Old Honda Truck Rendering

I was submitted this picture of an old rendering of what a Honda Truck could look like, looks like a 3 door style, with a first gen Acura MDX front. Cool find, thanks goes out to Greg Morgan....

Japanese Stocks Advance, Led by Honda, on Earnings Confidence

By Anna Kitanaka
Jan. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Japanese stocks rose for the first time in three days, led by automakers, after Nomura Holdings Inc. raised its rating on Honda Motor Co. to “buy,” and after General Electric Co. of the U.S. beat earnings estimates.

Honda climbed 3.8 percent. Elpida Memory Inc., the world’s third-largest maker of computer-memory chips, jumped 5.1 percent after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its investment rating. Yaskawa Electric Corp., a maker of electronic controls, leapt 4.5 percent after the company swung to profit. Tokyo Tomin Bank Ltd., a regional lender based in Japan’s capital, tumbled 6.1 percent, leading a decline by banks.

“There are strong expectations that earnings will improve,” said Koichi Kurose, chief strategist in Tokyo at Resona Bank Ltd., which manages about $57 billion in assets. “As we’re seeing increasing earnings abroad, Japanese exporter shares are rising.”

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average increased 0.7 percent to 10,345.11 at the close in Tokyo. The broader Topix index also gained 0.7 percent to 917.18, after earlier falling as much as 0.1 percent. About three shares rose for each that fell on the Topix.

The Topix has gained 2 percent this year, driving the average price of shares in the index to 15.8 times estimated earnings on average, close to the highest level since August.

General Electric
The gauge sank 1 percent in 2010 as the yen rose to its strongest annual average level against the dollar since currencies became freely traded in 1971, dimming the outlook for export earnings. Confidence in a global recovery was also damped by Europe’s debt crisis, China’s steps to curb inflation and concern U.S. growth will weaken.

In the U.S., the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index increased 0.2 percent in New York on Jan. 21 after General Electric, the world’s biggest maker of jet engines, medical-imaging equipment and power turbines, reported fourth-quarter earnings from continuing operations of 36 cents a share, exceeding the average estimate from analysts of 32 cents. General Electric Co. is considered a proxy for world growth.

Automakers as a group were the biggest boost to the Topix among the index’s 33 industry groups.

Honda Leads Gains
Honda, Japan’s second-largest automaker, gained 3.8 percent to 3,400 yen, the biggest contributor to the Nikkei 225’s advance. The company was raised to “buy” from “neutral” by Nomura analyst Masataka Kunugimoto, who estimated the shares may reach 4,300 yen within the next 12 months. Honda’s U.S. sales are looking favorable, and earnings may increase, Kunugimoto wrote in a Jan. 21 report.

Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s largest carmaker, gained 1.3 percent to 3,415 yen. Nissan Motor Co., the third-biggest automaker in Japan, climbed 0.7 percent to 830 yen.

“Earnings in the U.S. are improving,” said Kazuhiro Takahashi, a general manager at Tokyo-based Daiwa Securities Capital Markets Co. In Japan, “there are expectations that domestic companies will also post good results.”

Elpida rose 5.1 percent to 1,134 yen. Goldman Sachs increased its investment rating to “buy” from “neutral” and boosted its share-price estimate to 1,350 yen from 950 yen.

Yaskawa Electric Corp., a Japanese machinery maker, jumped 4.5 percent to 867 yen. The company turned to a nine-month net income of 4.32 billion yen from a year-earlier loss on a 41 percent surge in sales.

Banks Decline
Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the maker of Subaru-brand cars, advanced 1.3 percent to 690 yen. The company’s operating profit for the fiscal year to March 31 will likely triple to about 80 billion yen, the Nikkei newspaper reported. That compares with the company’s earlier forecast of 70 billion yen, Nikkei said.

The Topix Banks Index fell 0.4 percent today, the biggest decline among the Topix’s industry groups.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., Japan’s biggest bank, dropped 0.5 percent to 441 yen. Mizuho Financial Group Inc., the No. 3, declined 1.2 percent to 164 yen.

Tokyo Tomin Bank tumbled 6.1 percent to 1,168 yen. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut its investment rating on the stock to “underweight” from “neutral.”

The Topix bank index rose 2.7 percent this year through Jan. 21, double the broader Topix index’s 1.3 percent gain in the same period. The bank sub-group’s relative-strength index, a measure of price momentum, was at 71.27 on Jan. 19, above the 70 threshold that some traders use as an indicator to sell.

“Bank shares have been on a steady climb, so now people are cautious about the price and want to capture their earnings,” said Hideyuki Ishiguro, assistant manager at the investment strategy department at Okasan Securities Co. in Tokyo.

-- With assistance from Kotaro Tsunetomi. Editors: Sam Waite, John McCluskey.

Source;
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-01-24/japanese-stocks-advance-led-by-honda-on-earnings-confidence.html

Newly Refined 2012 Acura TL To Debut At Chicago Auto Show

01/24/2011 - TORRANCE, Calif.
Acura today announced it will debut the newly refined 2012 TL at the Chicago Auto Show. The TL, which recently received the 2011 ALG Residual Value Award for Best Near Luxury Car, further enhances its position in the segment with aggressive, yet refined styling and performance.

Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales, will introduce the production vehicle at the press conference, to be held on February 9, 2011 in the Acura booth. The press conference will be webcast live on www.acuranews.com.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/newly-refined-2012-acura-tl-to-debut-at-chicago-auto-show

2012 Nismo Nissan GT-R RC Unveiled

2012 Nismo Nissan GT-R RC Unveiled

Nissan has unveiled a racing version of the GT-R Nismo its internal tuner at the Tokyo Auto Salon called the GT-R RC (Racing competition).

Nismo GT-R has refined established to monitor the performance improved with air suspension compliance, the use of lightweight parts and equipment GT-R with racing safety law. These include the FIA rollbar-qualifying welded, air inlets and 120 liters of fuel tank safety ATL.The Nissan GT-R,

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2011 BMW X1 xDrive28i Preview

2011 BMW X1 xDrive28i Preview

Its powerful design, sporty and elegant, agility, luxury features and innovative hardware features, the BMW X1 is a pioneer in the premium compact class in terms of driving pleasure. Once again, the premium carmaker BMW has managed to drive a BMW X model concept of a new vehicle segment to create a unique product. Now, the BMW X1 is innovative, this time based on the BMW EfficientDynamics program. BMW X1 xDrive28i Branda € ™ s first four-cylinder model BMW TwinPower Turbo technology, which includes High Precision Injection direct fuel injection, the payment is based on a twin-scroll with the principle of double-VANOS variable valve timing camshaft and Valvetronic variable valve control.

BMW has scheduled the introduction of this technology package in the new BMW X1 xDrive28i, coinciding with the launch of a new generation of petrol engines of 2.0 liters of BMW. 180 kW/245 hp The new engine combines a power upgrade and torque than the previous engine with significantly reduced fuel consumption and emissions. This translates into improved double in some impressive performance specs. 0 to 100 km / h sprint h (62 mph) is 6.1 seconds (automatic: 6.5 seconds), an improvement of 0.7 seconds (automatic: 0.3 seconds) in the previous model, which only available in automatic. At the same time, average fuel consumption in the test cycle, the EU has fallen from 16 percent to 7.9 l/100 km (35.7 mpg imp), with CO2 emissions of 183 grams per kilometer.BMW has timed the introduction of this technology package in the new BMW X1 xDrive28i to coincide with the launch of a new generation of BMW 2.0-liter petrol engines. The new 245 hp powerplant combines a power and torque upgrade over the previous engine with substantially reduced fuel consumption and emissions. This twofold improvement is reflected in some impressive performance specifications. The 0 to 60 mph sprint time is 5.9 seconds (automatic: 6.3 seconds), an improvement of 0.7 seconds (automatic:

The new BMW X1 xDrive28i comes with a six-speed manual transmission as standard. The standard equipment includes BMW EfficientDynamics technology â € "among other features â €" Brake Energy Regeneration, Optimum shift indicator, Auto Start-Stop and the enforcement of ancillary units. An optional version eight-speed automatic is also available. Thanks are woven

its exceptionally high internal efficiency of this transmission models offer similar fuel consumption and emissions for those with the manual version.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Configurator

Bugatti Veyron 16.4

With its 16-cylinder four-wheel drive, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4*) may well be the most sophisticated production vehicle of all times.

Most of the components tucked beneath its hood are ingenious innovations that were formerly only deemed possible by visionaries like Ferdinand Piëch.

Boasting a maximum speed of more than 400 km per hour, the Veyron is unmatched in the super sports category. It offers a total of 736 kW (1,001 HP), and its ample power reserves even at high speeds are the fabric of dreams for luxury-class limousines: for a constant speed of 250 km/h, the Veyron only needs 270-280 HP. This means that the seven-gear clutch transmission works with a torque of up to 1,250 Newton meters. The Electronic Stability Program ensures the necessary flexibility

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2010 Local Motors Rally Fighter

2010 Local Motors Rally Fighter

Off-Road Racing designed for car enthusiasts by car enthusiasts, makes its debut on the biggest industry event of the year at SEMA in the Making Green Cool Zone "

This is one of the most exciting cars ever hit the road. The aggressive, stylish and inspired the Old War Birds, Local Motors Rally Fighter is a remnant of the old new appeal.

----  Specifications  ----

Price		--	Production		--
Engine		3 liter BMW	Weight		3200 lbs
Aspiration		twin turbochargers	Torque		425 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm
HP		265 hp	HP/Weight		--
HP/Liter		88.3 hp per liter	1/4 mile		12.1 lbs per hp
0-62 mph		--	Top Speed		--

The history of this vehicle is in its process of revolutionary change and simple - it was designed and developed by a community of car enthusiasts. New American automaker local Motors invites everyone with a passion for cars to work in an open design that can help you choose the shape and appearance of each vehicle local Motors. Now home to more than 4000 cars designers, engineers and enthusiasts, the local community Motors is the largest of its kind - and the only one wearing a new car on the market.

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