AUTOCARS COLECTION 2011

Heads up, CR-Z fans: Honda has announced that the company will be releasing a mere 300 Mugenaccessory kits for the Japanese sport hybrid. The ultra-rare bodywork includes bits like a completely revised front fascia with an altered grille design, a massive rear spoiler and flashy 17-inch rollers. Under the hood things stay nearly completely stock, though Honda has swapped the blaséplastic oil filler cap with a billet aluminum piece. Astounding, we know.

But all of that pales in comparison to the interior work. Along with a new shift knob, Honda has installed “sport mats.” We aren’t entirely sure what makes a floor mat sporty, but we’ll take their word for it.

The body kits will be available in all five CR-Z colors. So far, there’s no word on how much the kits will cost, but we can’t imagine they’ll go cheap. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

The team from Bisimoto has taken to curing the Honda CR-Z hybrid of its anemia by prescribing massive doses of forced induction. The stock 1.5-liter four-cylinder was extracted and rebuilt using Arias pistons and a Bisimoto valvetrain, but the star of the show is that massive billet Turbonetics turbo. It shoves ample amounts of air through a 70-millimeter custom throttle body at a rate that has to rival most jet engines. The whole kit and caboodle is good for a staggering 533 horsepower, which helps explain why a car that started life with a 0-60 mph time of 10 seconds now requires a parachute to reduce its inertia.

Is this proof positive that the CR-Z has the kind of tunability that made the CRX legendary, or simply an example of cash conquering all handicaps? Decide for yourself as you scroll through our high-res image gallery below.

Honda has not yet given up in the entry-level hybrid fight. There’s the new, not-for-U.S. Jazz (Fit) Hybrid, for one thing, but the older Insight hybrid isn’t being left in the dust, either. Autocar reports that some of the lessons from the Jazz are being applied to the Insight – most importantly that the “stop” time of the Insight’s stop-start cycle can now be up to 90 seconds long in Eco Mode.

Because of “obscure patenting reasons” that made the system assume a worst-case humidity situation, the previous limit was just 30 seconds. This change can save a lot of gas in city driving. There are no new mile-per-gallon numbers to tout just yet, and the change isn’t likely to affect America’s EPA figures (the government agency’s test cycle doesn’t recognize the benefits of start-stop), but it’s a nice, green upgrade nonetheless.

Honda has just released details on what buyers in the UK can expect to see from the 2011 Civic. The company has kept the changes to its spacey-looking five-door largely cosmetic, including a new grille up front. The company says that piece borrows cues from the legendary Type R, and if you squint your eyes enough, you can almost see the resemblance. A new range of wheels is also available for next year ranging in size from 16 to 17 inches depending on engine and trim level. There’s also a new Ionized Bronze paint color available across the lineup.

Inside, Honda has moved to up the ante ever so slightly. SE and ES trims will now boast seats that are covered in half fabric and half Alcantara, while the Si guise now comes with heated front thrones. Otherwise, the vehicle stays much the way it was for 2010. Under the hood, buyers are still greeted with the familiar 1.4 and 1.8-liter powerplants, and the horsepower figures haven’t moved from last year’s numbers, either. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Despite the fact that Honda has no plans – at least not yet – to export its 2011 Honda Fit (Jazz) Hybrid to the U.S., we’ve still kept a close eye on the automaker’s subcompact gas-electric. From the rumors thatswirled around back in 2006 to its on-stage debut at the Paris Motor Show, we’ve never lost sight of the Fit Hybrid and its overall importance in the gas-electric segment. Now, as the vehicle launches in Japan, we’re pleased to note that Reuters is reporting that Honda has kept its promise and priced the Fit Hybrid at a mere1.59 million yen ($19,310 U.S. at current exchanges rate). This makes it the cheapest gas-electric car available in Japan.

Honda reports that pre-orders in Japan for the bargain-priced hybrid have reached nearly 10,000 units. Toppling the nation’s best-seller, the Toyota Prius, though, will require even more consumer interest than that. Under Japanese testing methods, the Fit Hybrid receives a 70.6 mile-per-gallon fuel economy rating, equal to that of the company’s Insight.

What do the Ferrari 599 HY-KERS, Lotus Evora 414E and Porsche 918 Spyder have in common? They’re all fuel efficient sports cars with technology that’s finally fitted to something worth driving. Also, we can’t buy them… yet. What’s worse, when they do go on sale, mere mortals who don’t log on to an off-shore account to check their net worth won’t be able to partake.

So how can a gearhead tread a little lighter and still get their kicks? Read our full story to find out.

Honda has told us it will not be producing a Honda Fit Hybrid for the U.S. market, but it also once told us thatthere will be no Honda Jazz Hybrid. What you are looking at above is exactly that – an EU-market Honda Jazz with a gas-electric drivetrain. The new, more verdant model is set to make its world debut at the Paris Motor Show, and Honda has just released an expanded array of images and more details about the eco-minded hatch. While the Japanese automaker hasn’t divulged the car’s full specs, there are a few things we do know:

The U.S. 2010 Honda Fit model is rated at 27 miles per gallon in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, and we expect the Fit Hybrid to push that urban rating up by more than a few notches. Sadly, this new model remains unlikely to make it to North American shores.