cr-z

Latest Honda CR-Z Mugen concept is rated RR

I'd like to have a little fun while saving the planet--I'm sure that we all would--but this wave of hotted-up hybrids has me scratching my head. Some, like the Prius Plus Performance Package, appear to use the term "performance" a bit too liberally for my tastes Still others, like the Mugen CR-Z, seem to add a sporty pedigree to what was previously just sporty pretense. Building on the later of those concepts, Honda has just pulled the wraps off of an even more extreme variant of its sporty hybrid at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in … Read more

See the supercharged Honda CR-Z Mugen in action

Hey, do you remember that funky orange Honda CR-Z Mugen concept we showed you about a month ago? You know, the one with a supercharger that boosts power to 198 horsepower while keeping the IMA hybrid system intact? No? Well, take a minute and check the specs, then check out the freshly minted video below that showcases what's likely the coolest concept in Honda's current stable.

We could do without the massive wing spoiler, but for a nigh 200-pony sport compact offering Civic Type-R levels of performance, we think we'd be able to deal with it (or … Read more

Honda unveils 198-horsepower CR-Z Mugen concept

The 2011 Honda CR-Z found itself on the receiving end of much criticism from the automotive press and enthusiasts, ourselves included, when it launched last year. Greenies didn't like the hybrid's merely average fuel economy, and enthusiasts chided its less-than-hard-core performance. A few of these enthusiasts figured they could do better. This is where Mugen, Honda's sometimes-official tuning division comes into the picture with its CR-Z Mugen concept, set to debut in July at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.

Realizing that you can't please everyone, Mugen instead focuses on the needs and wants of … Read more

CNET Car Tech: 2011 Honda CR-Z

It's the spritual return of the legendary CR-X, in hybrid form. But is there any real point to that, other than being part of current engineering fashion? The 2011 CR-Z doesn't wow us with either performance or efficiency, yet somehow it's still an appealing little car. Brian Cooley takes you for a drive to check the tech.

Honda CR-Z gets a high-power heart transplant

Honda's 2011 CR-Z hybrid is about as sporty as it gets when it comes to hybrid vehicles. Granted, that isn't saying much. I mean the hatchback's 1.5-liter, IMA-boosted power plant only outputs 122-horsepower and manages a combined 34 EPA-estimated mpg. Ford's Fiesta manages similar numbers without the burden of hybrid trickery and complexity. So what's a self-respecting Honda tuner to do to improve the output of the CR-Z's engine room? How about a 200-horsepower engine swap?

Enter LHT Performance and Honda's 2-liter K20 engine, a mill a bit more befitting a sport … Read more

Honda goes CR-Z crazy at SEMA 2010

Rounding the corner leading to Honda's booth at the 2010 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, I was a bit taken aback as I suddenly found myself confronted with the largest gathering of modified CR-Zs I'd ever seen, 12 in total. Heck, considering that the CR-Z has only been available for a handful of months, this was the largest gathering of any CR-Zs I'd ever seen. Most of these examples were built by third parties, but at the center of Honda's presentation was a trio of special compact hybrids built by Honda itself: a 2011 CR-Z equipped … Read more

Honda holds 3D launch in Times Square

Honda threw a big party, spanning five blocks, in Times Square yesterday to celebrate the launch of the all-new CR-Z sport hybrid coupe.

Honda ran 3D footage of the CR-Z on the Times Square HD Spectacolor screen (on Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets). Several CR-Z models were on hand and hip-hop trio, N.E.R.D. played to a crowd of 250,000.

The Honda CR-Z and CR-Z EX sport hybrid coupe went on sale August 24 with a starting price of $19,200.

The CR-Z is powered by a 1.5-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine with a six-speed manual … Read more

Honda's hybrid CR-Z to arrive in months

DETROIT--Honda Motor touted its hybrid CR-Z Monday, debuting the production version of the two-door, two-seat coupe and saying it's due to go on sale soon.

The hybrid CR-Z is "coming in just a few months," said Honda Chief Executive Takanobu Ito at a press conference here at the North American International Auto Show.

He was an engineer working in the 1980s on a progenitor, the "pocket rocket" CR-X, and said the new model is designed with a similar goal to be fun and fuel-efficient.

The car combines a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with a 10-kilowatt … Read more

Honda CR-Z brochure leak hints at new nav option

Scans of the brochure for the Honda CR-Z have been making the rounds on the Net, giving us a peak at what you get when you apply the terms performance, compact, and hybrid to a production car.

However, upon taking a look at the interior photos, we were hit with what looks like even more good news: the navigation system's new button layout seems to suggest that the CR-Z may be getting a new system. Which is great, considering Honda's current goes-in-everything navigation system is over half a decade old. Does this mean no more DVD-based navigation? Are … Read more

Car Tech Live Podcast 141: Lexus fires up its first supercar!

Lexus is about to put the V-10 LFA into production; Ford puts batteries in the Focus; Nissan swears that goofy Land Glider is for real; we discuss why your cell phone may not work worth a damn in your next new car; and we take a ride in the luxury crossover that started it all.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 141 SHOW NOTES

• Lexus' first supercar is reality: The LFA

• Honda CR-Z coming to the U.S.

• California energy rules could hamper in-car cell phone reception

• CNET's take on the third generation Lexus RX350… Read more