Honda sells F1 Team to former team principal Ross Brawn

Honda has announced today a new owner for its Brackley-based F1 outfit in the form of former team principal Ross Brawn. The entire shares of the team, previously owned by UK holding company Honda GP Holdings Ltd., were sold to Brawn for an undisclosed sum earlier this week. As a result of this sale, ownership of the entire operation has transferred to Brawn, who plans to have the new team compete for this year's F1 season.

The latest announcement follows news that team staff at Honda's Brackley were previously told to prepare for imminent winter tests in Spain and subsequently the beginning of the 2009 season in Melbourne, Australia.

It's understood the 2009 race car has been adapted to fit a Mercedes Benz V8 engine and will commence testing in Spain on March 9. It remains unclear, however, what name the team will now operate or in what livery the cars will race. One possibility gaining credence is 'Brawn GP'.

As for the drivers, an official statement has revealed that Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello will race for the new team.

GMI launches automatic variant of the Chevrolet Captiva SUV

eneral Motors India has launched a new variant of its SUV, the Chevrolet Captiva. The vehicle is fitted with an automatic gearbox and is priced at Rs 20.30 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi. With its 150bhp, 2.0-litre common-rail diesel engine and automatic all-wheel-drive (AWD), the new Captiva will take on SUVs like the Honda CR-V, Ford Endeavour and the Mitsubishi Outlander. GMI sold around 2,500 units of the Captiva last year and hopes to better than number in 2009.

The Chevrolet Captiva is now available with automatic transmission

On a greener note, GMI is also preparing to launch more LPG / CNG powered variants of some of its vehicles, the first of which is expected to be out in the market in the first half of this year.

Honda Insight Hybrid More details revealed

Honda has released more details on the Insight Hybrid, a five-door family hatchback that looks all set to take on the Toyota Prius on its own turf. Fitted with Honda’s petrol-electric Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, the Insight is supposed to be one of the most affordable hybrids on the market, with low emissions and great fuel economy in real world driving conditions. The Honda Insight 1.3 IMA SE also proves that hybrids don’t have to be dull. With 87bhp from its 1.3-litre petrol engine and 14bhp from its electric motor, and 121Nm of torque from the engine and 79Nm of torque from the electric motor, the Insight is certainly not short on motive power. Fitted with a very efficient CVT transmission, the car will accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 12.5 seconds and has a top speed of 180km/h.

The all-new Honda Insight Hybrid. For the first time ever, the Toyota Prius is going to have some serious competition to deal with...!

Honda has not released pricing details for the new Insight, but the car is expected to be at least 20% cheaper than the Prius, prices for which start at the equivalent of about Rs 14.5 lakh in Europe. Official prices will be announced in April this year, when the car goes on sale.

Honda aims to sell around 200,000 units of the Insight globally, per year. Along with the new Jazz Hybrid, Civic Hybrid and a sporty new hybrid based on the CR-Z, Honda is targeting sales of up to 500,000 hybrids globally, per year.

To begin with, the Insight will be produced at Honda’s factory in Suzuka, in Japan. Technologically, it will be significantly more advanced than, say, the Honda Civic Hybrid, which was also sold in India last year. The Insight will have cutting edge technologies like Variable Cylinder Management (VCM), which will automatically sense the amount of power/torque needed in any given driving situation, and will switch off the petrol engine when it’s not needed, running the car on electric power alone.

The Insight’s electric motor will be powered by a new-generation nickel-metal hydride battery, which has been optimised for power delivery and reduced charging time. The car also comes with Eco Assist and has a super economy driving mode, both of which help a driver get the best fuel efficiency from the car.

There’s an almost endless list of safety features which Honda has fitted to the Insight, but we won’t get into that. You know most of those anyway – anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution, traction control, fancy seatbelts and a dozen airbags. No, what this car is all about is being on the cutting edge of affordable green technology, and that’s where the Insight Hybrid will excel.

We expect Honda to offer a limited number of Insight Hybrids in the Indian market, perhaps priced at around Rs 18-20 lakh. If it is indeed launched here, the Insight should be a very big hit for Honda. Stay tuned for news on this one!

2008 Honda FC Sport Concept

Honda today revealed the Honda FC Sport design study model, a hydrogen-powered, three-seat sports car concept, at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.

The FC Sport emphasizes the design flexibility and potential of Honda's V Flow fuel cell technology - already deployed in the Honda FCX Clarity sedan - and reconfigures it into a lightweight sports car design with an ultra-low center of gravity, powerful electric motor performance and zero-emissions. The design study concept is inspired by supercar levels of performance through low weight and a high-performance, electrically driven fuel cell powertrain.

"The Honda FC Sport explores how to satisfy automotive performance enthusiasts in a world beyond petroleum," said Dan Bonawitz, vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "People who love sports cars will still have a reason to love in a hydrogen-powered future."

The high-output Honda fuel cell powertrain and a sleek, aerodynamic body contribute to the vehicle's performance potential. A modular approach to fuel cell component packaging and the electric drivetrain contribute to the FC Sport's low center of gravity with the majority of vehicle mass distributed between the axles, creating the balanced weight distribution sought after in sports cars.

The ideal placement of the Honda V-Flow fuel cell stack and related components demonstrates the benefits of a platform-specific, hydrogen-powered fuel cell powertrain. The FC Sport is configured to accommodate a custom-formed high-power fuel cell stack, located between the rear seats, and a battery pack placed low in the middle of the vehicle. The electric motor resides just forward of the rear axle. Two fuel storage tanks, visible from above, are located above the rear axle.

The optimal placement of fuel cell components for performance also allows for a relatively large passenger cabin by conventional supercar standards with enough space for three seating positions. The interior layout focuses primarily on the driver with a racecar-like center driving position. The enclosed canopy opens upward from the rear to allow for entry and exit. Two rear passenger seats flank the driver's left and right side.

The sleek, low-profile body is designed to convey a high-technology appearance with sculpting that combines angular shapes in the front of the vehicle that taper into geometric, hex forms in the rear. The rear hex forms house cooling radiators for the fuel cell. Formula 1-style barge boards behind the front wheels enhance high speed aerodynamics and convey the vehicle's racing pedigree. The hydrogen storage tanks, visible from the rear deck, showcase the FC Sports fuel cell technology in much the same way that a "naked bike" motorcycle showcases its engineering technology.

The glacier white body color conveys the FC Sport's clean environmental aspirations while the dark wheels and deeply tinted glass provide a symbolic contrast befitting of the vehicle's unique combination of clean power and high performance. Green construction techniques further contribute to a reduced carbon footprint. An organic, bio-structure

Honda Debuts Pioneering Motorcycle Safety Technology

Honda has yesterday debuted a revolutionary new ‘Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication’ system, which – it is anticipated – could reduce road casualties of both motorcyclists and car drivers.
The technology was demonstrated today for the first time, at the CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium event which takes place over two days at the Opel Test Track in Dudenhofen, Germany. The demonstration exhibits the interoperability of the Honda life-saving system with other systems.

Honda has been a member of the CAR 2 CAR Communication Consortium since 2005 - part of Honda’s commitment to making the world a safer place for everyone and enhancing the joy of mobility – and has worked together with eight other vehicle manufacturers to enter a new era of road safety and efficiency where vehicle communication systems share vital information to aid safety and increase road-users’ awareness of what’s happening around them.

This work has resulted in the ‘Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication’ system, which utilises wireless LAN technology to link vehicles within a defined radio range and establish an ad-hoc network. Each car or motorcycle can also send information to vehicles farther afield. The system continuously monitors the position, speed, distance and direction of surrounding road users, even in conditions of darkness and poor visibility.

Data on the location of cars and bikes, information on accidents, obstructions or congestion is centralised and then sent to drivers and motorcyclists to warn them of traffic conditions ahead or possible dangers.

Motorcycle riders can view information on a display, and receive safety warnings through advanced interfaces such as an in-helmet audio system. Drivers can view information and receive warnings, for example, on their navigation system display.

In 1999 an EU funded research project investigated the causes of motorcycle accidents. Data was collected on 921 bike accidents across five European countries and it was found that the majority of accidents involving a motorcycle are caused by perception failures. 88% of the accidents were caused by human error, with 37% being caused by the motorcyclist and in 50% of cases, the driver of the other vehicle was responsible. By researching methods of inter-vehicle communication, it is hoped that these rates will be lowered in the future.

The development of inter vehicle communication is part of Honda’s ongoing approach to safety for powered two-wheelers and follows a number of Honda’s previous safety initiatives over the last 60 years, including the use and development of advanced braking systems, the first ever motorcycle airbag system on Honda’s flagship GL1800 Gold Wing, through to the latest developments in advanced braking with the specifically-for-sports-bikes designed Combined ABS, available as an option on the 2009 CBR1000RR Fireblade and CBR600RR. Honda’s Motorcycle Rider Trainer and Rider Simulator are further innovations, both of which are used for hazard perception training.

General Manager of Honda (UK) Motorcycles, Steve Martindale, commented, “Honda is proud to lead the way in the field of motorcycle safety and there’s no doubt that this is an area where other motorcycle manufacturers are increasing their focus as well. The Car 2 Car Consortium’s research and work, coupled with Honda’s latest safety innovation will result in a new era of road safety for all road users, where vehicle communication systems share vital information with the aim of helping to reduce the number of casualties on the roads. Honda fully supports the EU targets for traffic fatality reduction and we’re pleased to be able to further our commitment under the European Road Safety Charter with this latest vehicle communication safety system.”

Source: Honda