Honda News

Five of the top ten most fuel-efficient cars produced since 1984 are Honda vehicles with the first-generation Honda Insight taking out the top honour, according to a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) study.

The first-generation Honda Insight is followed by the 1986-1987 Honda Civic Coupe HF in fifth place, the 1994-1995 Honda Civic HB VX in sixth, 2006-2010 Honda Civic Hybrid in seventh and the 2010 Honda Insight in eighth place.

The first-generation Honda Insight achieved 53 miles per gallon (combined city and highway), beating the 2010 Toyota Prius by three miles per gallon

The all-new Honda CR-Z sport hybrid coupe has made its Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3 Expo) debut.

Evocative of many video games, the Honda CR-Z introduces a number of interactive features including a new three-mode drive system that allows the driver to select between Sport, Econ (Economy) and Normal driving models.

"E3 Expo is the perfect venue to showcase the all-new CR-Z", said Steven Center, Vice President of Marketing Operations for American Honda.

"The engaging and sporty driving experience found in the CR-Z feels like something out of the latest racing video game. Gamers will feel at home behind the wheel of the CR-Z - whether it be in front of a console or on the open road," he said.

Along with the CR-Z debut, Honda also announced that the sport hybrid coupe will appear in several video games including:

- Car Town by CIE Studios (Online, PC and Xbox Live)

- Nitto Legends 1320 by CIE Studios (Online and PC)

- Gran Turismo 5 by Sony (Sony PS3 and PSP)

The CR-Z is set to go on sale in Australia, late 2011.

Australian Indycar stars Will Power and Ryan Briscoe created history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway qualifying second and fourth restively for next weekend's Indy 500, the highest grid spots ever achieved by Australian drivers. Splitting the duo was former Gold Coast Indy winner, Dario Franchitti, himself a winner of the Indy 500.

Helio Castroneves continued his quest for a second consecutive and record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 victory by qualifying on the pole. In a new qualifying format for 2010, Castroneves posted the best four-lap average during both the initial qualifying session, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and again during final 90-minute "Fast Nine" qualifying.

Five of the nine drivers to make final qualifying represented Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi Racing, but surprises in the top nine included Alex Tagliani, for the new FAZZT Racing team; Ed Carpenter, making a one-off "500" appearance with Panther/Vision Racing, and Graham Rahal, driving for the Rahal Letterman Racing team co-owned by his father, '86 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal.

Indianapolis 500 Starting Lineup:
1. Helio Castroneves-W Team Penske Honda Dallara 227.970
2. Will Power Team Penske Honda Dallara 227.578
3. Dario Franchitti-W Target Chip Ganassi Honda Dallara 226.990

4. Ryan Briscoe Team Penske Honda Dallara 226.554
5. Alex Tagliani FAZZT Racing Honda Dallara 226.390
6. Scott Dixon-W Target Chip Ganassi Honda Dallara 226.233

7. Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Racing Honda Dallara 225.519
8. Ed Carpenter Panther/Vision Racing Honda Dallara 224.587
9. Hideki Mutoh Newman Haas Honda Dallara 221.963

10. Townsend Bell Sam Schmidt Motorsports Honda Dallara 225.097
11. Justin Wilson Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Honda Dallara 225.050
12. Raphael Matos DeFerran Dragon Racing Honda Dallara 225.028

13. Mario Moraes KV Racing Technology Honda Dallara 224.888
14. Davey Hamilton DeFerran Dragon Racing Honda Dallara 224.852
15. Mike Conway Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Honda Dallara 224.583

16. Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda Dallara 224.575
17. Dan Wheldon-W Panther Racing Honda Dallara 224.464
18. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Honda Dallara 224.547

19. E.J. Viso KV Racing Technology Honda Dallara 224.380
20. Tomas Scheckter Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Honda Dallara 224.261
21. Ana Beatriz-R Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Honda Dallara 224.243

22. Simona de Silvestro-R HVM Racing Honda Dallara 224.228
23. Danica Patrick Andretti Autosport Honda Dallara 224.217
24. Bertrand Baguette-R Conquest Racing Honda Dallara 224.189

25. Bruno Junqueira FAZZT Racing Honda Dallara 225.662
26. Alex Lloyd Dale Coyne Racing Honda Dallara 224.783
27. Mario Romancini-R Conquest Racing Honda Dallara 224.641

28. John Andretti Andretti Autosport Honda Dallara 224.518
29. Sarah Fisher Sarah Fisher Racing Honda Dallara 224.434
30. Vitor Meira A.J. Foyt Racing Honda Dallara 224.388

31. Takuma Sato-R KV Racing Technology Honda Dallara 224.178
32. Tony Kanaan Andretti Autosport Honda Dallara 224.072
33. Sebastian Saavedra-R Bryan Herta Autosport Honda Dallara 223.634

W - Former Indianapolis 500 Winner R - Indianapolis 500 Rookie

A third-place finish for RealTime Racing's Honda Civic Si Coupe on Sunday at Long Beach, California launched the latest effort in the expanding grassroots motorsports program managed by Honda Performance Development (HPD), the North American racing arm of American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Driving the RealTime-entered Honda, Nick Wittmer completed the 50-minute race in third, after starting from the pole, in the competitive Touring Class of the SCCA World Challenge Series.

A joint effort by Honda Performance Development and Honda R&D Americas, the HPD Civic Si coupe utilises a variety of components from HPD's racing parts line, approved for competition by both the SCCA and Grand-Am's Continental Tire Challenge. They include HPD-designed brake ducts and camber/caster plates; a lightweight competition wiring harness developed by Honda R&D; a racing fuel cell produced to HPD specifications; and the Honda 2.0-litre K20 Type R race engine.

The HPD Civic Si will also serve as a platform for confirmation of the quality and performance capabilities of HPD-designed racing parts and branded components, available to racers through the Honda Racing Line. HPD will rigorously test parts and components to confirm their performance and reliability, giving other Honda racers the confidence that comes from HPD's years of success at the top levels of motorsport.

"Today's result is a great reward for all the thought and effort from our associates in California and Ohio that resulted in the HPD Civic Si," said Marc Sours, Manager, Production Division, for HPD. "One of the cornerstones of our grassroots motorsports initiative has been to establish a connection between our passenger cars and the racing cars developed from these models by the hundreds of competitors who support Honda through the club and entry-level professional racing ranks.

"We believe the HPD Civic Si and its competition components will demonstrate the competitiveness of HPD's performance parts, while reinforcing the connection between our racing and passenger cars."

The white-and-red HPD Civic Si raced by RealTime features HPD's checkered-flag logo, graphics designed by Honda R&D's Los Angeles styling studio; and the same Honda Racing/HPD quarter-panel logos required for display by all Honda Racing Line members. The Civic carries number 93, referencing of the founding of Honda Performance Development in 1993.

The HPD Civic Si will be campaigned by RealTime Racing in both SCCA World Challenge and Continental Tyre Sports Car Challenge events in 2010. Individual components developed from this program will be available from HPD through the Honda Racing Line.

Launched in July 2009, the Honda Racing Line is a program targeted at licensed participants in sanctioned amateur and entry-level professional racing. The Honda Racing Line was formed to provide its members with a direct connection to Honda Performance Development and its unparalleled record of success at the highest levels of motorsport. Competitors may register for the Honda Racing Line through HondaRacingLine.com.

Founded in 1993, and located in Santa Clarita, Calif., HPD is the technical operations center for American Honda's high-performance racing cars and engines. In addition to its new grassroots motorsports business, HPD is the single engine supplier to the IZOD IndyCar Series and spearheaded Acura's championship-winning efforts in the 2009 American Le Mans Series.

Australian international cyclist Rochelle Gilmore has claimed victory in the Cronulla International Grand Prix delivering a debut win to the newly formed Honda Dream Team.

In blustery conditions along a 1.3km circuit between the Eloura and Wanda surf clubs on Sydney's southern beaches, Gilmore's Honda teammates rode a perfectly judged race during the 16-lap event to allow their team leader to out-sprint six-time world junior champion Megan Dunn to claim the win.

Having also contributed to the victory, teammate Chloe Hosking crossed the line in third place. Former junior star Amanda Spratt, riding for the AIS, showed she is on her way back from injury by leading the majority of the attacks, the most aggressive with ten laps remaining that effectively reduced the 34-rider field by half. Soon after Cromwell took the opening sprint Spratt attacked again and with four laps remaining it was clear the Honda squad would need to utilise all their experience to hold off Dunn, who sat patiently on the wheel of Gilmore throughout.

At the bell it was Honda in the first four positions, with first Tiffany Cromwell and then Liz Georgouras pulling strong turns on the front before Hosking screamed down the hill with 400m remaining with Gilmore hot on her heels.

Pushing into the teeth of the strong southerly wind, Gilmore dashed clear of Dunn to claim her debut Cronulla win by half a length.

"It's about time," Gilmore said as much out of relief as excitement at having finally claimed a race she feels is her hometown event.

"Not winning here before meant that I was taking it a lot more serious this year. I've been down here every day this week to train on the course but we had a tailwind down the finishing straight all week and today the wind was coming from the opposite direction, so it made it totally different."

"I felt a lot of added pressure, we have put together the Honda Dream Team especially for the summer cycling season and I badly wanted to win for them also."

"It went exactly to plan. Megan was always the main competition and it was our responsibility to cover all the moves. All the girls did their job exactly as we wanted."

Honda Australia Public Relations Manager Mark Higgins was thrilled with the debut performance of the Honda Dream Team.

"The girls did a fantastic job, they dominated the race and we are particularly thrilled for Rochelle who was desperate to win."

"All credit goes to Rochelle. After the success of Honda's involvement in the debut women's event, the Honda Hybrid Tour as part of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour in October, Rochelle said she would love to put together a women's team for the summer criterium series. We backed her 100% and it is great to continue Honda's involvement in cycling in this way. The feedback we have received from a very broad cross section of the community already shows that this investment is paying dividends for Honda."

Gilmore's attention now moves to the Jayco Bay Classic series (2-5 January 2010) in Geelong, the venue for next year's road cycling world championships and the location of Gilmore's 2005 world cup victory.

The Honda Dream Team is expected to finalise their line up for the Jayco Bay Classic next week.