I’ve said it before, I’m saying it again: “I’m not a R8 fan!”, and when I see R8s with paint jobs like this one, it fills my heart with joy. Audi, it’s your fault. That’s what happens when you build a car for mindless rich people. That’s why I hate the R8 so much. It’s a car made only for image. Made to reflect what you are not.

So, how dumb you have to be to buy a car, which has a starting price of $130,000, and paint it in pink? That’s what happens when you got more into your pockets than into your head. So, once again, thanks Audi for making rich people display their good taste.

Look at the poor car! Just look at it, and tell me you don’t feel like smashing your head to the walls when you see that purple side blades. Purple carbon fibre? Not to say that purple and pink simply don’t match.

But you know what? That feeling of happiness I was talking about earlier it’s easily taken over by a strange feeling. I think it’s The Pity. Yes, that’s it. Pity. No car deserves a treatment like that. Not even an R8. Take care.

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Honda has announced that it plans to introduce a plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) to the U.S. market by 2012.

“Japan’s No.2 automaker was one of the world’s only car makers to offer gasoline-electric cars during the past decade but has begun looking like a laggard without a ‘strong’ hybrid or concrete plans to mass-produce pure electric cars,” writes Reuters. The introduction of two new fuel-efficient models will allow Honda to keep pace with the Earth-friendly innovations of competing automakers.

According to Cars.com, “There are no specifications on the Honda EV, but it will likely compete with the upcoming Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i MiEV.” Meanwhile, a plug-in hybrid system is being developed for midsize and large vehicles.

Honda also announced that the next-generation Honda Civic Hybrid will feature a lithium-ion battery. “Civic’s new lithium-ion battery will likely be smaller, lighter and far more powerful than today’s nickel-metal hydrides, which power most hybrids,” writes USA Today. “It should give the Civic far better range, and possibly the ability to run for miles on electric-only power, a capability it lacks now.”

Honda makes its announcement at a time when competition among automakers to produce alternative-power vehicles is at an all-time high. “Both GM and Nissan will begin selling plug-in vehicles — the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, respectively — in relatively small numbers by the end of this year,” reports CNN Money. “Ford Motor Co. plans to begin selling its Ford Focus BEV plug in car early next year. Fiat, now partnered with the U.S. automaker Chrysler, will begin selling an electric version of its tiny 500 hatchback in the U.S. in 2012.” And, just last week, Toyota announced a partnership with Tesla to develop an all-electric version of its popular RAV-4 SUV.

The Honda Civic has remained completely unchanged ever since 2005, but things are going to change. The change will begin with the next generation that will be revealed at the end of 2012 and will go on sale as a 2013 model. With the next Civic, Honda will focus on reducing consumption and emissions while improving the current details of equipment and interior finish, all without harming the sale price.

Honda engineers are already testing the future generation, but the car is well hidden under the body of the current model. Even so, it is known that the 2013 Civic will get a CR-Z inspired exterior design although it will keep the same dimensions as the current generation.

Under the hood there will be a new generation of the low emission three-cylinder engine and a hybrid version featuring the same powertrain as the CR-Z: a 1.5-liter petrol engine assisted by an electric motor that delivers a total of 124 HP and 131 lb-ft of torque.