motor

Honda will reveal a production version of the new Civic Type R on its biggest ever stand at the Paris Motor Show in September. At the London show in July, Honda said that the concept body on show there (see picture) was identical to the production model's exterior.

The keenly awaited Civic Type R also makes its debut in production-model guise. It'll use the same high-revving 197bhp engine as the outgoing model but in what Honda called "a more refined package for the road".

Honda's pitch for the car is that it "offers impressive performance levels with aggressive styling and improved handling characteristics to deliver enhanced predictability, responsiveness and an even more rewarding driving experience."

Alongside it on the Paris stand will be a racing variant of the new Civic Type R. Developed by JAS Motorsport – the official partner of Honda in customer racing support – the racing Civic Type R will be fully FIA homologated for 2007 track and rally events.

Honda’s F1 success will be represented on the stand by the winning RA106, as raced by Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello this season, together with the Honda RA806E V8 engine which powers this car.

There'll also be a special edition of the Honda S2000 roadster in Platinum White and with a Passion Red and Black interior.

Also on show will be a new CR-V, the revised FR-V and the recently-launched Civic Type S, as well as the gadget-laden Accord.
Alternative fuels

Honda will also be showing the latest fuel cell technology in the form of the FCX Concept car, a premium four door saloon featuring a low-floor fuel cell platform that allows a spacious cabin.

Displayed alongside, and illustrating how such vehicles might be fuelled, will be Honda’s Home Energy Station. This can generate hydrogen from a domestic gas supply, as well as generate electricity to power the home using its own fuel cells, and at the same time recover the heat produced to provide a supply of hot water -- represented at the Motor Show by a ‘home’ set complete with TV screen and wash basin producing hot water, courtesy of the Home Energy Station.

Meanwhile, the Civic Hybrid Sports concept aims to demonstrate that super-efficiency can be stylish. Fitted with deep front and rear spoilers and side skirts, the aggressive-looking body is finished in a special blue paint, and set off by chrome finish seven-spoke alloy wheels and exhaust tailpipes. The interior colour scheme uses contrasting black and white with bucket seats.

Sharing the same part of the stand, the Civic Hybrid Cut model uses cutaways and transparent body panels to expose key elements of the hybrid technology to provide a better understanding of the technology and the benefits achieved.