Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Should Honda Build a 2013 Honda Accord Convertible?

Accord_convertible

When the 2013 Honda Accord was revealed a few weeks ago it got us thinking. The Accord has been one of the best-selling models in America for years, yet Honda has been hesitant to expand the model lineup beyond the basic coupe and sedan. Sure, there was the original hatchback, a wagon in the early '90s and even the recent Accord Crosstour experiment. But what about something a little more interesting? Something that might inject some life into Honda when it needs it the most? What about a 2013 Honda Accord Convertible?

With that in mind we asked some of our industry sources if such a vehicle had been considered for the latest Accord lineup. Sure enough, they said there was some internal discussion about just such a car. But as far as they could tell, that's about as far as the convertible got.

In fact, when we asked a Honda official if any Accord convertible prototypes existed, he responded with a light-hearted, "Yes! And the really cool thing about them is that at speeds over 60 mph, the wheels retract and high-efficiency jets pop out." We took that as a no, and he confirmed that rumors about such prototypes are "purely fictional."

The idea stuck in our heads, though, so our in-house Photoshop artist created a couple renderings of what an Accord convertible would look like. The result is an attractive look for the new Accord, with clean lines and a refined shape that convertible buyers in this category would likely find enticing.

And let's face it, the category is ripe for the taking. Consider what a Honda Accord convertible would be up against. The Camaro and Mustang convertibles are most often considered performance cars or kids convertibles, while the Chrysler 200 is either a rental car or an old person's car depending on whom you ask. Sure, there are more refined drop tops for more money (G37, Lexus IS 250 C, etc.) but an Accord convertible would appeal to those looking to have a little fun without appearing like they cashed out of their kids' college funds to do it.

Seems reasonable to us. Then again, we don't have to engineer the thing, but a basic soft-top mechanism shouldn't be that hard to work up. Honda did a fine job with the S2000's lid. Speaking of which, that car has been out of production for a few years, so it's high time Honda gets back into the convertible game once again. What do you think? Would this convertible be a good addition to the Accord family?

Monday, August 20, 2012

This 2012 Civic LX is a will save you money on the sticker price and at the gas tank!

For more information, check out our website

White_civic

A big thanks to Christina and Sean for writing these awesome reviews for us!

Yelp

"Restored my faith in the fact that a car buying experience doesn't need to make you feel like you need a shower afterwards." - Sean

"My husband and I were referred to Steve Chaney (Fleet Sales Manager) from a friend because we needed a new car. For the first time in my life, I have found an HONEST, TRUSTWORTHY person within the car dealing industry! The process was so smooth." - Christina

 

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Thursday, August 16, 2012

Honda's hybrid plug-in concept utilizes all of the technology Honda has to offer to create an efficient and innovative driving experience.

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The plug-in hybrid platform showcases Honda's next-generation two-motor hybrid system. Integrated into a mid-size sedan platform, the plug-in hybrid is designed to be compatible with daily driving habits, allowing for short, frequent trips in all-electric mode, while providing long-distance, fuel-efficient driving capability when needed. The Honda two-motor system continuously moves through three different modes to maximize driving efficiency: all-electric, gasoline-electric and a unique, engine direct-drive mode.

The plug-in concept has an all-electric range of 10–15 miles, with a top speed of 62 mph. Fully recharging the battery will take only 2–2.5 hours using a standard 120-volt outlet or 1–1.5 hours using a 240-volt outlet. The vehicle can also run in a gasoline-electric hybrid mode, powered by a fuel-efficient 2.0-liter, i-VTEC® inline 4-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine and paired with an electric continuously variable transmission (E-CVT). For more efficient high-speed cruising, the vehicle can engage in a direct-drive mode, in which only the engine drives the front wheels.

 

Courtesy of automobiles.honda.com

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Photos of the new 2013 Accord Coupe have been released

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Honda released a pair of images of its new-for-2013 Accord sedan early this morning, and it's followed them up with a pair of matching Coupe photos (we've added some cropped/zoomed images so you can see some of the details better).

The two-door bodystyle looks quite similar to the rakish outgoing model, with comparable greenhouse and prominent profile creases, but styling has been cleaned up as well, with better integrated hood shutlines and a dumping of the love/hate "upside-down" door handles that marked out the previous Accord. Unlike the new-for-2013 sedan, the Coupe also has unique squared-off lower fascias with recessed lighting – particularly noticeable in the rear.

Up front, a mesh grille with a thinner U-shaped surround insert takes the place of the sedan's more conservative slatted affair, and the headlamp fixtures are unique with larger amber turn signals. The lower air inlet looks similar in style to the sedan, but the surrounding fascia is different, incorporating round fog lamps in blacked-out faux mesh recesses.

The rear end also receives unique taillamps, and they appear smaller than their family-minded counterpart. Also unlike the sedan, they don't extend into the trunklid, which appears to have a markedly narrower opening to go with its built-in lip spoiler and CHMSL. The Accord Coupe's most prominent feature in the rear is arguably its square-jawed bumper cap, which has vertical rectangle reflectors and a horizontal sliver of brightwork that the sedan lacks. As with the saloon, twin exhaust outlets are shown on this V6 model, but they have unique oval-shaped finishers, where the sedan has more traditional round pieces.

What do you think of the new Accord Coupe at first glance? Weigh in with your thoughts in Comments.

 

Courtesy of autoblog.com