While most of the popular aftermarket manufacturers in Japan are welcoming the hybrid craze with open arms, Spoon Sports has been quiet as of late. This can mostly be attributed to the fact that Spoon focuses and specializes with the Honda platform, and quite honestly, Honda hasn’t had an attractive enough hybrid platform in the recent years.  But this is all about to change, with the CR-Z gaining a lot of momentum as the new “hot-hatch” appealing to passionate Honda aficionados worldwide.  Needless to say it’s a perfect fit for Spoon Sports and their tuning prowess.

We’ve seen the entry from Mugen and in typical Spoon Sports fashion, they’ve thrown down the gauntlet as well. Going back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, Mugen and Spoon Sports were the most respective pair of brands for JDM Honda fanatics stateside. In fact it’s easy to argue that Mugen and Spoon Sports delivered a rivalry on its own with their prestigious and rare parts, many of them carrying a hefty price tag once they were on American soil. There’s no mistaken that this CR-Z has been Spoon-inspired.

There’s none of the traditional yellow and pastel blue to be seen, yet, but the CR93 wheels have been refinished in a stylish dark blue in true Spoon fashion.  As with almost all of Spoon Sports’ projects, the focus is on excellent tuning and track-ability.  They paid close attention with suspension and brake upgrades lowering the vehicle with coilovers in the front and a traditional shock/spring combination in the rear.  15-inch slotted rotors along with upgraded calipers are probably overkill for the hatch, but we believe Spoon has much more in terms of performance up their sleeve.

Specializing in naturally aspirated performance over the years, Spoon is currently tuning their staple N1 exhaust system along with ECU upgrades for the CR-Z. No concrete numbers have been released yet, which is understandable given how new the technology is. We have faith though and it will be an exciting time to see two of Honda’s most notorious brands battling it out on the track again, this time with CR-Z hatchbacks hopefully flying the colors we’ve grown and love over the past decade.

GALLERY: Spoon Sports CR-Z

[Source: Spoon Sports]

Honda is hoping to build a following with its line of Modulo parts in Japan, in a bid to replicate the the success that Mugen has had. On display at the Tokyo Auto Salon, Honda showcased three different Modulo-equipped versions of its Insight hybrid.

First up is a mostly stock looking Touring Modulo Insight, featuring a short list of Modulo parts than can be purchased through dealerships. Up next is the Modulo Touring race car (yup, a hybrid race car), which Honda is using to build awareness and credibility for its Modulo line of parts.

Finally, Honda displayed its Insight Sports Modulo Concept, which takes a look at where Modulo parts may go in the future. The Modulo Concept carries a theme of “Exciting Eco” and is equipped with a new front bumper, lower grille, diffuser and LED lighting. The wheels are certainly interesting, looking like some of the aerodynamic designs currently used in Formula One.

GALLERY: Modulo Equiped Honda Insights

Not to be left behind with all the other Japanese aftermarket manufacturers that have taken to the trend of modifying hybrid/green cars, Tommy Kaira not only impressed with its GT-R at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, but with its Prius and Insight offerings too. Earlier this month both vehicles were released to the public and onto the Internet but this was our first opportunity to get up close with the vehicles in person and we’re quite impressed.

Both Eco-Sports Edition vehicles, part of the new Tommy Kaira Eco Spo line of aerodynamics for hybrids, carry a mixture of light weight carbon fiber and fibreglass body accents that are both conservative and appealing.

GALLERY: Tommy Kaira Eco Spo Honda Insight and Toyota Prius

Seen at the booth of wheel manufacturer RAYS Engineering at the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon was a nicely tuned Prius by ASI. Called the ASI Green Prius, this car is part of a new line of ASI tuning kits aimed at hybrid models. Currently it also includes a kit for the Honda Insight.

Sporting a green-accented Lexus badge, this Prius went through some pretty aggressive styling for a hybrid. Along with the aggressive front end, new side skirts and a small rear lip spoiler are plenty of carbon fiber accents and a nicely lowered stance.

This year’s Tokyo Auto Salon will undoubtedly be known for its excess hybrid tuning with every booth sporting a modified Toyota Prius of some sort. The ASI Green model was definitely one of the nicest we stumbled upon.

GALLERY: ASI Green Toyota Prius

OnStar has produced a new smartphone application providing Chevrolet Volt owners 24/7 connection to their cars.

Compatible with Apple’s iPhone, RIM’s Blackberry Storm and Motorola’s Droid smartphones, the app provides real-time data connection and control over vehicle functions such as programming charge times.

The OnStar Mobile Application retrieves information from the Volt such as battery charge level, odometer readings, miles per gallon and electric-only mileage, and displays them in real time on a smartphone.

Volt owners can receive text or email notifications for charge reminders, power interruptions and when the battery is fully recharged. Owners can also manually program the Volt to recharge at off-peak power usage times to take advantage of lower electricity rates.

Traditional OnStar features such as remote door lock, unlock, horn and light controls, typically available only by calling OnStar’s control center, will also be available for Volt owners through the application.

Volt owners with internet-ready phones other than the iPhone, Storm and Droid will be able to access the application through a mobile browser.

The OnStar Mobile Application will be available for the Volt’s launch. Online demonstrations for the Motorola Droid and Blackberry Storm are available at OnStarMobileDemo.com, while an iPhone demo app is available through the iTunes store.

Gallery: OnStar Chevrolet Volt App

Official release after the jump:

When it comes to hybrid and eco-friendly technology, it looks like blue is the new green. Both Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz have chosen the color blue to represent their environmentally friendly vehicles with their respective Blue Drive and Blue Efficiency brands. Hyundai’s latest hybrid concept, the Blue-Will, is a look into the future of eco-friendly vehicles.

First introduced at the Seoul Auto Show in April,  the Blue-Will made an appearance at the Hyundai exhibit at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

Concept cars usually include features that are way out there and will likely never see production. In the Blue-Will, this would include features like the  LED screen under the front grille (which seems a bit strange when an internal graphic display promotes fuel saving driving habits).

Some of the Blue-Will’s features may be worth another look however. Touch screen drive selection may not appeal to those who like the feel of a stick, but with the Blue-Will’s continuously variable transmission, the only choices you’ll have are drive, reverse, neutral and park. Touch screen HVAC and entertainment controls seem like a natural evolution however, judging by the popularity of products like the iPhone.

The Blue-Will is powered by a 152hp GDI 1.6l engine and a 100 kW motor in a proprietary parallel hybrid system. Hyundai says this parallel hybrid architecture will be the base for the company’s future hybrid models, starting with the next generation Sonata in the U.S.

Another interesting innovation is a thermal generator in the exhaust manifold that converts heat into electrical energy. Hyundai says this energy will be used to power auxiliary systems, which, we assume, include the LED screen above the front bumper.

The Blue-Will is a plug-in hybrid, and designers have placed the power port at the front of the car behind the pop-out Hyundai insignia on the front grille. The lithium ion polymer battery is located under the rear seat however, so more conventional location for the power port may make more a sense.

Overall, the Hyundai Blue-Wire is an interesting concept, but with some of the choices the designers made might make you wonder what that concept is.

Gallery: Hyundai Blue-Will Concept

Last week Lexus teased us with a back shot of its upcoming hybrid hatchback and now we finally get a glimpse of what this new model will look like from the front. Called the LF-Ch Concept for now it is expected to be called the CT200h when it finally makes its way to production in 2010.

Originally designed specifically for the European market, which will not get the Hs250h, recent rumors have suggested it may also makes its way to the U.S.

The LF-Ch is a premium-level hatchback designed to take on vehicles like the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3 and Volvo C30.

There is no confirmed word on engines or pricing, but with the CT200h name we suspect the luxury hatch will use a similar setup to the Prius, with an electric motor mated to Toyota’s 1.8-liter four-cylinder, making roughly 200hp. Pricing is expected to be around the $30,000 mark.

Lexus will officially reveal the LF-Ch concept next week at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

GALLERY: Lexus LF-Ch

[Source: Autoblog]

According to a rather detailed post on BMW 1 Series forum 1addicts, BMW is aiming to significantly expand the future 1 Series lineup as a part of the company’s Efficient Dynamics approach.

Using a new versatile modular architecture, BMW will be able to build 12 and possibly even 13 different vehicles based on the new chassis, some of which will be coupes, sedans, roadsters and even SUVs.

The cars will be divided up into three sub-categories: Traditional, Lifestyle and Sporting. Under the Traditional segment will be a standard sedan model, a hatchback and a hybrid. Under the Lifestyle segment there will be a coupe, cabriolet and a performance or “supersports” model as well as a Z2 and Z2 coupe. Finally, the Sporting segment will include an X1, X2, Gran Turismo and Y1 model. Finally, there will be a light-weight and high-performance 135i model which is still not approved for production.

Currently the upcoming X1 is based on a 3 Series platform, but this would suggest a new platform would underpin the car. As for the Y1, it would be somewhat like a really small X6, with the soul of a Z sports car but the utility of an X SUV.

The news comes from a 1addicts forum member called SCOTT26, who according to his brief but content-rich forum history is either a prophet or a BMW insider.

BMW will turn the 1 Series into a leader for the company, just as the 3 Series is now. It will get technology first, starting with a hybrid powertrain, which will be offered for every 1 Series vehicle.

[Source: 1addicts]

In 2007 Volvo partnered with Swedish energy company Vattenfall to examine ways to work together and now the duo has agreed to develop a plug-in diesel hybrid for production by 2012. This summer Volvo will unveil three initial test vehicles based on the V70 wagon.

“We are investing in an industrial joint venture to series-produce plug-in hybrid cars in Sweden in 2012, cars that can be powered by both electricity and diesel,” said Volvo CEO Stephen Odell. “This is an important business development for us and our partnership with Vattenfall allows us to take a giant step toward offering our customers cars with an even smaller environmental footprint.”

The cars will feature an electric motor and a lithium-ion batter pack, which can be recharged from a conventional wall outlet in five hours.

“We want to reinforce electricity’s importance in society and its key role in solving climate issues,” says Vattenfall CEO Lars G Josefsson. “Through this cooperation we hope to be able to speed up the introduction of electric cars. Together we are developing the next-generation technology based on plug-in cars and various charging alternatives.”

Vattenfall will also offer customers the ability to sign a contract ensuring that the electricity delivered to their house is generated by wind power or hydro power, further reducing the environmental impact of the car.

GALLERY: Volvo V70 Plug-In Diesel Hybrid

Official release after the jump:

Just days after President Obama proposed new legislation that would see fleet fuel-economy standards rise considerably in the U.S., Subaru has said it will explore the possibility of bringing a hybrid to market in order to reduce its fleet average.

Ikuo Mori, the CEO of Subaru’s parent company Fuji Heavy Industries told a group of reporters that the idea was being looked in to and that a vehicle could be brought to market by 2012.

The hybrid model would use a Toyota-sourced gasoline-electric powerplant, as Toyota is the largest shareholder of Fuji.

Mori also said that Subaru is currently working to bring a diesel to market at around the same time. He did not comment on the future of Subaru’s electric vehicles, including the G4e (pictured above), which debuted at the Canadian International Auto Show this past February.

If the proposed legislation in the U.S. is approved it would see fleet standards rise to 35.5, mpg by 2016. Currently automakers are facing an 8 percent increase in fuel-economy standards that would see fleet averages for light-vehicles (cars and trucks) at 27.3 mpg for 2011. Cars would have to achieve a fleet average of 30.2 mpg by that date.

[Source: Bloomberg]