It doesn’t take a genius to know that Honda‘s Odyssey is destined to be a brisk seller. As the undisputed king of the minivan segment, the Odyssey is still popular even with an onslaught of new competitors from Chrysler, Dodge, Kia and Toyota.

The rest of the lineup isn’t so hot. The Insight is being outsold by an 8-1 margin by its arch rival, the Toyota Prius, while the Crosstour’s projected 40,000 sales aren’t materializing, with the car selling closer to 20,000 units. The CR-Z also appears to have slowed after a promising start, although sports car sales are always dismal in the colder months.

Honda faces a predicament, since the rest of their lineup, like the Civic, Accord and CR-V are all fairly old, and due for replacement. But with only stagnant or unappealing products in the showroom, 2010 will be a dismal year for the big H. Hopefully the company can pull out of their nosedive, but their legendary maverick attitude (and accompanying arrogance that their way is the right way, market desires be damned) may see a number of lean years before their once faithful customers return.

[Source: Autoblog]

Honda‘s CR-Z sports hybrid has won the distinction of being voted Japan’s Car of the Year. Honda narrowly missed out on last year’s award when their Insight hybrid was beaten out by the mighty Toyota Prius.

Hybrids enjoy a level of popularity in Japan that far exceeds the warm reception that they’ve been given in North America. The CR-Z’s mix of sportiness and fuel efficiency no doubt helped sway jurors, who also nominated the Toyota Marx X, Nissan March, Mazda Premacy, Suzuki Swift, Volkswagen Polo, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5-Series, Peugeot RCZ and  the Jaguar XJ. The award for Japan’s Import Car of the Year award has yet to be announced.

Honda’s President CEO, Takanobu Ito accepted the award, stating “We are very proud that the CR-Z has been selected from the strong contenders of new models as the Car of the Year Japan 2010-2011. This award shows that the public has accepted Honda’s aspiration to supply exceptional environmental performance in a fun-to-drive hybrid car at an affordable price, as well as Honda’s desire to spread the joy of owning and driving a car. We also believe that this award for the CR-Z reflects the true value of the combined efforts of our business partners and the many others who supported CR-Z development and production. Going forward, Honda intends to bring more joy to an even larger number of customers.”

[Source: Autoblog]

Honda is giving away a CR-Z via a Facebook promotion that asks contestants to upload a picture of themselves showing their “two  sides”, which we’re assuming has something to do with Photoshop and not any sort of personality disorder. The “two sides” moniker plays on the CR-Z’s sporty and hybrid elements.

Contestants will then be eligible to win a CR-Z once they’ve uploaded a picture, but there’s a catch of course – the contest is open only to Canadian residents.

[Source: Honda]

Honda CR-Z

It’s safe to say that the Honda CR-Z has been given a solid reception by everyone outside the “enthusiast” community. Sales have been brisk and reviews are generally positive, but car lovers seem unable to accept the “hybrid” part of the equation.

Honda gave a few tuners the chance to trick out a CR-Z, and some came back with turbocharged monsters, while others returned with vinyl wraps and big wheels. We think the six cars cover the spread pretty well, but we’ll let you decide. You can check out the pictures below, and hit the jump for the official specs.

Gallery: Bismoto Honda CR-Z

Gallery: Fortune Honda CR-Z

Gallery: Eibach Honda CR-Z

Gallery: Honda Tuning Honda CR-Z

Gallery: Wraptivo Honda CR-Z

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Honda CR-Z

Although we brought you some of the first pics of the Honda CR-Z racer, we had to wait another 12 hours to see Honda‘s other two concepts, also based on the CR-Z.

The first, a CR-Z equipped with Mugen accessories, will actually be available as a series of dealer installed parts sold as one kit. Only 300 kits will be made available, with a front grille, rear wing spoiler, 17″ wheels, floor mats, a Mugen shift knob and a billet oil cap. Customers will also get an individually numbered plaque, which may or may not add a few pesos to the resale value of the car.

The CR-Z Hybrid R concept car was also unveiled, and was described as road-going version of the CR-Z Hybrid racer, although it’s decidedly biased towards the “tuner” side of the auto world. Using the same 200 horsepower turbocharged engine, limited-slip differential and suspension setup, the Hybrid R also features bright red paintwork, huge wheels and an obnoxiously large spoiler. If you like that sort of thing, it’s probably a good way to save gas and look cool. We’ll stick with the race car.

GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Hybrid R

GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Mugen

Hit the jump to view the official press release and video coverage of the press conference

[Source: Honda]

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Knowing that they potentially have a huge hit on their hands, Honda has really leveraged this year’s SEMA show to hand some of the aftermarket’s most brilliant minds their new CR-Z. Eibach Springs is one of these companies, and having received the car in July, they went straight to work researching and developing new products for the tiny hybrid. And with such a well-known brand as Eibach Springs behind the helm of this build, it’s no surprise that Eibach’s trusted partners for the past several decades also played a role in building the CR-Z for this year’s SEMA Show.

From the Eibach camp, they went straight to what they do best: suspension modifications. The Honda CR-Z was their test bed for a new set of springs, sway bars and mono-tube coilovers. For power, Eibach Springs called their friends at K&N to develop an intake for the new Honda sport hybrid.

Once they got their coilovers installed, the car headed off to get a roll bar designed and the C-West aero kit installed. To accent the C-West aero, Eibach Springs had a Mugen spoiler overnighted from Japan (no, this is not a Fast & Furious joke) – the deadlines of building a SEMA car are pretty stressful.

After paint and body, the car made it back to Eibach to have the Stoptech big brake kit installed along with a set of wheels. With the paint scheme and graphics applied, this CR-Z looks killer. The interior Sparco seats and roll bar really hint that Eibach will be flaunting it out at the track someday soon. We hope so.

With several other CR-Zs planned to be on display at SEMA we’ll be sure to bring you photos of all of them, with AutoGuide’s 2010 SEMA Show coverage starting November 2nd. Until then, check out our complete SEMA Preview here.

GALLERY: Eibach Springs SEMA Honda CR-Z

[Source: CRZ Forum]

With SEMA just a week away, cars are being teased and sneak previewed left and right. Back in August, we got sight of the Fortune Motorsports / Tjin Edition Tour Honda CR-Z under wraps, literally. Now the cover’s been blown off the rendering and put on the finished product.

The full rendering reveals what the Honda CR-Z is going to be all about, a very clean and functional build without going overboard with the actual cosmetic modifications. Carbon fiber accents come in the form of a hood and a front lip while sportier mirrors round off the exterior modifications.

The half-reveal of an actual photo of the car shows Baer brakes with a red caliper setup and the custom Track Spec ADV10 wheels from ADV.1 wheels are looking good on the finished project. The front lip sports a different design than the rendering while the finished project will sport a HKS Kansai Lips which is more of an add-on to the factory front bumper.

This is just the first of numerous Honda CR-Zs that will be on display and AutoGuide will be sure to bring you full photos of all of them with coverage of the 2010 SEMA Show starting November 2nd. Until then, check out our SEMA Preview here.

GALLERY: Fortune Motorsports / Tjin Edition Tour SEMA Honda CR-Z

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Last time we reported on Honda CR-Z sales numbers, we got a few incredulous comments from readers who couldn’t seem to fathom why anyone would want Honda’s hybrid/sports car mashup. But the numbers are in and it looks like the CR-Z is actually finding a customer base.

According to a breakdown of September sales figures by blogger and analyst Timothy Cain, the CR-Z sold 1236 units last month, up from 694 in August, a figure that many dismissed as a result of initial enthusiasm for the car. Furthermore, the CR-Z outsold some blue chip sport compacts like the Volkswagen GTI, Mitsubishi Eclipse and Mazda MX-5.

The CR-Z’s strong numbers suggest that consumers are attracted to the idea of a hybrid car in a sporty wrapper, and that figures like horsepower, 0-60 times and lateral gs aren’t the Holy Grail of motoring for many.

[Source: Good Car, Bad Car]

Looks like HKS isn’t the only kid on the block looking for big horsepower gains with Honda‘s newest cool hybrid, the CR-Z. And perhaps this really solidifies a changing of the times considering Top Secret is well known for their wicked drift cars and high horsepower 350Zs and Supras. They’re also well known for their blistering high-speed test runs, so to see Smoky Nagata of Top Secret working away on Honda’s ZF1 hybrid powerplant shows that hybrids and tuning are going to go hand-in-hand for decades to come.

Aftermarket manufacturers are going crazy out in Japan over hybrids and seeing what Top Secret is developing for the CR-Z is slightly astonishing. We can’t quite decipher what’s going on from the magazine snippet – and would love if someone could offer us a translation – but Top Secret is definitely underway in producing a single turbo upgrade and even has a titanium induction kit, oil catch tank and tow hook out to the public now. The stuff comes at a price though, with $995.00 as the MSRP for the Ti Induction kit straight from Japan.

We’re sure many enthusiasts are still rolling their eyes about the idea of a hybrid being turbocharged or supercharged. But let’s face it: every automotive manufacturer will be working on developing hybrids for the future to fill out their lineup with mpg-friendly cars. It’s only natural that the aftermarket will find ways to make these eco cars more fun.

GALLERY: Top Secret Honda CR-Z Parts

[Source: CRZ Forum]

A large majority of the automotive community decried the Honda CR-Z as neither fish nor fowl, a sporty hybrid that didn’t do anything well. Some even predicted this car to be Honda’s downfall, after having finally lost their way, two decades after producing the sporty and efficient Honda CRX.

In any case, it turns out that the haters were wrong – for now at least. Honda’s CR-Z is actually one of the quickest moving cars on dealer lots, taking an average of 5 days to sell. The 2011 Jetta Sportwagen, a car that was supposedly waitlisted this time last year, took almost double that, with an average of 9 days.

The biggest loser was, not surprisingly, the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback, with an average sale time of 207 days! If you want to drive a hard bargain, get to your nearest Mitsubishi showroom.

[Source: Kicking Tires]

RJ De Vera and Hondas have become synonymous with streetable performance for over the past decade. De Vera is one of Honda’s most avid enthusiasts, building some of the cleanest, daily-driven projects we’ve seen over the years. So it’s no surprise that Honda has partnered up with RJ yet again for their newest and greatest creation, the Honda CR-Z.

We’ve been preaching since the Tokyo Auto Salon that the hybrid tuning craze is inevitably going to take off in America. While it may never reach the heights of what Japan has done in the last couple of years, the release of Honda’s CR-Z could help shape the new trend.

For SEMA this year, Honda has given away several Honda CR-Zs to car builders around the nation to show off what can be done to the fun, hot hatch. We’ve already teased the Fortune Motorsports and Tjin Edition’s build, and now we’re getting a sneak preview of what RJ De Vera has planned for his CR-Z build.

We spoke to RJ briefly and he stressed to us the focus of the CR-Z is to be a clean and fully functional street car that is fun, hence the name CR-Z Type-F. Naturally the CR-Z wouldn’t quite pull its own weight (for now) as a Type-R model, and naming it as such would just be foolish and downright silly. De Vera told us that he wants it to be fully functional so it can compete in the Source Interlink Super Lap Battle shortly after the show.

The CR-Z will be showcasing Wraptivo’s brand of products, a new division of Meguiar’s that focuses on custom car wraps. On the outside will be a matte black wrap with glossy black accents to contrast. Carbon fiber film wrap will be used on the roof, hood and part of the center section of the front bumper to show off just what Wraptivo can do for you.

Naturally a clean aero kit will be utilized along with a set of lightweight Volk Racing TE-37s in an awesome F-Zero Red color. Suspension looks like it’ll come from TEIN while Brembo will be handling the aftermarket brakes. De Vera disclosed to us that he is working closely with HKS on getting a supercharger for the hybrid, while Hondata has been working hard on cracking the ECU to eke out every bit of power.

As always, AutoGuide will be on hand at the 2010 SEMA Show in early November to bring you complete coverage.

Get more Honda CR-Z News and Info at CR-ZCraze.com

Official press release available after the break.

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An unknown builder is currently fabricating up a mid-engine Honda CR-Z, sporting a completely custom widebody and carbon fiber doors. While it may just be a concept car for the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon, some rumors are hinting that this Honda CR-Z might be being built for the Japanese SuperGT racing series, competing in the GT300 class. Given how popular the CR-Z has already become in Japan, this would be a pretty cool move by Honda.

Currently Honda already competes in the GT500 class with the HSV-010 GT race car.

Obviously the CR-Z that any layman can buy is just a gas-saving, tree-hugging hybrid, but how wicked would it be to see this CR-Z actually perform on the track rather than just being a show car? We’re really curious as to the powerplant that’s being used as a mock up, especially as GT300 class cars make 300-hp. Stay tuned, this is one CR-Z we’re staying on top of!

[Source: GTChannel via Autoblog]

GALLERY: Widebody Honda CR-Z

With the Honda CR-Z just hitting dealerships, plenty of excitement is brewing with all the aftermarket goodies that have already been designed and developed over in Japan. HKS has been producing high quality products for a variety of Japanese vehicles for decades and now they’re focusing on their line of GT Superchargers. And what better way to make the news than to manufacture a supercharger for the upcoming Honda CR-Z hybrid?

Currently HKS’s supercharged CR-Z makes around 170-hp, which is more than respectable for a hybrid. How it affects gas mileage, we’re not sure, since no numbers have been released. But given that it’s all in its infancy, we can expect tuners both in Japan and America to really take advantage of HKS’s GT Supercharger to push power beyond 200 while maintaining mpg when power isn’t needed.

Check out the video of the CR-Z on the dyno after the break. It’s clearly in a fast forward frame rate, but you still get the idea.

Video available after the break.

GALLERY: HKS Supercharged Honda CR-Z

[Source: Luxury4Play]

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The Honda CR-Z hybrid sports car will slot it at just under $20,000, with a base price of $19,200, not including a $750 destination charge. The EX model with Bluetooth, a leather wrapped steering wheel and and 36-watt stereo will take you to$20,760, while an in-dash navigation unit tops you out at $22,560.

The CR-Z is generating a lot of controversy for its “neither here nor there” approach to blending both hybrid and sporty characteristics, but Honda seems determined to press on with their 2-seater coupe. The ultimate test will be when the vehicle comes to market later this year, and whether the vehicles move off the lot quickly or not.

[Source: Autoblog]

Hit the jump to see Honda’s official press release

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The new Honda CR-Z will go on sale in the U.S. on August 24th, with a starting price of under $20,000 reports InsideLine. Unfortunately the car will not be eligible for a federal tax credit. Apparently the rules state that only 60,000 tax credits for hybrids are allowed per automaker and Honda spokesman Chuck Schifsky told IL that Honda passed that mark several years ago. Honda is able to offer the car for so little because of the less-sophisticated nickle-metal hydride battery used (rather than a lithium-ion one).

At that price range Honda intents to target buyers aged 25-35, although initial reports from Japan suggest the car is a bigger hit with an older demographic.

Sadly, for performance enthusiasts who might be attracted to the CR-Z’s small size and styling, Honda says a higher performance Si or Type R model is not in the plans. John Mendel, Honda’s VP of sales wasn’t exactly forceful on the point, however, commenting that there’s “nothing official” in the product plans. There are also no plans for a pure electric model, with Honda holding the belief that for some applications EVs will work, but that for normal use in the U.S., Honda just doesn’t see an EV catching on – at least with the current range capabilities.

Honda’s new CR-Z makes 122-hp and 128 ft-lbs of torque from a 1.5-liter gasoline engine mated to an electric motor, using Honda’s Integrate Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system. Fuel economy is expected to reach 31/37-mpg (city/highway) for the 6-speed manual and 35/39-mpg for the CVT automatic.

GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Mega Gallery

[Source: InsideLine]

Honda‘s new CR-Z hybrid sports car is proving to be a sales success already in its home market of Japan, but not with the crowd you might expect. Inspired by the CRX, the CR-Z would seem to be the modern embodyment of the early Honda hatch, appealing to a younger generation interested in a small and sporty car, but who are interested in their vehicle’s impact on the environment.

Honda, it would seem, has missed the mark, with the latest numbers from Japan showing that 35 percent of all CR-Z owners are over 40, with the majority of buyers in the 30-to-40 range. As for the youth market, males in their 20s make up just 15 percent of CR-Z buyers.

We have no doubt that contributing factors to the car’s lack of appeal with younger buyers involves its less than impressive power, not to mention its cost – which is directly related to the expensive hybrid system.

GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Mega Gallery

[Source: 7Tune]

It’s hard to understand the appeal of a burlesque show, seeing as they lack the most important element of a real strip club – the buffet meal. But Honda thought that there’s some value in a burlesque show, and went so far as to have a performance artist, known as Agent Lynch (real name Kate Rawlinson), to come to Paris and do her own show for onlookers in the Place de Tertre. Somehow this was designed to promote Honda’s upcoming CR-Z hybrid sports car.

Lynch’s routine saw her strip down to her undies and cover herself in blue paint before pressing herself against a red and white canvas. The blue paint somehow made the canvas resemble the French flag, but we’ll let you judge the artistic merit of that one. We do know that you all want to see pictures and the video, so without further ado, they’re both below the jump.

[Source: Honda CR-Z]

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Nissan‘s Datsun 240Z broke ground in the early 1970′s by offering bulletproof reliability and the performance of a Jaguar E-Type for a third of the cost. The next generation Z-car could be similarly important by mating a hybrid drivetrain into a serious performance car, if reports coming out of Japan are accurate.

While the reports are mostly speculation, rumors of a Nissan GTR hybrid, as well as a Lexus LFA hybrid lend credence to the speculation. If Honda’s CR-Z hybrid sports car does well in North America (it’s currently a hit in Japan) you can expect that Nissan will be eager to get in the market, albeit at a higher pricepoint.

[Source:  Zer Customs]

Car companies are eternally focused on capturing the all important “youth-market”, some even going as far as to create “youth brands”, like Toyota and their Scion line-up. Honda appears to be taking the opposite track with the launch of their new CR-Z hybrid sports car, hoping to take advantage of the demographic that was in their late teens to late 20′s between 1983 and 1991, when they CRX was, “the ultimate tuner vehicle”, said John Mendel, Honda’s Executive Vice-Preisdent for Automobile Sales. Mendel, who is 55 said that market research showed that the CR-Z was a hit with ” young people and guys my age, because it’s reminiscent of the CR-X.”

Honda’s discontinued products, such as previous generation Civics, Preludes Acura Integras and NSXs still command a huge following, even from consumers who weren’t born when the products were introduced. Honda is hoping to reach the younger generation of automotive enthusiasts through online media and social networking sites. Mendel said that Honda was also looking into sponsoring concerts that had multi-generational appeal.

[Source: Automotive News]

Strong demand in emerging markets like India and China, as well as a recovering U.S. economy helped Honda post a quarterly profit of $774 million. The Japanese automaker reported a 28 percent increase in sales, to $24.5 billion. Honda is forecasting a $3.7 billion profit through the coming fiscal year (which ends March 31, 2011), and sales of $100.4 billion, a 9 percent jump.

The strong results come days after Honda’s CEO admitted that the company had become “complacent”. However, strong demand for small, energy efficient models like the Fit and the upcoming CR-Z hybrid sports car helped the company back into the black. Honda’s motorcycle division also reported strong sales, adding to the company’s fortune.

[Source: Detroit News]

It seems like we’re going crazy with Honda‘s new CR-Z, showing off Mugen’s initial release, TEIN’s CR-Z and  Spoon Sports’ rendition of the popular hybrid in Japan. There’s absolutely no denying the popularity of tuning and customizing hybrids in Japan, and the trend is slowly catching on in North America.

It will be mighty interesting to see how things change when Honda’s CR-Z makes it over to North America. The hatchback has become a hot contender, being a pleasant substitute to the Honda Insight or Toyota’s Prius.

We were so excited to find these new photos of Mugen’s Demo Honda CR-Z all stickered up and on display in public. The accessories offered back in February included a full aero kit, carbon fiber mirrors and choice of wheels. Interior amenities included shift knob, gauges and floor mats. Engine performance were simple bolt-ons from cat-back exhaust to air filters. Suspension and brake upgrades are typical offerings from Mugen as well.

But now it seems that Mugen is possibly going beyond as is evident with this race-inspired Honda CR-Z full of stickers. The most interesting theme is the green accents on the car that sort of remind of Takata’s infamous shade. The wheels and mirrors have been refinished, contrasting the rest of the white car but flowing well with the “Honda Green Machine” theme. It is clear that both Honda and Mugen are pushing going green and it’s even possible that they will be pushing the limits of this CR-Z Hybrid out on the track. We’ll keep our eyes out, but for now we’ll salivate over the photos.

[Source: Jon Sibal]

GALLERY: Mugen Honda CR-Z

In love with Honda’s new CR-Z? Then we have a treat for you. Honda Europe has just released a mega-gallery of CR-Z photos, showing the new hybrid sports coupe from so many angles we forget what the CRX looks like.

There’s not much new to report about the car, other than the fact that like in Japan, the Euro-spec CR-Z will get a 2+2 arrangement, rather than just being a two-seater like in North America.

The CR-Z is powered by a 1.5-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor to make 122-hp at 6000 rpm and 128 ft-lbs of torque at 1000 to 1500 rm when mated to a slick-shifting six-speed manual transmission or 122-hp and 123 ft-lbs of torque with a CVT automatic (which features paddle shifters by the way). As for fuel-economy, it’s rated at 36-mpg city and 38-mpg highway. (U.S. EPA).

The CR-Z comes with a three-mode driving system, with buttons on the steering wheel to choose Sport, Normal and Economy driving. Sport mode delivers a more responsive throttle, with tighter steering and the tachometer lights up bright red when in Sport model. Econ mode delivers optimum fuel efficiency with reduced pedal feel. The air conditioning system will also reduce its lag on the engine in Econ mode. Normal mode delivers standard settings, and in both Normal and Econ mode, the tachometer display will light up blue or green depending on how the vehicle is driven – with a green display representing the most fuel-efficient driving. Like the Insight, the CR-Z offers and Eco Guide to help driver’s keep track of fuel economy.

Of note, at the end of a VERY lengthy press release (see below), Honda reiterates its commitment to building a hybrid Jazz (Fit).

GALLERY: Honda CR-Z Euro Spec

Official release after the jump:

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Honda has just released a new commercial that will be used to help promote the CR-Z hybrid when it goes on sale later this year. The 90 second spot was filmed in southern Spain and will reportedly be run on networks in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

As for the car itself, the CR-Z made its world premiere at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year, using a 1.5-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor to make 122-hp at 6000 rpm and 128 ft-lbs of torque at 1000 to 1500 rm when mated to a slick-shifting six-speed manual transmission or 122-hp and 123 ft-lbs of torque with a CVT automatic (which features paddle shifters by the way). As for fuel-economy, it’s rated at 36-mpg city and 38-mpg highway.

The CR-Z comes with a three-mode driving system, with buttons on the steering wheel to choose Sport, Normal and Economy driving. Sport mode delivers a more responsive throttle, with tighter steering and the tachometer lights up bright red when in Sport model. Econ mode delivers optimum fuel efficiency with reduced pedal feel. The air conditioning system will also reduce its lag on the engine in Econ mode. Normal mode delivers standard settings, and in both Normal and Econ mode, the tachometer display will light up blue or green depending on how the vehicle is driven – with a green display representing the most fuel-efficient driving.

Like the Insight, the CR-Z offers and Eco Guide to help driver’s keep track of fuel economy.

Two trim levels will be offered in the U.S., a base CR-Z and well-equipped EX model. The six-speed manual is standard, as is Vehicle Stability Assist, an AM/FM/CD/USB audio system with six speakers, automatic climate control, power windows and door locks, remote entry and cruise control. The CR-Z EX includes HID Headlights fog lights, a 360-Watt AM/FM/CD premium audio system with seven speakers including subwoofer, Bluetooth and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. EX models will get the option for navigation.

Pricing for the CR-Z will be released closer to launch.

[Source: Carscoop]

See after the jump for the new Honda CR-Z ad:

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Before Tein made their way to North America in the form of Tein USA, the green-branded suspension products were a rarity and collectibles amongst the JDM-fanatics. Oddly enough, when Tein did get established in America it seemed that the goodness of their products got diluted. Once items like their srings became readily available, the prestige of having some of the world’s finest suspension products didn’t seem to be as great. But at the end of the day, Tein still produces some of the world’s finest suspension products and today they’ve turned their attention to what all other JDM tuners out there are also beginning to focus on – hybrids.

The Tein 06 Honda Civic Si was one of those projects that garnered a ton of attention here in North America, especially after it was reported that it got stolen. But it was one of Tein’s finest projects, touching on all bases and perhaps made North Americans associate Tein to its eye-catching graphics found on their project cars. One thing to be aware of however is that Tein only designs and manufactures suspension products. This ranges from regular lowering springs to full coilover systems with in-car dampening control (EDFC). So most Tein projects are often unlikely to see any other major modifications unless they plan on hitting the track to showcase their suspension goods.

Thanks to the power of Google Translate, we have been keeping our eyes out on Tein’s CR-Z Special Blog page where the tuner has been showing off its testing and tuning on the new hatchback from Honda. Tein currently has Mono Flex suspension out sporting 5.0k spring rates in the front and 5.0k spring rates in the rear while lowering the car 40mm front and rear and supporting EDFC.

They also announced that the Super Street dampening system isn’t far out – a release in mid-May that has softer spring rates of 3.0k (front) and 4.0k (rear). These will have similar lowering profiles as the Mono Flex but will not support EDFC. These are probably catered much more to the street.

For regular lowering springs offerings, Tein has their High Tech springs available lowering the car 25mm in the front and 30mm in the rear unless you have an automatic, in which it’ll be 30mm in the front and 30mm in the rear. Spring rates on those are 2.2k and 4.0k for the front and rear, respectively.

It looks like by the time the Honda CR-Z goes on sale here in North America there will be plenty of products readily available for the tuner market.

GALLERY: Tein Honda CR-Z

[Source: Tein Japan CR-Z Special Blog]