Two cars, two different approaches on the same topic. But which one is better? To answer this question, British magazine Auto Express took both sports cars and tested them to see which one comes on top in typical everyday use.
If you read between the lines - or in this case, the tester's words, the RCZ is a better car picking up the title in fuel economy, performance, interior styling and quality, as well as exterior looks. But -there's always a but, isn't there?- the entry-level RCZ Diesel costs £5,251 [about US$7,900 or €6,500] more than the basic CR-Z, which ultimately makes the comparison unjust.
Video and some quick facts we gathered on both cars after the jump.
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"Jason Barlow, former Top Gear presenter [that's the attention grabber...], takes the new Honda CR-Z on a journey of discovery through Japan," Honda Europe notes in the video release. Watch the film and tell us what you think about it after the jump.
In its latest promotion for new customers, Honda is giving U.S. buyers a chance to win a ride with Mario Andretti in a two-seater IndyCar at the Grand Prix of Sonoma at Infineon Raceway. According to the Japanese automaker, the winner will ride in the IZOD IndyCar during the parade laps, and be on course for the start of the race.To create a bit of a buzz around the contest, Honda released this commercial with Mario Andreti. Sounds interesting, but it isn't. See why in the video after the jump.
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But just so you can get an idea, the "Live Every Litre" is supposed to be a documentary-style road movie in which numerous members of the public have been nominated by the project's online community to realize their dream in the new Honda CR-Z hybrid coupe.
In this case, Agent Lynch, aka Kate Rawlinson (originally from Newcastle), wanted to perform the world's first guerrilla burlesque routine in the streets of Monmartre in Paris.
It turns out that when a car IS stolen (even in Brooklyn), the man is on the case. A little while back, the Accord was found in a chop shop in Queens with the VIN filed off. Luckily, the police still l managed to track the car back to its original owner.
When the woman got it back, the Honda had been updated with a VTEC power train and its transmission was converted over to a stick shift!
Quality cinematography? Check. Funky music? Check. Real life story about normal people driving normal cars and their passion for them? Big Check.
Do yourself a favor, take three minutes out of your day and watch them; these videos will make you want to go out, buy a beater, build it up, and then go race it (if you haven't already). I'm liking this series in a big way. We can only hope there's more to come. Videos after the jump.
The film was produced by Gaucho Productions, a London-based film and digital agency. Directed by Ben Hume-Paton and produced by Kwok Yau, the clip was shot over a day and two nights in southern Spain. You can watch it after the jump.
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Toyota had the twin-turbo Supra; Mitsubishi had the 3000GT VR-4; Mazda had the twin-turbo RX-7 and Nissan had the twin-turbo 300ZX and Skyline GT-Rs. And Honda? Well, they tried to pick a fight with Ferrari with their naturally-aspirated V6-powered NSX, but as for the common man? That's where the SSM concept stepped in, foreshadowing the S2000 roadster.
In this first official film, the CR-Z's project leader, Norio Tomobe, and one of its chief engineers, Terukazu Torikai, provide an insight into the development process behind the new model focusing primarily on the car's handling qualities.
"During the development if the CR-Z we drove many cars and also bought several models for comparison and benchmarking including the MINI, the VW Scirocco coupe and also a Lotus Elise. The target of this car was to realize enhanced handling." says Terukazu Torikai.
Then again, with a mere 122-horsepower from its 1.5-liter gasoline-electric hybrid powerplant, the CR-Z had better handle well...
Photos: Scivi , Via: Autoblog.com
You see, the HSV-010 GT is based on the NSX's replacement that Honda canceled at the end of 2008 due to the economic recession. The Japanese company had previewed the supercar which featured a front-mounted V10 engine in concept form through the Acura Advance Sports Car Concept at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show.
According to company sources, the V10 supercar would have been the Japanese automaker's most powerful production model ever.
The HSV-010 GT carries the production-ready supercar's shape and underpinnings though Honda's engineers swapped the V10 engine for a 3.4-liter V8 churning out some 500HP and replaced the rear-biased all-wheel drive system for a simpler rear-wheel drive layout to conform to the 2010 GT500 Regulations.
Honda's new GT is slated to make its official racing debut at the Super GT season opener at the Suzuka Circuit, held on March 20–21, 2010.
One of the quirkiest (some may say adorable) cars at this year's 2009 Tokyo Motor Show that kicks off today is Honda's EV-N concept which pays homage to the Japanese firm's N360 kei-sized mini of the late 1960s. The oh-so-square looking compact city commuter features an electric motor that gets power from a set of lithium-ion batteries. While Honda says that there are no plans to produce the EV-N, we wouldn't be surprised if the concept model inspired a production car in the near future. Video after the break.
One of the most important debuts at this week's Tokyo Motor Show is the near-production CR-Z Concept 2009. It harks back to the original CR-X small sports coupe of the mid 1980s and early 1990s but with a twist; the CR-Z features Honda's mild hybrid system comprising of a 1.5-liter i-VTEC gasoline engine (instead of the Insight's 1.3L unit) and an electric motor.While the Japanese automaker has yet to disclose any performance or fuel economy figures, Honda did reveal today that the CR-Z will be the world's first hybrid vehicle equipped with a six-speed manual transmission.
During today's presentation at the Tokyo Show, Honda's President and CEO Takanobu Ito said that the firm plans to launch the production CR-Z first in Japan in February of 2010 and Europe and North America, later in the same year.
