Remember a couple years back a clip appeared online pointing to an upcoming animation series based around the cars we loved and the hero being a GT-R? Looks like another trailer has come out as a continuation of the first video that dropped. Still street racing and out running the cops, the bad dude thinks he gets away only to be tormented on the freeways of LA by the ghost GT-R. Who is this road vigilante? I dunno but he has some great sponsors who are doing their best to change the negative images the import scene seems to conjure and educate the masses on being responsible drivers. Especially on the mean freeways of LA.

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Did all of you catch Acura's triple whammy yesterday? The RDX gets a cleaner design and ditches its turbo for a V6, the Civic matures into the all new ILX, and the 2nd generation NSX was announced. No one ever expected Honda/Acura to pull such an impressive 180 after such shortfalls of killing off the Integra/RSX, letting the RL stagnate for what seems like decades, and shoe horning a carrot peeler onto every Acura nose. Granted the NSX will feature a hybrid powertrain, but if "Earth Dreams" is as good as Honda has led on then we can expect a decent competitor to Nissan's GT-R or Lexus' LF-A. We can only look back and be somewhat relieved we didn't get the front engine, RWD, V10 batmobile. This concept keeps the mid engine, low slung look we all expect out of the NSX without compromising too much to price/packaging. Even more surprising is that Acura is confident in its Ohio team to develop and produce this car within the next 3 years. That's quite impressive and shows Honda/Acura means business with this NSX - tailored for us by us. So until we get to sit in one of these and dream of a exotic sports car lifestyle at an affordable budget, let's watch it virtually spin around the tracks of GT5! Pretty....

This has got to be one of the quirkier things to come out of Toyota's big marketing push for the Yaris - The "What The..?!" crew from Marvel and Toyota send Bruce Banner on a road trip with Dr. Strange to Cleveland, Ohio. For one thing I had no clue "What The..?!" made the jump from comic book to youtube videos, but I have become an instant fan of the Robot Chicken-like shorts. Obviously, Toyota is targeting a younger market with their newest Yaris with their meme contest at I Can Has Cheezeburger? and more videos at Funny or Die. For the most part, I think they have done some great ads for their "It's a Car!" campaign and this collaboration with Marvel is pure brilliance. Much better than the "Fit is Go!" campaign that came out of Honda. Anyhow, check out episode 1 of Marvel Superheroes: What The...?! - The Incredible Drive and get ready to go on a road trip! Come on Bruce! WEEEEEEE!

Looks like Christmas came a little early for us! I took a quick stroll halfway up the California Coast and picked up a 9th generation Civic. Instead of waiting 3+ months for an allocation, it took us about two week to find this little guy, well maybe not so little as the Civics have grown into the slot the Accords once held. Yup this Honda head spent time and money to actually buy a 9th generation Honda Civic Si - the sedan kind with the navigation. Yes the same 9th gen Civic that most reviewers and auto blog sites were hugely disappointed with, because not much has changed from the previous generation or at times much worse. The same 9th gen Civic that was stopped in the middle of its development to "cheapen" the car for American buyers who just saw the housing bubble burst in 2009 while in Japan they decided to nix the entire line. The same 9th gen where the Honda CEO, Takanobu Ito, took responsibility for the Civic's poor reception in North America while the President of American Honda, Tetsuro Iwamura, suggested that the company would consider moving the Civic's mid-model refresh from the usual model year of 2014 to 2013 (which means production would begin by the end of next summer) to fix the decontented Civic. There are no Car and Driver Best awards, MotorTrend COTY, or Consumer Reports recommendations for the line. Specifically for the Si, the shoehorning of an Acura TSX engine into the tiny Civic didn't win over the hardcore enthusiasts, just alienated them even more since the introduction of Honda's green initiative. Even with all that and a lack of an actual temp gauge, I still wanted one.

Hit the jump to find out why...

It could be a good or bad thing that this latest Si is more mainstream than any previous generation. So mainstream that most enthusiasts raise their eyebrows when they see the sub 8k redline. The K24 itself isn't a bad engine, it's just a refined four-banger that packs 201hp and 160 lb-ft of torque. Something no other Si engine can compete against on paper. On the road, most have found this Si pulling middle of the pack numbers while MS3 and GTI owners are laughing all the way to the front of the segment. While the 8th gen Si exerted its power and speed through the high end of the rpm range just like the Si's before it, the 9th is a totally different beast since Honda lowered the redline to get more useable torque out of the K24. It's a different experience and has left most hondaphiles scratching their heads asking, "is this really an Si?" Some have even proclaimed its more of an Accord/TSX driving experience than what one expects of an Si.

The manual on the Si is the one thing consistent with Honda cars of the past. They are a joy to drive and make shifting 2nd nature. It's a great feeling rowing though the gears with some of the smoothest sounding thunks going from 1st thru 6th - almost as great as my S2000. Yet one thing that has bothered everyone I know that has driven this car is the infamous rev hang. For the most part it just nags with normal city and highway driving, but throw in a spirited run down an empty backstretch and it'll make itself more than noticeable. It wasn't a deal breaker for me, but it sure was for many others. Also the car drives with an attitude that, again has consistently been compared to an Accord than the boy racer cars we have seen from Honda. The road feel is very neutral coming through the steering wheel, which had me feeling very detached from the road on my way back down the Central Coast. Sure it turns with ease and minimal effort but it's nothing like the road feel I got with my S2000 or even my old del Sol. To get that, you need to step it up and move with some haste for any inkling of a sporty drive to come through.

So after all that, why did I still push forward with owning this car? Yes it is not an engine that demands to be spun high even though a VTEC gauge exists. Yes it does have a noticeable rev hang and overall steering feel is a bit numbing on normal drives. Yes the dash is just slabs of hard plastic as well as a majority of the doors which have minimally padded armrests. At times the I-MID can be a little gimmicky and adding a navi puts a lot of redundant info in your face. Even then though, I chose it cause it's still a Civic. For the most part, it doesnt drift far from the formula that made Civics the benchmark for compact cars in the first place. Human before the machine is the philosphy pushing Honda to build there cars the way they have been for the past couple years. I think this Civic delivered on this since its the perfect car for a car enthusiast who needed a daily commuter, a baby hauler and spirited Honda drivability all mixed in to one. Still I must concede its a horrible car for a longtime Honda guy who can pick it apart by just looking at its spec sheet - hopefully there's a car in Honda's pipeline to make you happy. I mean really what else is there from Honda for the enthusiasts? No CRX, no Prelude, no Integra, no RSX, no S2000 or NSX. (Please note that the follow up to the NSX was just announced to appear at the NAIAS) What have you? The CR-Z and Fit Sport. Its no surprise that the "sport" in Honda has taken a back seat to hybrids, a green ECON button, and funky dash displays. I know most would consider it a blind devotion to the badge, but I don't think these 9th gen Civics are as bad as the 'TypeRorDie' screename on some anonymous Honda forum says it is. Each Si since the EP3 has somehow riled up the Honda community, yet by the end of the generation they are revered as the best Si yet (I never thought I'd hear someone actually praising the K20). I'm betting the same will occur here. Definitely the packaging could be a little more hefty - can I get some HIDs or projectors at least? Maybe a backup cam? Still though, its a Honda I'm proud to own and wouldn't give it up no matter what the enthusiasts say. I haven't had a problem with the car and it pulls well with its extra torque across the band, I love the styling better than the 8th, and will manage fine with the plasticy interiors - the wife's CR-V is all plastic bits. Then again my view may change depending on how the MMC goes and what Acura plans for the Civic-based ILX. Maybe then the Si will seem a bit out of place and lacking. Till then though, I'm not ashamed to say I'm a proud 9th gen Si owner.

One of the most packed displays at the 2011 LA Auto Show wasn't the new Honda CR-V or even the Toyobaru Twins. It was Mario & Luigi displaying their karts from the just released Mario Kart 7 on the Nintendo 3DS. These karts are the real deal go karts that top out at 35 mph. West Coast Customs was entrusted by Nintendo to build these life-sized Mario karts for the debut of the 3DS game. Too bad Santa ain't got the pull to give me one of these little karts. I'd ditch my car in a heartbeat to go around town throwing banana peels and oil slicks at the other cars. Oh well, I guess I can settle for just the video game.

-infamousjj

via the SpeedHunters

Did a quick run through of the LA Auto Show that occurred last month during  Thanksgiving week. Pretty much if it was a hybrid, electric, or SUV vehicle it made a debut at this show. There was a small spattering of sporty compact cars though, so all in all it was an alright show. The aftermarket area was alright and we didn't even bother stepping into the showroom of cars we would never have a chance to obtain in my lifetime. Check out the gallery after the jump  to spot what's up and coming with the North American auto industry.

and now some testing.

-infamousjj

Southern California is by far Porsche's biggest market, so this move makes sense. Potential Porsche pilots will test the limits of adhesion on road courses, a drag strip and a skidpad wedged into the intersection of the San Diego and Harbor freeways. It'll be safer than driving on the freeway.

In addition to two road courses, the 200-foot skidpad and some low-friction surfaces, there will be off-road sections for trying out the Cayenne SUV. Also on hand will be vintage Porsches, conference rooms and a restaurant serving--we can only hope--schnitzel.

It follows an existing facility at the Silverstone circuit in the United Kingdom. Another Experience Center is planned near Porsche's new U.S. headquarters in Atlanta.

via autoweek.com

- infamousjj