I saw one at Harris Teeter the other day.

It looked pretty nice.

11/17/2010 3:46:52 PM

No one said they looked bad. They are impractical like a sports car and slow like a hybrid who wants that?

11/17/2010 4:06:01 PM

Quote :

"No one said they looked bad"

actually a lot of people do. a huge nose isn't a good thing when the car is small and has a tiny rear overhang.

11/17/2010 4:34:52 PM

Quote :

"Rumormill: Honda planning turbocharged, non-hybrid CR-Z As much as Honda wants us to believe that its CR-Z hatchback is some sort of "sport hybrid," the truth is that it doesn't exactly live up to our expectations. It's a decent steer, but it's not exactly a sports car, and its meager fuel efficiency is easily bested by the majority of non-hybrid B-segment offerings. According to a report from Autocar, however, Honda is rumored to be working on a CR-Z that ditches its conventional hybrid powertrain in favor of a small-displacement, turbocharged mill. The proposed new engine is an all-new 1.6-liter unit that will produce around 160 horsepower. Autocar states that a higher-output CR-Z Type R may follow shortly thereafter, rumored to produce around 200 hp. This new powerplant is reportedly slated for use in the Honda Jazz (Fit), Civic and Accord, and could provide the basis for the next-generation Civic Si engine. We saw a preview of Honda's hot hatch intentions at this year's SEMA show in the form of the CR-Z Hybrid R concept. That show car featured a turbocharged version of the Honda's current 1.5-liter engine, but it shows that Honda is indeed serious about reworking the CR-Z's sporting image. Sales of the hybrid CR-Z have started to fade in Honda's home market, despite the hatch being named the Japanese Car of the Year. Honda hopes that a turbocharged CR-Z would broaden the vehicle's appeal in other key markets, as well, such as the United States and Europe."

Good news for the enthusiast. Also, lol at the part I bolded.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/06/rumormill-honda-planning-turbocharged-non-hybrid-cr-z/

12/6/2010 3:47:27 PM

your views on this matter interest me, so i would like to hear subscribed to your newsletter, sir

12/6/2010 3:51:33 PM

it aint a tight car if it aint a type R

12/6/2010 5:09:11 PM

Thank god mine's not a type r...

12/6/2010 8:28:08 PM

Quote :

"CR-Z, Crosstour, Insight sales hurting - Odyssey lone bright spot among new Honda models Honda has hit rough water with sales of its new CR-Z, Accord Crosstour and Insight models According to Automotive News, the three models are underperforming in a big way. Take the Insight hybrid, which is falling 40,000 units short of even the most conservative estimates inside the company. Outsold 8-to-1 by its Toyota Prius rival, Honda has only managed to shift 19,325 units through November – the company originally targeted sales of 60,000 to 80,000. Likewise, thus far this year, Honda has sold nearly 20,000 fewer Crosstour models than its biggest competitor – the Toyota Venza, selling just 25,927 units compared to the Toyota's 43,325. Need we remind you, Honda's original sales goal for the Crosstour was 40,000 units per year, a number we were deeply skeptical of after first driving the vehicle at its launch last November. Although it hasn't been on the market that long, early sales for Honda's new CR-Z hybrid coupe aren't any more encouraging. Automotive News reports that Honda had conservatively intended to sell around 15,000 of the two-seat hybrids per year, but so far, only 4,373 have made their way off of dealer lots and another 3,000 are currently sitting in inventory. Thankfully, there is one bright spot in the Honda stable – the 2011 Odyssey. The minivan bowed in September, and it's performing well against a minivan segment that has heated up with a range of new competitors. Automotive News suggests that the problem boils down to a change in Honda's image from a company with compelling products to one that plays it safe. Throw in styling that isn't for everyone and aging (but still selling) models like the CR-V and Accord, and you've got a recipe for decreased market share. Honda, meanwhile, says that it doesn't focus on market share because that leads to bad habits (read: incentives), instead opting to focus on percentage-increases in vehicles sold. That's a fair strategy, but slow sales of key new models suggest that Honda needs to do some soul-searching. Might we suggest getting back to its roots as an engineering-driven car company?"

Sounds about right to me. Some people think I'm biased against Honda, but the numbers don't lie.

12/7/2010 2:10:05 PM

it's really a shame honda can't just bring back the DC2 Integra Type R.

12/7/2010 2:42:47 PM

Honda has been losing my interest for some time now

12/7/2010 2:50:45 PM

Dear Honda, why can't you make the CR-Z more like the Tesla?

1/3/2011 2:14:31 AM

Shouldn't the CRY come after the CRX? not the CRZ

1/3/2011 5:25:25 PM

Finally saw a CR-Z on the road two weeks ago. Not impressed.

1/3/2011 5:30:04 PM

the real sad part about that is that it looks better than it performs



Tanner Foust described it best on top gear the other night

1/4/2011 11:49:16 AM

The CRY did come after the CRX. It came from the CRZ not living up to expectation.

When cars go full electric are we going to talk about capacitors like NOS and doing conductor swaps and voltage upgrades? The thought of this makes me want to puke.

1/4/2011 12:41:05 PM

^don't worry, gas fed automobiles will be around for a helluva long time. Probably till we're too old to drive.

1/4/2011 1:52:30 PM

Honda so excited about winning Japan Car of the Year that CR-Z gets special edition

Still makes shit power

1/11/2011 5:17:58 PM

I saw that. LOL, celebrating Car of the Year in Japan. Meanwhile, in their most important (and biggest) market the US sales numbers have been abysmal...mainly b/c the car isn't really good at anything.

In other news the Hyundai Volester (spell?) was unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show and beats the CR-Z's mileage with a non-hybrid drivetrain. (and no doubt also a faster car)

1/11/2011 10:43:41 PM

Veloster

Volester sounds like someone who does terrible things to voles.

1/12/2011 11:32:15 AM

If there's anything that the recent resurgence of Ford has taught us, it's that a car company's fortunes depend on selling products that people actually want to buy.

1/12/2011 12:04:37 PM

I never knew I wanted a twin turbo v6 truck but I totally do!!

1/12/2011 12:23:47 PM

My AW11 is about as fast, gets about the same gas mileage and is WAAAAAY more fun. Hybrid POS.

1/12/2011 7:22:39 PM

The Veloster looks cool, but I do hope they will come out with a more powerful version soon, say with 170 to 180 hp.

Here is some driving footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h16e9RTqss8 ... drifting towards the end.

1/12/2011 8:20:02 PM

what's with the telephone grille?

1/12/2011 8:48:20 PM

Quote :

"If there's anything that the recent resurgence of Ford has taught us, it's that a car company's fortunes depend on selling products that people actually want to buy."

I totally agree. However don't forget they're still $25+ billion in debt to the banks

1/12/2011 11:03:50 PM

Report: Honda CR-Z turbo fast-tracked

Quote :

"The Honda CR-Z has us a bit stumped. It's interesting looking and it's a sporting handler, but with only 122 horsepower under the hood, power is in sadly short supply. Yes, the CR-Z is also a hybrid, but its 38 miles per gallon combined fuel economy rating is less than impressive. The solution could be right around the corner. Back in December, the Brits over at Autocar quoted sources who said Honda was planning a turbocharged CR-Z minus the battery pack or electric motor. Fast-forward a little over a month and the U.K. magazine now reports that the CR-Z turbo is being rushed to production. If there's any truth to the rumors, the boosted hatch will come in 160- and 200-horsepower versions; a healthy bump for such a small vehicle. So what does "fast-tracked" mean in terms of timing? Autocar claims we could see the CR-Z turbo at the Tokyo Motor Show in December. Given the fact that Autocar neglected to divulge its "sources," we're not quite ready to take the publication at its word. But all the same, Honda must be listening to all the lukewarm reviews regarding the CR-Z, and a production model based on the boosted CR-Z R concept from SEMA could well be the shot in the arm the little three-door needs."

Who knows... but hopefully we will see it in about 11 months.

[Edited on January 18, 2011 at 5:09 PM. Reason : ]

1/18/2011 5:08:09 PM

This is me holding my breath...


While I have no intentions of buying a FWD car again, it'd be nice to see Honda get back to sporty cars.

1/18/2011 6:53:37 PM

bump

5/18/2011 11:16:25 AM

Good thing I didn't hold my breath

Quote :

"CR-Z to remain a hybrid only prospect Honda boss Itoh has refused to give its plummeting CR-Z hybrid a petrol-powered parachute because it would impinge on the struggling coupe's green credentials. Sources at Honda insist the company's engineers had developed a rescue package for the ailing CR-Z program by stuffing its engine bay full of a 2.0-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder engine and a six-speed gearbox to create a sharper, more-aggressive model that was also cheaper to build. However, sources insist the program, which was near production readiness, was killed off recently at the personal insistence of Honda's president. "The green credentials of having a sports Hybrid were important to Honda and heavily publicised when the car launched," sources say. "But the car is not selling well anywhere in the world and many people here thought the 2.0-litre program would go a long way towards saving it. "The word came from the top, so we had to kill it off," the source said"

http://www.carsales.com.au/news/2011/small-passenger/honda/crz/crz-to-remain-a-hybrid-only-prospect-24898

5/18/2011 11:24:03 AM

LAME

[Edited on May 18, 2011 at 12:00 PM. Reason : .]

5/18/2011 11:59:48 AM

Meanwhile...

Quote :

"Honda has released the first pictures of the CR-Z Mugen, ahead of its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Essentially a one-off concept, the model is outfitted with an aerodynamic body kit, a sport-tuned suspension, a high-performance braking system and 17-inch alloy wheels. Furthermore, the car weighs 50 kg (110 lbs) less than the standard CR-Z. Detailed specifications haven't been announced, but power is provided by a supercharged 1.5-liter engine that is paired to an IMA hybrid system. This gives the car a combined output of approximately 200 PS (147 kW / 197 hp) and 181 lb-ft (245 Nm) of torque, which enables it to accelerate from 0-60 mph in roughly 6.6 seconds. According to Colin Whittamore, from MUGEN Euro, "We've retained the three driving modes from the standard car and economy ranges from 50+mpg in 'eco' mode to mid-30 mpg when tapping into the supercharged power in a special 'MUGEN' mode.""

Anybody think they will not be able to keep it as a concept only due to potentially high customer interest to manufacture it in small numbers?

5/18/2011 6:00:00 PM

^The thing is, who really cares? Not a chance that thing sells for less than $24,000 and at that price or higher it's a bigger joke than the base CR-Z.

5/18/2011 11:43:50 PM

boreing goes ricer.

5/18/2011 11:59:10 PM

Quote :

"^The thing is, who really cares? Not a chance that thing sells for less than $24,000 and at that price or higher it's a bigger joke than the base CR-Z."

Agreed. The Mugen Civic that they released a few years back had a base price right at $30k iirc. At that price they're in WRX territory and it's going to take a hell of a car to steal market share.

5/19/2011 2:37:58 PM