Clean Livin'
If you live in Utah, congratulations, your state has just been named the third in the country that will begin selling the all-new Civic GX natural gas vehicle on a retail basis.inline_mediumwraptextright26932942/news/htup_0912_honda_civic_gx_acura_zdxhtup_0912_02_o+honda_civic_gx_acura_zdx_and_more+natural_gas_pump.jpgTrue

Two New Hybrid Models In 2010
Honda announced plans to begin sales in Japan of the CR-Z in early February of 2010 and Fit Hybrid by the end of 2010.inline_mediumwraptextright26617924/news/htup_0910_2010_hybrid_modelshtup_0910_02+2010_honda_hybrid_models+honda_crz.jpgTrue

50 Years Of Honda In America
Honda marked its first 50 years in America, commemorating the establishment of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., in a small Los Angeles storefront on June 11, 1959. Honda associates observed the occasion with a brief ceremony at the company's Torrance, Calif. headquarters.

Even Greener Hondas?
Honda Manufacturing began its production of the environmentally responsible, natural gas-powered Civic GX, at its plant in Greensburg, Indiana.

From Somebody Who Knows Nothing About Hybrids
After months of waiting, the all-new Honda Insight finally arrived for me to test drive, and though it's not the fastest, best-handling road machine out there, it still afforded me a nice trip down the coast-at a price that no one can complain about. With the Insight at my disposal, I hit the open road and headed down to nearby San Diego to see just how well the nation's "most affordable hybrid" performed on such a journey.

Skunk2 Throttle Bodies
Designed for use with OEM or Skunk2 intake manifolds, Skunk2's Pro-Series throttle bodies can increase horsepower and torque by optimizing airflow. Skunk2's throttle bodies feature 70mm bores and are good for up to 8 whp throughout the powerband on naturally aspirated applications, with even larger gains on forced induction ones. Designed using the latest computer-aided engineering tools, Skunk2 was able to produce a unit that exceeds industry standards. Each Skunk2 throttle body is CNC-machined from billet 6061-T6 aluminum and hard-anodized for added durability.
www.skunk2.com

There's no disputing that Spoon Sports is one of the most prolific names within the Honda world. The name, the logo, even the company's blue and yellow signature colors are enough to get the blood pumping through even the greenest of Honda fan boys' veins. Led by team principle and company president Tatsuru Ichishima, Spoon is synonymous with high quality, high standards, and a rich heritage in motorsports. During its 20-plus-year span, the company has participated in everything from one-make races to international GP events, but Spoon shines when it comes to endurance races, like the 24-hour Nuremberg, the 25-hour Thunderhill, and Super Taikyu events. Located in the greater Tokyo area and easily accessible by train, Spoon's headquarters serves as a Mecca of sorts for enthusiasts who are lucky enough to travel to Honda's home country.

Chassis Code
Edjumacation: '92-'98 Crx del sol

CODE	ORIGIN	MODEL	ENGINE
EG1	JDM	VXi	D15B
EG2	JDM	SiR	B16A
EG1	USDM	S ('93-'95)	D15B7
EH6	USDM	S ('96-'97)	D16Y7
EH6	USDM	Si	D16Z6/Y8
EG2	USDM	VTEC	B16A2/3

Cypress, CA, April 7, 2009 - Nitto Tire and Team Achilles Motorsports recently competed in the world's longest endurance race: the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. The race requires teams to drive throughout the night for 25 hours straight. At the end of 25 hours the team with the most laps is declared the winner. The team campaigned a BMW M3 in the second fastest class overall and the fastest class requiring D.O.T.-compliant tires. The team ran on Nitto's NT01 road race tires. Nitto created a new website that documents the race as it unfolded.

Your Honda's VIN (vehicle identification number) is a unique combination of numbers and letters assigned to all vehicles by the manufacturer. The VIN can be found stamped on the firewall, riveted to the top of the dash on most Hondas and Acuras, and applied to a sticker on nearly every body panel on most 1996-and-newer vehicles. Since its implementation, a vehicle's 17-digit VIN has been used for everything from registration, to identification, to aiding in theft recovery. When properly interpreted, each character of any given VIN will identify specific information about the vehicle. The VIN must be located during emissions testing procedures and compared with the information found underneath the hood. This gives the technician the information he needs so that the appropriate tests and procedures can be applied, like whether or not the vehicle is OBD2-equipped, or if it's supposed to have a DOHC engine with a manual transmission in it. The VIN can be easily located up high on the firewall, on the driver-side corner of the dash, or on the driver-side door jamb. Here's what the seemingly complex series of numbers and letters actually means for 1981 and newer U.S.-spec vehicles.

NSX-R BIO
The Honda NSX, sporting Acura badges in the U.S., approaches the unsuspecting ear with a distinct rumble. It is a genuine sports car from birth and it sounds like nothing else. It hums like a sewing machine but with a slight throaty cackle. Powered by the 90-degree, C-series V-6 powerplant, Honda's famed mid-ship sports car was introduced to the U.S. for the 1991 model year and soon after was named Playboy magazine's "sexiest car." It was. The paternal twins also known as the Honda and Acura NSXs were arguably sleeker and sexier than the Barbie twins featured in the popular men's magazine that very year. Since its introduction to the world almost 20 years ago, approximately 18,000 units were sold, but fewer than half of those made their way to America before Honda halted production in 2005. As rare as the NSX is, its NSX-R derivative is even rarer-none of which were built in LHD configurations nor shipped to the U.S for legal sale. Ever.

Mugen bumper
Mugen side sills
Mugen spoiler
Mugen exhaust
19-inch forged aluminum Mugen wheels
245/35R-19 Michelin tires

Acura TL
It's been out since last November, so if you haven't had a chance to test drive or at least check out Acura's new top dog-the TL SH-AWD (Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive)-shame on you. Like the name implies, SH-AWD models are equipped with all-wheel drive configurations, a first for the TL. And this is no wussy part-time AWD setup that only engages once the tires lose traction. Nope, this is a real-deal, full-time design, one that transmits torque to all four wheels, under almost all conditions. Sorry Subaru, Audi, and Mitsubishi; the AWD monopoly is no longer yours.

Fontana, CA, April 10, 2009 - Falken Tire announces the release of their redesigned North American website encompassing a content driven interface with ease of navigation, and improved load times. Keeping with their corporate colors, the new website will comprise of blues, reds, and whites with teal motifs that spawn from Falken Tire's motorsport program. Complete emphasis was placed on a thorough user experience through current events, visuals, and multimedia.

It's safe to say that Earl Laskey never thought he'd become a legend among import drag racers. Earl first got in touch with his mechanical side tinkering with karts and bikes, later followed by familiarizing himself with '50s-era race cars-yeah, '50s-era. During the next two decades he'd solidified himself as one of Orange County International Raceway's fastest. Though he left the drag world for a few years, he found his way back to support his later son Mike's budding drag racing career. The father and son combo racked up blistering runs, one after another, in the ultra-competitive import drag racing circuit with their home built CRX. The new found notoriety brought with it phone calls, knocks at the front door, and soon enough racers began requesting some of team Laskey's handiwork. It didn't take long for side jobs in the family garage to ensue.

Chassis Code
Edjumacation: '92-'95 Civic Hatchback

CODE	ORIGIN	MODEL	ENGINE
EG3	JDM	EL	D13B
EG4	JDM	MX, ETi, VTi	D15B
EG6	JDM	SiR, SiR-II	B16A
EH2	USDM	CX, DX, VX	D15Z1
EH3	USDM	Si	D16Z6

Mishimoto Fan Shroud Kits
Mishimoto announces six new lightweight aluminum fan shroud kits for Honda and Acura applications. Each shroud is made for a direct OEM fit and includes two pre-assembled Mishimoto slim electric fans. Mishimoto shrouds are significantly lighter and more durable than the OEM ones and can improve engine bay looks and cooling by delivering additional airflow to the radiator and removing excess heat from the engine. Each kit safely secure the fan blades from potentially damaging adjacent components. Mishimoto also announces new radiator applications for the '03-'08 Element, and '06-'09 Civic Si. Fan shroud kits are available for the following applications: '94-'01 Integra, '92-'00 Civic, '93-'97 Del Sol, '88-'91 CRX, '97-'01 Prelude, and '00-'05 S2000.
www.mishimoto.com

An American sport compact tuning market pioneer, Dynamic Autosports has been around almost as long as VTEC. The shop began as a small, one-bay facility located in Irvine, California, that specialized in import performance parts and basic installations. It was one of the few shops in the early '90s that actually had the parts Honda fans wanted in stock-parts we now take for granted, like adjustable cam gears and short shifters. At a time when things like these typically had to be special-ordered, Dynamic had them. Yep, Dynamic changed all of this. It was arguably the first shop early SoCal Honda enthusiasts could buy things like Neuspeed Race springs and GReddy BL exhaust systems from on the spot. The shop has since grown into one of the largest distributing and tuning facilities in the country, and you better believe it's got more lowering springs in stock than ever. The list of former Dynamic employees, cohorts, accomplices, and all-around lackeys reads like a virtual who's who of today's industry leaders. Peep the list: Cosworth's Eric Hsu; A'PEXi USA founder, Toshi Hayama; DSport magazine's Michael Ferrara and Robert Choo; Import Tuner magazine's founder, Ed Eng; Prelude guru, Aries Dionisio; Omni Power's Steve "Omni" Rothenbuehler; Design Craft Fab's Gary Castillo; Sakata Motorsports' Naoto Negishi; and, of course, at least one guy from Honda Tuning mag-the list goes on.

Fuel Rail Science
Are all fuel rails created equal? Fuel consumption and matching it correctly with the air intake has always been something that has plagued my mind. Are fuel rails simply another engine dress-up modification, intended as something cool-looking to hold the injectors in place, or do different fuel rails suit different applications better than others? What would be the best fuel rail for my K20A3 with an AEM cold-air intake?
Dan Creegan, Flushing, New York

The World's Fastest Acura, And A Pretty Quick CRX
Hondata co-owner Doug MacMillan and wife Miriam set a total of five land speed records at last August's Bonneville salt flats' Speed Week in Utah. It began with a G/BGCC class record of 221.652 mph in the company's 2.0-liter RSX running twin Rotrex superchargers, installed by KraftWerks. Doug also went on to take the G/BGALT record at 208.646 mph. But the highlight was the G/BFCC record, originally set at an impressive 226 mph in 1990 that Doug bettered at 234 mph thanks to the 600hp, supercharged K20A. The record wasn't easy though. The RSX went into a spin after the fifth mile during qualifying, flat-spotting the tires. The team only had two spares so they swapped the 25-inch tires out back to the front and put the spare 26-inch tires on the rear. Of course, all of this changed the RSX's gearing, which meant the RSX needed more power. Although the engine had yet to be tuned with nitrous, the tanks were turned on and the RSX was dialed in with the additional 100 hp. And that's how you become the world's fastest Acura.

Tire Care Magic
Black Magic's new Titanium Matte tire finish brings back that dark, velvety, like-new appearance your tires once had-it's a sophisticated alternative to that artificial shiny look that doesn't quite work for everyone. Black Magic's new finish helps transform any tire back to its original sheen, providing a rich, black, low-gloss look. The finish won't sling when applying, won't attract dirt or dust, and lasts up to four weeks.
www.blackmagicshine.com

The Mental Checklist
Preparation-it's an important part of a photo shoot. I'm not just referring to charged batteries or empty flashcards but rather what I call the mental checklist. Think of it as a way to avoid making those rookie mistakes. I used to keep an actual checklist that I'd refer to during a shoot but after a few it became second nature. It can for you too.

The British International Motor Show is set to be the debut for Honda's all-new roadster concept, albeit an ultra, low-emissions one. The goal is to combine sleek, S2000-esque looks and driving dynamics with the efficient, clean-burning engine technology of, say, a stock Civic. The Honda OSM (open study model) was designed by Honda's R&D facility in Offenbach, Germany, and is the latest example of the young talent being developed within Honda's design studios-recall both Honda's small hybrid sports concept (Geneva 2007) and the Accord Tourer concept (Frankfurt 2007).

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