Checkered Flag Honda

Story borrowed from the Checkered Blog:

Naturally, the Checkered Blog staff loves all cars Checkered Flag has to offer, but there are some we really love.  Flag Raiser, that’s me, has been a major Honda S2000 fan ever since it was offered for sale back in 1999 (as a 2000 model).  The original AP1 (2000-2003 models) had a redline of 9,000 RPM’s coupled with very little weight plus rear wheel drive – it was a big go-kart!  The AP2 (2004-current) is a little more refined with more power, softer suspension, an easier to shift transmission, and some extra creature comforts.  Don’t think the AP2 is a watered-down luxurious roadster compared to the AP1 – it can also be a race track beast!  It is just a little nicer to drive around town. I digress…When is the last year for the S2000?  The word on the street in 1999 was Honda would only produce the S2000 for 2 years.  This meant less than 10,000 cars a year ending with the 2001 model year – a very short supply!  Sales were incredible during those first two years and we (dealers & consumers) begged Honda to continue producing the car.  Thankfully, Honda did just that.  The funny part is Honda hasn’t officially mentioned anything about discontinuing the S2000 since 1999, but rumors have flown around the enthusiast world ever since.  Each time a new model comes out, more S2000-speculators come up with new reasons why the current model is going to be the last one.

So…When is the last year for the S2000?  Who knows?  Does it matter?  In the people year of 2007 (as opposed to it being the car year of 2008) Honda released the 2008 Honda S2000 Club Racer, or CR for short.  In 2004 the AP1 was re-tooled into the AP2.  The car was released as a 2000 model, so it has lived for 8 years with 2 big changes.  That does sound like a regular car-progression to me.  I’ve been wrong in the past, but I don’t think 2008 is going to be the last year for the S2000. 

If you're looking for more S2000 resources, we recommend the forums on S2Ki - S2000 International.  It is a fantastic S2000 community some of our Checkered Flag employees regularly participate in and Checkered Flag Honda helps with events for the S2000 Mid-Atlantic Community.

Honda's upcoming dedicated hybrid model is expected to debut at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, and a recent interview with Honda CEO Takeo Fukui revealed that the car will look similar to its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, the FCX Clarity. Although many upcoming hybrid models use lithium ion batteries (including the Chevy Volt and Honda's own FCX), Honda plans to stick with the tried-and-true nickel metal hydride technology for its new machine along with an engine derived from the Civic's, though smaller, lighter and with newly programmed electronics. Also like the Civic and Accord, the new hybrid model will use the same nameplate the world over; what that nameplate will be remains a mystery. Insight, anyone?

Expected to be priced below the Civic Hybrid, Honda hopes to sell 200,000 of its new hybrid model per year. We expect that the new machine will start an epic battle between Honda and Toyota for supremacy in the entry-level hybrid market, much as they already duke it out in the midsize sedan range with the Accord and Camry. Consumers only stand to benefit from the competition, so we look forward to more information as it becomes available.


[Sources: Hybrid Cars, Automotive News (sub. req'd), AutoblogGreen] Story from AutoBlog

Story from AutoBlog

Like most other manufacturers doing business in the U.S., Honda has been caught by surprise by the sudden shift in demand to smaller cars. When the Fit debuted in the U.S. two years ago, it proved more popular than expected then and allotments were increased for the upcoming redesigned 2009 models. However, the spike in fuel prices has caused a corresponding increase in demand for small fuel efficient cars like the Fit. Sales of the old Fit from January to May of this year jumped 64 percent compared to 2007. Honda has now decided to bump production from 60,000 to 80,000 cars for the 2009 model year. The 2009 Fit has been rated at 28/34 mpg city/highway and will start at $14,620. U.S. production is limited because Honda only has capacity to build 500,000 Fits a year right now for the entire world, and if we get more in the U.S., someone else has to get less elsewhere in the world.