Car Parts 2011

At the end of the 2008 season, Honda turned its back on the sport of Formula 1.  The collapse of the world economy and, to a lesser degree, a lack of Japanese drivers proved to be too much for the company to bear.  However, Honda wants the American consumer to think that they turned these lemons into lemonade in the form of the Accord coupe.



The commercial states that the engine was "born from Honda's legendary racing heritage."  What exactly does this mean?  Unless the screaming 2.4 liter V8s of 2008 had illegitimate relations with a diesel truck, I haven't a clue.  Formula 1 is never specifically mentioned in the commercial but that's what springs to my mind.  However, let's give them the benefit of the doubt.

There would seem to be three viable options for where the "trickle down" technology came from.  In no particular order, they would be Japan's Super GT series, MotoGP, and the Indy Racing League.  These are the most prominent series where Honda currently participates.

netcarshow.com

The Honda HSV-010 is the stillborn successor to the NSX.  It was in the early development stages of a production supercar when the plug was pulled.  However, Honda exploited a loophole and was able to race in Super GT, a production based race series.  It competes in the GT500 class which limits cars to 500 horsepower.  This 500 horsepower is produced by a front mounted 3.4 liter V8 that powers the rear wheels.  Although the series is based on production car shapes, the commercial references the motor as being race derived and the 3.4 liter V8 in the HSV is series mandated not a production motor.  Although it did win the 2010 Super GT championship, Super GT is not run in America and most Americans don't even know about it.

motogp.com

This could very well be the most well know race machine in the world.  It is Honda's current MotoGP contender, the RC212V.  It's powered by an 800cc V4 motor and transmits over 205 horsepower through the rear wheel.  With a weight of just over 330lbs, these bikes have an amazing power to weight ratio.  Aside from having a motor and wheels that touch the ground, the similarities between this and the Accord are very hard to find.

hondanews.com

This may be what that commercial is trying to refer to.  Four tires? check.  3.5 liter motor? Yup!  Honda vehicle meant for American consumption? Yes, sir!  Mid-engine V8, push to pass functionality, enough downforce to run upside down?  Errrr...

I'll take Honda up on their offer after they build street versions of these.

Back in October, I posted my thoughts about Hyundai becoming the next Honda, or more importantly the Honda of the 90s.  Back then, Honda had several exciting cars in their lineup that showcased cutting edge technologies like four-wheel steering, VTEC, and aluminum unibody.  Today, the excitement can be felt in Hyundai's entire range of cars.  There's the sporty rear-wheel drive Genesis coupe, the mega-mile consuming Genesis luxury sedan, and the jack-of-all trades Sonata.  While the two Genesis cars cater to a very distinctive audience, the Sonata is the car that everyone can enjoy for its good looks, perfect size, adrenaline pumping turbo power, and frugality at the pump.

courtesy autoblog.com

With those reasons in mind, Flappy Paddle Heads is proud to bestow its inaugural "Can't Think of a More Witty Phrase than 'Car of the Year" award to the 2010 Hyundai Sonata.

The Sonata took top honors for a litany of reasons.  Its design language sets a new direction for a Korean car manufacturer that gets attention on the street instead of just trying to be a Japanese clone that neither offends nor entices with stale sheet metal.  The swooping body work resembles those premium (read: more expensive) four door coupes from the Germans that are all the rage but is executed in a much less flamboyant manner.

The engine options also take the road less traveled.  Instead of offering a V6 in their top trim model, the Sonata comes exclusively with 4-cylinder propulsion systems.  There's a conventional motor, as well as turbocharged and battery supplemented versions.  Both petrol powered motors provide class leading power while sacrificing nothing to their rivals, not to mention that the turbo-4 provides superior driving dynamics due to its lower weight than a heavy V6.  For the green hypermilers, the hybrid model provides better gas mileage than the Camry hybrid and is cheaper at the showroom too.  Power mongers, green weenies, and penny pinchers can all be happy with these options.

The mid-size sedan segment is the highest volume car segment in America and it is hard to make any inroads.  The Accord and Camry are constantly vying for the most sales.  The Ford Fusion is set to break 200,000 sales this year, something that Ford hasn't accomplished since the Focus sedan, after having a major redesign.  The Sonata has accomplished that same feat for Hyundai for the first time in its company's history.  During a time when people buy Camrys and Accords due to brand loyalty and not knowing any better, it's refreshing to see that a newcomer has joined the ranks with something totally new and eyeopening.  I hope these sales figures show that a company doesn't need to follow the status quo to achieve success.

Congratulations, Hyundai!