Honda N Box blind spot mirror systemThe N Box rides atop a new minicar architecture that employs a new 660cc engine and a center-mounted tank not unlike that of the larger Fit. As is typical for this class of car, there’s a surprising amount of space inside the N Box thanks to its rectilinear proportions and dining chair-like seating. In fact, there’s plenty of room for six-foot adults, save a slightly pinched footwell and limited elbow room because of the car’s narrow dimensions. The rear seat is even more generous, with limo-like legroom and a flip/fold feature that allows for the storage of bulky objects in the passenger compartment. Unfortunately, the rear chairs don’t actually side forward to accommodate more space in the cargo hold, though the seatbacks will fold forward for larger objects.

One of the N Box’s most unique features is its blind spot mirror array, which functions as sort of a poor man’s version of a side view camera system. Basically, a pair of convex mirrors mounted to the inside of the A-Pillar reflect onto a convex mirror mounted on the front of the door-mounted side mirror, allowing the driver to parallel park with ease. There’s also a large convex mirror mounted inside of the rear cargo hatch on the same assembly with the center high-mount stop lamp that doubles as sort of an inexpensive backup camera. Check out our Short Cut video after the jump for a closer look.

The N Concept 4 was a surprise presentation from the automaker, and while Honda is not yet issuing further details about it, officials say that this car will go into production next year as the next model in its growing N series of Kei cars. The production version will undoubtedly be powered by a 660cc gasoline engine, though whether it will receive some sort of forced induction is an open question.

We love the car’s mix of rounded features as they disguise the overall form’s boxy proportions and we hope Honda can find a way of preserving the N4′s bright-eyed, friendly face when they make the inevitable switch to production lighting.

Honda, for its part, tried to nail it down with the CR-Z, which was supposed to be a hybrid sport-hatch, but like the Lexus CT 200h, it ended up lacking in the “sport” part of the equation. Which is why this latest development has caught our attention.

Just a few weeks ago at the Tokyo Motor Show, Honda showed off a tempting little package called the EV-STER. The concept spoke of a zippy little ride around town, all on electric power. Now, reports are indicating that, based on positive feedback from the show, Honda has already decided to green-light the project and put it into production. Sources suggest it will be ready sometime in the new year ahead, and could offer a more conventional gasoline engine in addition to the electric powertrain.

Of course none of this is to say that Honda would bring the production EV-STER to the North American market, but we’ll be excited if it gets built at all.

The Honda CR-Z comes from the factory with 122 horsepower, which is only adequate for hustling the 2,657-pound hybrid around town. The additional 50 ponies in the iCF should make the machine plenty entertaining, and Honda says that the vehicle’s three drive modes have been maintained for the best fuel economy possible. Will we see something similar on our shores? Don’t hold your breath. Hit the jump for the press release.

get all the pics and specs at hondatuningmagazine.com

being an Integra owner myself, I managed to mutter out a quiet “whoa” when first going through the shoot that you see before you now. A Type R Integra is cool enough by itself but having an imported one that is a legit right-hand-drive car is just amazing. Ferdi decided that when he got the car that he was going to make sure he did it right no matter how long it took. His plan of attack was to keep his imported ITR authentic by modding it with parts that were also from Japan. Not just any company would do though and Ferdi decided that Spoon Motorsports would be the company that would take his Type R to the next level.

Check out the images @ canibeat.com

Why? The plants that produce the electricity used in a hybrid must burn oil, coal, or use a nuclear reaction to provide it. CNG comes from the ground and is easier to drill for than oil, so does not impact the Earth as much during extraction. A CNG vehicle’s carbon footprints is the size of an ant’s next to a hybrid’s. The Civic Natural Gas vehicle is the cleanest-running internal combustion engine ever certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.

What about fuel economy you may ask. How about a Honda Civic that offers 38 mpg and 240 miles between fill ups? Not bad at all. Then there is the time it takes to refuel. Minutes for a CNG Civic. How many hours for your plug-in hybrid or EV? Hours, isn’t it?

Now the other shoe falls. There is a decided lack of infrastructure for the CNG Civic. Refueling stations are rare, even more rare than commercial recharge stations for electric vehicles. A CNG refueling point costs more to install than a traditional gas station, as well. The federal government is considering offering companies incentives and funds to develop CNG infrastructure. The end goal of some investors is to see CNG points next to traditional gas pumps, just like diesel is today.

“Two years ago we imported one of the first Euro R Accords into the country for my dad, when they were really rare,” Rob says. “Of course, I drove it and it was great; it was reasonably quick, comfortable, and looked absolutely gorgeous in the Arctic Blue. It caused a lot of attention wherever we went.” As you might expect, Rob elected to get his own. The CL7 Accord is anything but similar to the raced-out hatchbacks Rob’s accustomed to—he admits as much. “It comes with the K20 engine, which I love—perhaps it’s a sign of growing up,” he says.

Rob’s ’04 Accord arrived from Japan in early 2008 and cost him the equivalent of $35K. “It came fitted with pieces from the genuine Mugen body kit,” Rob says. “It also had TEIN coilovers, which are fantastic and very comfortable.” As you’d expect, Rob’s made improvements of his own—everyone knows that making something good even better is almost always possible

The Fit’s compact size and tight turning diameter (34.4 feet, curb-to-curb) can conveniently navigate space-confined urban areas and fit in small parking spaces. Yet a roomy and versatile interior offers the convenience and cargo volume of a relatively larger vehicle. Compared to any other vehicle in the subcompact class, the five-passenger Fit provides the lowest, flattest cargo floor and the most cargo volume of 57.3 cu-ft. when the rear seats are down. Its four distinct seat configurations are designed to accommodate large objects ranging from mountain bikes to surfboards to tall houseplants.

Fit Sport exterior updates for 2012 include new designs for the front grille and bumper, black headlight bezels and a dark “machined surface” finish for the alloy wheels (replaces a painted finish appearance). The entry-model Fit retains its exclusive front fascia design and for 2012 receives body-color exterior mirrors (previously black) and updated wheel covers.

Inside, the Fit Sport interior is enhanced with dark metallic dashboard components for a unified color theme (replacing the previous gray and black theme). Fit Sport receives additional chrome accents around instrument displays. All models receive newly designed console-mounted center beverage holders along with console ambient lighting, which provide easier access and greater stability. All models also receive added sound insulation measures in the floor, front fenders and A-pillars, plus thicker front corner-window glass, to help create a quieter, more-refined cabin environment. Two new colors are available: Blue Raspberry Metallic and Orangeburst Metallic, which replace similar colors from the prior model year.

The top-of-the-line Fit Sport includes a long list of exclusive, standard features compared to the entry-model Fit. For 2012, it gains standard steering wheel-mounted audio controls for fingertip operation (previously exclusive to navigation-equipped models) and upgraded seat fabric. When equipped with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System(tm) with Voice Recognition5, the Fit Sport now includes Bluetooth(r)1 HandsFreeLink(r) to help make hands-free telephone calls more convenient. The enhanced system also includes a Bluetooth Audio capability with compatible phones and devices.

Though the Fit has an overall exterior length of just 161.6 inches, the interior provides an impressive 90.8 cubic feet of passenger volume. There’s comfortable seating for up to five passengers, and behind the rear seats, there’s 20.6 cubic feet of storage space – much more than you’d find in a typical sedan. For enhanced versatility, the exclusive 60/40 split rear Magic Seat(r) offers multiple seating and cargo-carrying configurations. With its one-motion dive-down functionality, it can fold flat into the floor to maximize rear cargo volume. The Fit’s interior can also be easily converted to tall object mode or long object mode based on the shape of the cargo.

The 1.5-liter, i-VTEC(r) 4-cylinder engine is tuned to deliver an engaging combination of power and fuel economy. A five-speed manual transmission is standard and a five-speed automatic transmission is available. Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters on Fit Sport models equipped with the available automatic transmission allow for manual gear selection.

All models are powered by a four-cylinder engine that produces 117 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 106 lb-ft. of torque at 4,800 rpm. When equipped with the available automatic transmission, the Fit has an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 28/35/31 miles per gallon3. The Fit Sport with the available automatic transmission has an EPA city/highway/combined fuel economy rating3 of 27/33/30 miles per gallon. All manual transmission-equipped models have an EPA city/highway/combined fuel economy rating of 27/33/29 miles per gallon3.

A sporty, refined and dynamic driving experience is provided by the front MacPherson strut suspension and torsion beam rear suspension. Fifteen- and 16-inch wheels (Fit and Fit Sport, respectively) feature 175/65 R15 84S (Fit) and 185/55 R16 83H (Fit Sport) tires. The standard anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) uses 10.3-inch ventilated discs in the front and 7.9-inch drums in the rear.

All Fit models are equipped with a wide range of standard safety equipment including Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), the Advanced Compatibility Engineering(tm) (ACE(tm)) body structure, anti-lock brakes and more. Dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, front-side airbags with passenger-side Occupant Position Detection System (OPDS) and side-curtain airbags are also standard equipment for 2012.

Standard comfort and convenience features include air conditioning, cruise control, remote entry, a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, a USB audio interface4, an auxiliary audio input jack, MP3/WMA playback capability, Radio Data System (RDS), power windows, power mirrors, power door locks and a security system.

The Fit Sport adds or replaces: alloy wheels, an underbody aero kit, rear roofline spoiler, fog lights, illuminated steering wheel mounted audio controls and upgraded seat fabric. For improved audio performance, the Fit Sport audio system has a total of six speakers. The Fit Sport is available with the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System(tm) with Voice Recognition, which features a 6.5-inch screen and more than seven million points of interest. The Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System debuting on the 2012 Fit Sport features 16 GB of flash memory in place of the DVD-based system used previously. Like other Honda navigation systems, this new system allows simple, intuitive operation and has an extensive on-board database.

Awards and accolades include being named to Car and Driver Magazine’s “10Best Cars” list (www.caranddriver.com) continuously from 2007 through 20112. In the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study, the Fit earned the highest initial quality score in its segment. The Fit has also been named a 2011 Top RecommendedSM vehicle by Edmunds.com in its 2011 New Car Sedan Buying Guide (http://automobiles.honda.com/fit/reviews.aspx). In addition, the Fit captured the 2011 Residual Value Award for “Best Sub Compact Car” from ALG.

1.The Bluetooth(r) word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc., and any use of such marks by Honda Motor *** Ltd., is under license.

2.Car and Driver, January 2011

3.Based on 2012 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.

4.The USB Audio Interface is used for direct connection to and control of some current digital audio players and other USB devices that contain MP3, WMA or AAC music files. Some USB devices with security software and digital rights-protected files may not work. Please see your dealer for details on compatibility.

5.Certain functions that rely on a satellite signal will not work correctly in Hawaii and Alaska. These functions include, but are not limited to, automatic clock updates and time zone adjustments. RDS not available on navigation models.

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