisfaction on an ongoing basis, and to benchmark themselves against the industry and their competitors.

Source: http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=5612

Best Quality Honda Used Cars from Japan

Posted in Honda News | No Comments »

Honda Begins Production of 2011 Odyssey Minivan in Alabama

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Honda marked the start of production of the all-new, Alabama-built 2011 Honda Odyssey minivan today with an end-of-the-line celebration that included participation by more than 1,200 associates at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama (HMA).

The Odyssey minivan has been the top-selling minivan in the U.S. for the past two years and is considered the benchmark vehicle in the minivan class. The completely-redesigned 2011 Honda Odyssey improves on its already award-winning, class-leading design with a more-distinctive style, higher fuel efficiency and greater interior versatility. Improvements to the fourth-generation Odyssey represent a new Honda vision for the “ultimate in family transportation.”

“In about four weeks, our Honda dealers will have this new Odyssey on their showroom floor. But I don’t think it will be there for long,” said Vicki Poponi, assistant vice president of product planning for American Honda Motor Co. “Whether you’re driving in Oregon or Orlando, Milwaukee or Mobile - everyone in this great, glorious nation of ours will know that every ‘American Odyssey’ has its roots right here in Lincoln, Alabama.”

Tuesday’s event at the assembly line celebrated the start of mass production of the new Odyssey, which has received a total makeover for the 2011 model year. HMA is the exclusive global production source of the Odyssey minivan, the Pilot sport utility vehicle and the Ridgeline pickup. The Lincoln plant also shares production of the Accord V-6 Sedan with the Marysville Auto Plant in Marysville, Ohio and builds the V-6 engines that power each model.

“What a beautiful vehicle we have created together,” said Art StCyr, chief engineer for the 2011 Odyssey at Honda R&D in Raymond, Ohio. “It’s called the American Odyssey because - for the first time - the Odyssey minivan was designed, developed, and manufactured in the U.S. What a great sense of pride that brings to all of us.”

Source: http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=5613

Best Quality Honda Used Cars from Japan

Posted in Honda News | No Comments »

Honda Red Riders Tackle The Southwick Sand

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

The Honda Red Riders took on round 10 of the 2010 AMA Motocross Championship and AMA Women’s Motocross Championship at Moto-X 338 in Southwick, MA on Saturday, August 28, and Honda Red Bull Racing’s Andrew Short, Kevin Windham and Ashley Fiolek battled it out in the sand aboard their CRF450R and CRF250R race machines while GEICO Powersports Honda’s Trey Canard and Justin Barcia scored moto wins aboard their CRF250Rs.

Kevin Windham fared well at Southwick as he went 10-5 to finish the round fifth overall. The veteran Honda racer was mid-pack at the start of moto one but he made up several spots before the race’s end to finish in 10th place. In moto two Windham got away to a flying start, grabbing the holeshot and running among the top contenders to eventually finish fifth and secure fifth overall for the round.

The weekend was punishing for Short, who has consistently run up front all season long. He suffered a technical issue in practice and was caught up in on-track collisions in both motos one and two. The likeable Honda racer was charging hard in moto one when he came together with Ben Townley, which caused both riders to go down. Rejoining the fray at the rear of the pack, Short unleashed a full-throttle assault on the competition and was making solid gains only to run out of gas in the closing stages of the race. Finishing in 15th spot, Short launched from the start gate only to get caught up in a first-turn pile up. Riding a come-from-behind race, Short eventually took the checkers in 17th position to place 18th overall for the round.

In other 450-class action, GEICO Powersports Honda’s Brett Metcalfe was in strong contention for the moto one win when he ran out of fuel in the closing stages of the moto and finished in 14th position. In moto two Metcalfe went down on the opening lap but he remounted and worked his way back up to finish in seventh spot, putting him ninth overall for the round. Troy Lee Designs Honda’s Townley had two action-filled motos; he crashed out of moto one and bounced back to finish second in moto two, finishing the round in seventh position.

Source: http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=5610

Best Quality Honda Used Cars from Japan

Posted in Honda News | No Comments »

Honda Conducts European Public Research to Perfect Human-Robot Interaction

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

A research project will be conducted this week in Linz, Austria, to discover what the ideal interaction between people and humanoid robots ought to be in the future, Honda R&D and Ars Electronica Futurelab announced. The research, the first of its kind in Europe, will involve members of the public directly interacting with ASIMO, Honda’s humanoid robot.

The findings from this and similar research around the world will be integrated into the functionality of future versions ASIMO. It will also help realise a humanoid robot that can interact effortlessly with people in a living environment and take on some the tasks that would help make people’s lives easier.

For nearly a quarter of a century Honda has made significant progress towards this goal. The latest generation of this research is Honda’s ASIMO, widely regarded as the most advanced humanoid robot. ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative MObility, features functionality including high-level mobility and an ability to give and receive objects.

Satoshi Shigemi, Large Project Leader of ASIMO development, Honda R&D Co., Ltd., said:

“This is an exciting collaboration for us with Ars Electronica Futurelab, which has a long history of investigating human-machine interaction and design. It is a significant milestone in our development of ASIMO and an important piece of human-robot interaction research to examine the diverse levels of robot acceptance and interaction around the world. We’ve already held research in Japan and in time we will conduct similar research in different cultures and different parts of the world.”

Source: http://world.honda.com/news/2010/c100901Human-Robot-interaction/index.html

Best Quality Honda Used Cars from Japan

Posted in Honda News | No Comments »

Archive for September, 2010

Honda Jazz Hybrid - Fully Flexible

HPD Teams Finish 1-2 in LMS P2 Championship

Honda riders win races and take titles at Pala MX

Double Honda Victories at Steel City Motocross

Honda to Serve as Title Sponsor of Barber Motorsports Park IndyCar Event

Honda Marine Receives 2010 Customer Satisfaction Index Award from the National Marine Manufacturers Association

Honda Begins Production of 2011 Odyssey Minivan in Alabama

Honda Red Riders Tackle The Southwick Sand

Honda Conducts European Public Research to Perfect Human-Robot Interaction

Categories

Archives