We knew it was coming and now we’ve got details. According to the latest reports out of Japan, the Honda NSX will live on, but mere mortals will never get a shot behind the wheel.

As previously reported, Honda has been actively petitioning the Japanese Automobile Federation (JAF) — the organizing entity behind Japan’s Super GT series — to run a new front-engine racer in the touring car championship. A cursory reading of the rule book states that vehicles campaigning in SuperGT must be production vehicles (think GT-R, MR2, SC430). However, Honda’s found a loop-hole.

Just as Toyota has done in recent years with the Supra (it’s out of production), the Super GT rules specify that a vehicle’s specs and design must be submitted to JAF to be approved. That means that a vehicle can be “production ready,” if not actually in production. So for the 2010 SuperGT season, Honda will bring out an all-new race car based on the NSX prototype (seen above), reportedly packing a 3.4-liter V8.

So… Lawyers: 1. NSX’s lovers: 0. But at least we get to see it race…

Volkswagen – Europe’s largest automaker — is said to be considering a tie-up with Japan’s Suzuki to gain access to the automaker’s small car know how. Suzuki’s small car experience has vaulted the comparably small automaker to become the number two selling marque in Japan, trailing only Toyota.
Read the rest of this entry »

Honda Motor Co. ran up a $1.9 billion loss during the fourth quarter of the Japanese fiscal year because of lower revenues, higher raw materials costs and unfavorable currency trends.

Honda managed, however, to show a $1.4 billion profit for the year ended on March 31 when it reported its full-year results Tuesday.
Read the rest of this entry »