While the true debuts at this year’s LA Auto Show were far and few between (note to OEs: we know times are tough, but you can do better than dress up the sloppy seconds of your Frankfurt and Tokyo debuts), Honda always manages to roll out something cool and concepty (yes, that will be the new auto journo “it” word of 2010).

This year was no different as Honda’s designers created what they feel an urban car would look like twenty years in the future (we can only hope Doc Brown’s iridium shades will be in the mix too). The Personal-Neo Urban Transport (P-NUT) looks sort of like what would happen to an Element in the hands of Frank Geary and the three-person seating arrangement is configured a’la McLaren F1 with the driver up front and two passengers arrears. Since this is a concept there are a few different powertrain possibilities from an efficient gas engine to a gas-electric hybrid, or even a pure electric set up. We’re hoping this is a hint of things to come from Honda. Hit the jump to see more images of this nutty concept (sorry, couldn’t resist).

Here’s a quick video clip of Chris Rado’s groundbreaking 6.87 @ 197 MPH quarter mile pass last month in Pomona.

Wow.

By Mike Garrett

Ah, motorsports–it’s so much more than racing these days. The motorsports contingent is always huge at SEMA, and it’s one of those categories that can literally go from A to Z: there are so many variations on automotive competition that there’s no way you can expect to capture a representative cross-section. That’s okay–it just allows us to focus on what we find cool, with shameless subjectivity. In the interests of inclusiveness, we’ve tried to hit as many of the hottest motorsports series as our five entries will allow. NASCAR is represented by the new Nationwide Series Mustang, running Ford’s all-new Roush Yates FR9. Then there’s the 2010 Camaro’s debut entry in Formula Drift, which will definitely be on our radar in the coming season. Chris Rado’s insane Time Attack Scion carries the torch for that genre. SCCA is represented, albeit in vintage form, by Bob Boileau’s multiple-championship-winning Civic. And the Traxxas short-course race truck rounds out the motorsports fleet for off-road racing. Um, yeah, we totally skipped NHRA. And a bunch of other stuff. Oh well, time to hit the polls!

The nastiest Honda S2000 imaginable goes by the name “Honda S2000 from hell.”  It has a kill list a mile long! Motorcycles, V8s, Nissan Z’s, and turbocharged Neons on meth can’t keep up with this car. Read more about this awesome JDM performance machine at Tampa Sports Car Examiner.

With a lot of the manufacturers that are MIA, or didn’t even bother to show at this years SEMA, it was good to see Honda in attendance, stronger than ever. The theme at this years event is the history of Honda, with some cool vintage iron, along with a number of historic racing vehicles. Lets take a look at some of the Vintage Machinery, starting with a Honda N600, and going on to a CRX, and the recently discontinued S2000. More photos and video after the jump.

There was a number of historic racing Hondas on the stand as well, and a representation of racing engines that powered Indy Cars through the years.

The Production Cars were represented by a couple of tasteful Mugen customs, including an Accord Sedan, a Civic Si Sedan, and a classy Honda Fit. The horrible Honda Accord Crosstour made an appearance, as well as the Dog Friendly Honda Element.

Here are a couple of videos of the Honda booth:

I’ve always thought of the pug-nosed 1st-gen Civic as the ultimate babysitter’s car. Historically, it just may be the iconic mass-market cheap Japanese beater–but its roots aren’t always so humble. Bob Boileau’s 1974 Civic 1200 (“Tokyo Joe,” it’s called) won 6 consecutive championships in the SCCA’s GT5 class in the late 80’s, as well as setting the record as the world’s fastest Civic after clocking 174.698 mph at Talladega in ‘76. Alongside it is a 1971 N600, Civic’s predecessor, with the 2-cylinder aluminum air-cooled engine making 36 hp, as well as an early-80’s CRX by Mugen. Today, as much as things have changed for Honda, its mass-produced base-level cars continue to be some of the most beloved and moddable on the market.  It’s cool to see the manufacturer connecting with this tradition, and rolling out the history lessons for their booth display this year.

Have you ever noticed that the car model you owned in the past has grown in size, in weight, and in displacement? This phenomenon affects almost every car line from BMW to Honda, with a few exceptions. Remember when the name Honda was synonymous with lightweight, economical cars? The company established itself in the United States in 1970 with the N600, a small four-seater. It hit pay dirt with the introduction of the larger 1973 Honda Civic, a car that was light and fuel-efficient yet could fit four adults in modest comfort. Honda sold many first-generation Civics during its seven-year run, as the car was just what Americans needed during the first OPEC oil embargo. During subsequent redesigns, Honda offered more Civic models. What had been just a two-door truncated sedan became a three-door hatchback, a formal four-door sedan, even a five-door wagon. Engine size increased as well, growing from a 1.3-liter four-cylinder to a 2.5-liter. Read more about the ever growing models, including BMW, and a surprise Detroit entry at Automotive Traveler.

I’d like to share with you a view of my S2000 that even I had never seen before. Ever since I built the S2000, I had never once taken the top off. All of that changed recently. I’ve been on a bit of a quest to remind myself of why I love the S2000 so much. Keep in mind I started Bulletproof with this same very S2000 almost 10 years ago! As such, I’ve decided to transition from the car being a cool looking car into the car being fun to own and drive around town daily.

The transformation from cool to practical has come with several painful sacrifices. First off the Bride Gias and Stradia seats have been sold off. These photos show them for the last time in the car. Currently I have put the stock seats back in and I’m on a bit of a quest to find the perfect daily driving seats (any suggestions?). Continue reading at The Real JDM

With all of the blog talk on the Tokyo Motor Show lately, I just wanted to share my two cents.

Many sports car purists (myself included) have been disappointed by the massive slowdown of sports cars being produced. This slow down has been timed impeccably with the rise of eco cars, kei cars and overall cars that I would classify as practical and boring when compared to sports cars. As some of you can tell, I’ve been at times worried that sports car tuning is being gradually replaced with more “practical” and “eco” cars and the tuning that comes with them.

The trends have been validating my fears for the past couple of years and seeing my idol tuners like Top Secret switch new R&D to the Prius and Insight only brought that idea home more.

But I get the feeling like we’ve just reached a turning point for the better.

Nobody understands market trends and demands better than the car manufacturers. Their interpretation of future demand is highly refined because due to costly production cycles their success entirely depends on it. As such, when new models are released you can see clearly where they are betting their own money on what the future will be.

Bet On Sports Cars.

I love the news I’m hearing about the Toyota/Subaru FT-86 (lightweight FR w/ STi Variant!). I love what I’m hearing about the Honda CR-Z (6MT!). And I continue to love the fact that the Lexus LF-A will somewhat soon be seen on the streets after a seemingly endless round of concept cars.

The long term success of the sports car tuning world will depend greatly on winning over the next generation of car enthusisasts to find sports cars as cool as we find them now. In my opinion, that battle was slowly being lost in Japan but now Toyota and Honda I feel are about to change the momentum drastically. The accessibility of quality sports cars is what will make the FT-86 and the CR-Z capture the imaginations of the next generation of tuners. Its like the 1980s with the AE86 and the CR-X all over again, only this time with cross platform sharing and hybrid engines.

Without a doubt eco car tuning will continue to grow as well, which I’m all for. I’m just really pleased to see that Honda and Toyota are prepared to keep sports car passion and tuning alive so that eco tuning can thrive alongside sports car tuning rather than replacing it.

Without a doubt the aggressive wheel fitment trend is exploding in popularity. In fact I’d say it’s almost getting rarer to see new builds that don’t have wild wheel fitment. Even with all the “flushness” out there today, there are still some cars that stand out from the crowd.One of them is this AP2 S2000 spotted on the HellaFlush blog.

Maybe it’s the bright red paint, or maybe it’s the gleaming faces of the Enkei RPF1’s, but Damn this car looks cool.

By Mike Garrett