Yes, I know this is a very odd comparison. We know the Audi is faster but they are testing handling as well.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpA0EHSdjm0]

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The presence of Honda’s famous NSX in Japan’s Super GT circuit will finally end with the introduction of the HSV-10 GT.  The HSV has already been spied testing at Japan’s Suzuka F1 Track.  Honda has now released official photos of the HSV (Honda Sports Velocity) as well as a few performance specs.

The GT gets a Honda 3.4L V-8 (wait, Honda makes V-8s?) producing 496 hp and 289 lb-ft of torque, according to The Torque Report.

Follow the jump for more photos

Sporty entries into the hybrid class prove green doesn’t have to be lame – no offense to those of our readers driving a Prius or Insight.  (Remember, you too can have a stylish ride)  Honda and VW have everyone talking 0-60 times with their sporty hybrid entries, the CR-Z and NCC.

Volkswagen claims some pretty impressive performance specs for the NCC.  Even with an estimated 45 mpg combined fuel economy rating, VW predicts the NCC will reach 60 from zero in just over 8 seconds, with a top speed of 141 mph.  It’s got to be one of the coolest looking hybrid concepts to date too.

Honda’s CR-Z is expected to have some soul too, at least, compared to “other” hybrids.  Although it’s specs aren’t quite as impressive they are more likely the real deal.  The CR-Z is being shown in production form at Detroit, and is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. later this year. Honda says the CR-Z will make the trip from 0-60 in 8.5 seconds, and carry on some of the heritage of the beloved CRX.  The CR-Z’s fuel economy is rated at an unimpressive 37 mpg combined (with the CVT).  Motor Trend notes that even the old CRX-HF did much better.

If anyone expects to expand the market for hybrids, they’re going to need to build them like this.  They’ve got to convince people you can still achieve the unmistakeable thrill of driving a sports car, even if it’s got that “H” word in the name. VW beetle for sale

Source: Motor Trend

Body kits and tuning are nothing new to fans of Japanese imports, although they tend to remind us of Supras and Civics, rather than the fuel sipping hybrids of the 21st century. Hybrids, by nature, are not the speedy performance machines generally associated with aggressive body styling and over sized rims, so this seems like an unlikely market for tuner accessories.

Japanese tuner, Tommy Kaira has taken a chance that hybrid owners will still pay to make their green cars look mean. They have introduced cosmetic and performance upgrades for Japan’s hybrid hot shots, the Pruis and Insight. Accessories include body kits, suspension components and custom wheels.

So why bother to to make them look more sporty than they are designed to be? Well why not? Why can’t the forerunners of the hybrid consumer market feel like the cars they drive are fast and furious? Even if they’re not, I see no reason not to make them look that way. Although I’m generally a fan of European sports cars and American muscle cars, I actually don’t think the kitted Prius looks all that bad… for a hybrid.  What do you think?  Are hybrids too dorky for upgrades like this, or do the Tommy Kaira kits make you want to want to see a drifter slide around in an Insight?

Source: Tommy Kaira [via AutoBlog]

Hard to believe: the NSX has been dead for three years–and was obsolete nearly a decade longer.  The ol’ Acura may have been slammed by snobs as lacking soul, but it was a brilliantly-engineered exotic.  Telling that Honda still doesn’t know what to do with the high-end vacancy left by the two-seater.

Which is why we chose the HSC as our #9 pick.

The HSC was unveiled six years ago in Tokyo.  From all accounts, the HSC was the logical step forward for the NSX.  The aging Honda exotic had long fallen behind its Italian (and even American) competitors.  The HSC’s similar exterior hid some progressive innovation, including a center-mounted “dial” shifter and an early rear-camera/nav display now commonplace in the industry.  A V-6 was still in play, but now a lighter unit with 3.5 L and 300 hp.

Somewhere within the higher levels of Honda management, the HSC was dropped.  Instead, we received a flurry of meaningless ideas that usually amounted to nothing.  The travesty here is that HSC wasn’t anything radical.  It had some freshness, but nothing beyond the means of Honda’s engineers.  The years since have brought us Lexus’s LF-A and Nissan’s GT-R as leaders in Japanese performance.

Hyundai’s new Sonata clearly looks more creative than the old.  The radical styling takes many cues from the Mercedes CLS-class–and we’re not complaining.  No V-6 will be available for the Sonata; instead, Hyundai will be pushing ahead with improved safety, interior amenities, and fuel economy.  Weight is down to a total range between 3,100 and 3,400 lbs.–an astonishing figure for the growing mid-size range.

The standard engine will hover around variations of a 2.4 L direct-injection unit averaging just under 30 mpg and achieving 190+ hp.  Engines will be linked to either a 6-spd. manual or automatic transmission.  Interior space and luggage capacity are both greater than their top competitors from Honda and Toyota.  Hyundai will be making a “Blue Drive” gas-electric hybrid system available for preview soon after the regular sedan’s release.  A more powerful turbo-charged 2.4 will be offered for drivers seeking output in a V-6 range.

The Honda Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT) is another one of those unusual design studies for the future of personal transit.  The design, courtesy of Honda’s LA studio, focuses on an aerodynamic shape combined with maximum interior space.  The driving position is centered, offering a prime operating point–though at the expense of extra front passengers.  The rear-positioned engine bay will house a low-displacement petrol engine, a small-scale gas-electric powertrain, or a solely electric battery unit.

Honda will be continuing its hybrid path with full steam, despite the poor reception to its Insight sedan.  The CR-Z, a sport hatch designed in the spirit of the old CRX, will be the attention-grabber.  The CR-Z will utilize lightweight materials, a streamlined form, and possibly a reworked version of the Inisght powertrain to create the greenest sport compact in the market.  Honda will also be producing a gas-electric version of its Fit subcompact, said to be targeting a $19,000 starting price range.  Both are reportedly scheduled for the 2011 model year and may premiere in the upcoming LA auto show. honda civic