Jim Miles Fast Cars

Confirming speculation, Honda has revealed the new 2012 Honda Civic Si with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine making 200-hp. A slight increase of 3-hp over the outgoing model, the larger displacement engine (by 0.4-liters) makes 170 lb-ft of torque, a more drastic jump of 31 lb-ft.

While perhaps not the massive jump forward that some would like, it’s exactly the engine Honda fans have been calling for for years.

Available as both a coupe and a sedan, Honda is claiming 31-mpg highway for the sports coupe.

Along with the Si, Honda has also revealed the rest of the 2012 Civic lineup, with a 45-mpg Civic Hybrid, Civic Sedan, Coupe and natural-gas powered model.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Honda Motors is recalling 97,000 Fit subcompact cars in the United States because of engine component problems.

The Japanese automaker said Wednesday it needs to replace a part called a lost-motion spring, which is a component in the engine valve train, in 2009 and 2010 models of the small car.

Worldwide, Honda is recalling 693,497 of these vehicles. In Japan , Honda is recalling 167,883 of the cars. In China, the company is recalling 156,302.

No crashes or injuries have been reported related to this problem.

The company said the lost-motion springs, which are compressed by rocker arms in normal engine use, may bend or break over time, resulting in abnormal noise and potentially causing engine damage or stalling.

Honda (HMC) said owners of the Fit vehicles should take them to Honda dealers to replace the part after they receive notification in the mail, which will be sent out in early March.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Honda Motors is recalling 97,000 Fit subcompact cars in the United States because of engine component problems.

The Japanese automaker said Wednesday it needs to replace a part called a lost-motion spring, which is a component in the engine valve train, in 2009 and 2010 models of the small car.

Worldwide, Honda is recalling 693,497 of these vehicles. In Japan , Honda is recalling 167,883 of the cars. In China, the company is recalling 156,302.

No crashes or injuries have been reported related to this problem.

The company said the lost-motion springs, which are compressed by rocker arms in normal engine use, may bend or break over time, resulting in abnormal noise and potentially causing engine damage or stalling.

Honda (HMC) said owners of the Fit vehicles should take them to Honda dealers to replace the part after they receive notification in the mail, which will be sent out in early March.

Hyundai released today the first photos with the all-new 2011 i40, a new car which will make its world debut in March, at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. According to Hyundai, this is firm’s first D-segment vehicle to be developed specifically for the European market. The new car will make its debut as an estate, while the saloon version will be revealed later this year, probably at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. The car was designed in Rüsselsheim, Germany and as you can see from the photos it takes cues from Hyundai’s ‘fluidic sculpture’ design language.

Some of the new features which will be seen on the i40 are heated and reclining front and rear seats; a heated steering wheel; and an active de-mist system that automatically detects and clears mist on the windscreen. Under the hood we will find a fuel-efficient 1.7-litre diesel engine, codenamed ‘UII’, which will emit just 113 g/km of CO2 emissions.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe, commented, “Offering more for less has always been a fundamental principle at Hyundai, and now we are advancing this with our new brand direction under the ‘New Thinking. New Possibilities.’ slogan. The i40 is a perfect example of how we are offering the best and making it accessible to everyone. From stunning design and specification, to industry-leading technology and aftersales care – the i40 sets itself apart from its competitors.”

"The jury is back, the verdict is in," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Tuesday during a press conference announcing the findings. "There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas — period."

Honda‘s next generation of the Civic Si looks to be a winner, thanks to a nearly-identical powerplant to the one currently offered in the much larger Acura TSX. Replacing the current 2.o-liter will be a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder and while horsepower won’t increase by much, torque is set to go up more significantly.

According to a report by Temple of Vtec, expect between 200 to 210-hp, while torque will jump from around 139 lb-ft to around 172 lb-ft.

The rest of the lineup will then get a version of the current 1.8-liter but with improved horsepower and fuel efficiency.

We’ve been clamoring for a date with the production version of the Toyota FT-86 for longer than we care to remember, but we officially have a new infatuation. Meet the boxer coupe’s younger sister – the TES T-Sport Concept. If our Google Translator is to be believed, the car supposedly originated from an inner-company survey that asked what type of cars Toyota engineers would most like to see built. Apparently the overwhelming answer was a fun-to-drive, affordable sports car.

Color us stunned.

From there, the Toyota Engineering Society set about crafting their vision of a low buck machine that could still slather a smile on your face. Power comes courtesy of a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine with around 110 horsepower, and this thing hits the scales at less than 2,000 pounds. That sounds like a winning combination to us. The T-Sport Concept wears some plenty funky styling, but we certainly wouldn’t hold that against a would-be Mazda MX-5 competitor. As with most things awesome that hail from auto shows, there’s little likelihood that the T-Sport will ever see production. Head over to AutoGuide to get a closer look at the two-seater.

[Sources: Caradisaic, AutoGuide | Image: AutoGuide]