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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

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

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

What if instead of just looking like a van, the Honda Insight actually was a van? That's the general idea that I'm getting from the Honda Skydeck, a minivan concept that will debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

In so many words, the Skydeck looks like the CR-Z concept ate a current-gen Honda Odyssey. The face has the same, futuristic large mouthed bass look of the CR-Z, but the form factor is all van.

However, the aesthetic isn't all that the Skydeck borrows from Honda's hybrids, as a large "Hybrid" badge lets us … Read more

Another year, another car show, another opportunity for Honda to trot out its CR-Z compact hybrid concept. However for the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, which takes place right in the automaker's back yard, Honda has updated the concept to reflect what we can expect to see in the production model.

So what can we expect from the production CR-Z? Well, the form factor is something of a cross between the CRX subcompact of the '80s and the Honda Insight hybrid. Under the hood, we can expect a 1.5-liter gasoline four-cylinder paired with the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid … Read more

Wikipedia might not take too kindly to pranks any other day of the year, but the anyone-can-edit encyclopedia sure had some fun with April Fools' Day.

The site revamped its "On This Day" section with events that actually did happen on April 1, but with the wording cleverly tweaked to make them sound ridiculous. "(In 1969) The British-born model Hawker Siddeley Harrier was introduced at a Royal Air Force event, becoming the only one in the 1960s to successfully perform on a short runway," Wikipedia's front page read. The Hawker Siddeley Harrier is actually an … Read more