Honda USA Shows Some Personal Appreciation to its Facebook Fans

Recently, Honda USA’s facebook page hit the one-millionth fan mark. To show its appreciation, the Japanese brand responded with some personal gestures that, unlike the look of some of its more recent models like the Civic, took some of its fans by surprise. For example, in response to a fan that mowed the Honda logo on his lawn, the Japanese company carved his name into the corporate headquarters next to the main entrance. Another fan that showed his love for Honda with a tattoo of the brand’s logo was surprise to find out that Honda's vice president of marketing got an airbrushed tattoo of his name and face. Finally, a fan that received a Honda haircut was emulated by a Honda associate who carved the fan's name in his hair.
"We're honored to have one million Honda brand Facebook fans and we wanted to show our appreciation in a meaningful way," said Alicia Jones, social media strategist at Honda USA. "How many people do you know who would carve someone else's name into their hair? We're so fortunate to have amazing and dedicated Honda brand fans. And, that's the kind of commitment our associates have to our fans. We really do love them back," Jones added.
This recent Honda action is in line with another Facebook campaign called “Honda Loves You Back”, which took place in 2010 on the popular social network website. This campaign included many freebies for Honda owners, such as parking at a Honda Center sporting event, car wash, lunch and even a back rub in Atlanta.
Scroll down to see how Honda owners reacted to the “Honda Loves You Back” campaign.

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Honda President Says NSX Successor Back on Track, May Use a Hybrid Drivetrain

The Shanghai Auto Show brought some exciting news for Honda fans as the Japanese automaker revealed plans for the development of a new sports car that will be the spiritual successor to the iconic Honda NSX (Acura NSX in North America).

Speaking on the sidelines of the show, Honda Motor Company president, Takanobu Ito, said the new car won't feature the V10 engine that had been planned for the next NSX, as the company scrapped this project back in 2008, during the global financial crisis. Ito told reporters that the future NSX would be exhilarating to drive but also environmentally friendly. “That's the kind of sports car we want to make. We are working very hard on it,” Ito was quoted as saying by Autonews.

The Honda official didn't offer additional details on the sports car or a timeline for its launch. However, a Honda spokesman said the car is expected to use an electric motor to give the gasoline engine a boost, much like in the case of the CR-Z sport hybrid. But unlike the latter, the NSX successor will be positioned as a high-performance hybrid vehicle.

Initial plans for an NSX successor were cancelled by former Honda president Takeo Fukui, who justified the move then as a cost-saving measure. The car was expected to have a front-mounted V10 engine developing at least 500 horsepower. The drivetrain ended up being used by the Honda HSV-010 GT racecar, the racing variant of the never-to-be-produced NSX V10.

The original NSX was powered by a mid-mounted V6 engine producing 270 horsepower (with a 5-speed manual gearbox). The NSX went out of production in late 2005 after a 14-year long career.

By Dan Mihalascu

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2012 Honda Crosstour Drops Accord Nameplate, Still Doesn't get 4-Cylinder Engine

Say goodbye to the 2010/2011MY Accord Crosstour and hello to the 2012MY Crosstour as Honda decided to drop the Accord moniker from the name of its high-riding liftback for the new model year.

The name may be different but there aren't any significant changes besides some additional standard features and new color options over the previous model year version.

The Crosstour continues to be available in two trim levels, the base EX and the better-equipped EX-L.

For 2012, the EX gains auto on/off headlights, a rearview camera, Bluetooth HandsFreeLink and USB audio interface as standard, while Honda also introduced two new colors to the range, theTwilight Blue Metallic that replaces the Glacier Blue Metallic, and Basque Red Pearl that replaces the Tango Red Pearl.

Despite earlier rumors stating the availability of a more affordable four-cylinder model, for now at least, the Crosstour will continue to be offered only with a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 producing 271 horsepower at 6,200 RPM and 254 lb-ft. of torque at 5,000 RPM.

According to the Japanese company, the front-wheel drive Crosstour returns an EPA-rated city/highway/combined fuel economy of 18/27/21 mpg, while the EX-L with Honda's Real Time 4WD system, 18/26/21 mpg respectively.

Prices for the 2012 Crosstour start from $30,340 not including an $810 destination fee.

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