Honda-Tech’s Amazing Ride Through 2019
Throughout 2019, Honda has treated us, teased us, and given us more reason to remain passionate about our cars.
What a year it has been for Honda Motor Company. 2019 officially marked the 50th year of doing business in Australia, and the Civic Type R hype hasn’t even the faintest hint of dying down yet. Better yet, the activity of our members both in motorsport and customization has been raised to an all-new level.
We still haven’t forgotten the more common cars in the lineup, nor have we turned away from engine swaps and other unique cars that come across the Honda-Tech forums. Since it was such an amazing year, we picked out a few stories that really stood out to us.
2019 Honda Ridgeline Scores ‘Best Truck’ Honor from Car and Driver
Honda started out the year with a bang. Car and Driver named the 2019 Ridgeline “best mid-size pickup.” Quite good praise. Although the field will have more contenders next year, we feel the Ridgeline will hold its own in what will be a very tough segment.
Honda’s Golden Anniversary Produces Special NSX and Type R Civic
An anniversary is always worth celebrating. Honda’s 50th anniversary of Australian operations happened this year. To commemorate, Honda wrapped gold chrome around a Civic Type R, NSX, and a lot of their other products too. Motorbikes, lawnmowers, and more all got the gold treatment.
Why the Honda K-Series Engines are Legendary
While the motoring world knows about the provenance of LS engine swaps, K swaps are just as popular. Due to the ease of swapping them into just about any Honda platform, they became the go-to engine for bumping power from an older Honda. Add to that a vast aftermarket and strong internals, and you can turbo the living daylights out of them, or rev them to the moon.
K24-Swapped Manual Honda Odyssey Legitimizes Soccer Runs
As stated above, the K-swap knows no limits and can find its way into just about anything, including a Honda Odyssey. This build went the K24 route and packs a stout 294 horsepower to the wheels. Mind you, that’s all motor. No wonder people like the Honda K engine.
Golden Era Icon: C&D Track Tests 1999 Prelude in 2019
Perspective is everything, and viewing a 20-year-old car nowadays can bring about a whole different opinion than when it was new. Car and Driver decided to re-test a super low mileage 1999 Prelude to see if their original love for the car had faded at all. Good news: it hadn’t.
‘Drop-in’ Upgraded Turbo Civic Si Build Runs 11.5 with Stock Block
While the Type R has stolen the show for Honda recently, the Civic Si still stands as one of Honda’s best values when it comes to performance per dollar. In 2019, folks have discovered that a few simple bolt-ons and a turn can eke out nearly 400 horsepower from the Si. Better yet, the 1/4 mile is dispatched deep in the 11-second range.
Mega-Rare NSX Type S Heads to Auction, Be Still Our Beating Hearts
The market for older low mileage and rare Hondas has been a flurry of activity lately. In the summer of this year, we saw an ultra-rare 1 of 248 lightweight NSX Type S head to auction. This one sold in England for about $105,000 USD.
Honda Creates Side-by-Side Outfitted for Drivers with Spinal-cord Injuries
One of Honda’s more innovative sides comes from helping those with disabilities. The offroader you see here helps those with spinal cord injuries get back behind the wheel. Equipped with hand controls, Honda’s Talon 1000R gives motoring pleasure back to those who’d otherwise miss out.
Acura Showcases Performance Proof Points at SEMA and teases Type S
Acura has been finding footing again, and we were delighted to see a new Type S concept. Debuting at Monterey Car Week, Acura solidified their commitment to future Type S models at SEMA. We’d like to see an Acura sedan go up against the might of the Germans in that market, so we anticipate good news to come from this in 2020.
20th Anniversary S2000 Prototype Joins Honda’s 2020 Tokyo Lineup
Honda couldn’t let the year end without teasing us and pulling at our heartstrings. To celebrate the S2000’s 20th anniversary, Honda made an updated and revised S2000 for the coming Tokyo Auto Salon. We love its remarkably-restrained styling (especially compared to the type R). It is just a concept though, and sadly will not come to fruition.
HPD FK8 Civic Type R TC is a Full-On Turnkey Race Car
If that S2000 news left you in a bit of a slump, worry not because Honda is now offering a factory-built full-on racecar! That’s right, you can now get a fully race-prepped Type R and live out your racecar dreams. It’s even cheaper than that silver NSX!
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