Honda Launches Auto-Max Railcar Fleet
Honda has fully deployed its fleet of Auto-Max® railcars, achieving a significant reduction in the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions associated with its automobile distribution activities in the United States. The 400-car fleet of more space-efficient Auto-Max railcars is the only such automaker-operated fleet in use in the United States. Including the Auto-Max fleet shipments, American Honda currently transports about 82 percent of its Honda and Acura automobiles across the country by rail, achieving...

Spied: 2009 Honda Pilot
Honda’s next-gen Pilot spotted outside Detroit.[source]

Update: Honda’s dedicated hybrid to debut at Paris
Update: Inexpensive and fuel-efficiency focused, Honda’s new dedicated Prius fighter will be taking off its wraps at the Paris Motor Show, according to the latest reports. The new car is hoped to give Honda renewed vigor in the struggle against Toyota’s ascendancy to the top of the hybrid ranks, while at the same time boosting the company’s hybrid volume sales to competitive figures. The new dedicated hybrid will be targeted at a lower price-point than the Prius, which should help with...

Watch out Prius: Honda’s new dedicated hybrid to get more than 60mpg
We learned earlier this week that the upcoming dedicated hybrid-only model will be priced under $19,000. According to InsideLine sources the compact 5-door hatchback sedan will debut at the 2008 Paris Auto Show in October.Internally the car is known as the ‘New Dedicated Hybrid Vehicle’ or simply the ’small hybrid.’ Honda has been previously rumored to revive the old ‘Insight’ name. Don’t forget that the ’small hybrid’ is a part of Honda’s four new gas-electric hybrid models. Also in...

Spy Shots: 2009 Honda Pilot
Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Honda Pilot.The 2009 Honda Pilot has been spied in production guise, and unlike the bulldog that inspired the front grille, it's less than lovable. With styling pulled directly from the Honda Pilot Prototype shown in Detroit, the new unibody 'ute from Honda should arrive later this year with ACE safety features, a V6 lump with cylinder deactivation and seating for eight passengers of varying size. The interior is an evolution of the outgoing model, with a...

The next Lewis Hamilton? Honda F1 signs 16-year-old Will Stevens
Imagine getting a contract with a major F1 team before you're even out of high school. That's what Lewis Hamilton got with McLaren when he was younger, and what karting protégé Will Stevens has achieved with the Honda Racing F1 Team, reflecting a growing trend in motorsport recruitment. While team leaders have always kept an eye on feeder series like Formula 3 and, more recently, GP2, to scout up-and-coming talent, the rising level of competition has driven the teams to start earlier and...

Rock of reliability 2: Bigger Honda Pilot isn't flashy, but it rocks at hauling the family around
The redesigned 2009 Honda Pilot is way too conservative to ever appear in the "Rock of Love." The VH1 reality TV show -- starring Bret Michaels, lead singer for the '80s glam rock band Poison, searching for his true love -- was made for stretch Hummers and raunchy music. The redesigned Pilot is the antithesis of the program, which finished its second season Sunday. The Pilot is a rock of reliability and comfort; the "Rock of Love 2" is as stable as a leaking water bed, where cat fights, catty comments...

Honda's Prius-fighter coming to Paris
Last month we showed you spy photos of Honda's Prius-fighting hybrid testing in the desert, and now we have confirmation that the dedicated hybrid will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October. The hybrid-only model, which looks awfully Prius-like when camo'd, will carry many styling cues from the handsome FCX Clarity. The Honda hybrid will go on sale in 2009, will start at under $20k and is rumored to achieve at least 60 mpg. Honda plans to build 200,000 units per year, with half of the...

Honda considers more Japanese models for U.S.
Increased demand for smaller and more fuel-efficient models in the U.S. is causing carmakers to reconsider importing vehicles usually reserved for markets where consumers are faced with much steeper fuel prices than their American counterparts. Ford has confirmed plans to bring six new models from its European division and Mercedes-Benz is also looking at importing its next-generation of A and B-Class models to North America for the first time. Honda’s U.S. vice president for corporate planning, Dan...

In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Honda Civic Si sedan
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Honda Civic Si sedan.We've avoided glossy-eyed retrospectives of 2007, but if you were in the market for a practical, affordable and entertaining ride in the last year, there were a handful of vehicles to be had for under $25 large. The Mazdaspeed3, R56 MINI Cooper S and VW GTI have set the fun-to-drive quotient relatively high, but one vehicle that's been left out of the Autoblog Garage is the Honda Civic Si. While the coupe has garnered its fair share of...