Acura Motorsports will enter the LMP1 class in the 2009 American Le Mans Series, company officials announced.

Acura’s entry into the most powerful and technically advanced division in ALMS will feature two Acura ARX-02a prototype sports cars developed by Honda Performance Development (HPD).

De Ferran Motorsports and Patrón Highcroft Racing will campaign the new Acura LMP1 cars, which are being designed in concert with Wirth Research in England. Testing of the new Acura LMP1 cars is scheduled for November.

Acura will also continue in the LMP2 category with the Lowe’s Fernandez team competing on the 2009 ALMS tour.

Acura entered sports-car racing in 2007 by fielding Acura-powered LMP2 prototype cars on Michelin tires for Andretti Green Racing, Highcroft Racing and Lowe’s Fernandez Racing in the 12-race ALMS series. The three-car contingent marked the first factory motorsports program in Acura’s 20-year history. De Ferran Motorsports was added to the Acura lineup in 2008.

In the past year and a half, the Acura machines, with 3.4-liter, V-8 powerplants, have scored five LMP2 class victories, as well as an overall win by Patrón Highcroft Racing and drivers David Brabham and Scott Sharp earlier this year at Lime Rock Park. Acura cars also have recorded four overall pole positions.

“Since launching the Acura American Le Mans Series program in 2007, our goal has always been to compete at the highest level of sports-car racing,” said John Mendel, Executive Vice President of Auto Operations for American Honda Motor Company, Inc. “The LMP1 class of the American Le Mans Series represents the pinnacle of sports-car racing in this country, from both a competitive and technological standpoint. As we prepare to elevate Acura to Tier One status among luxury road cars, we feel it only appropriate to make this move to the uppermost level of American Le Mans Series competition, as well.”

Source: Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

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Acura Motorsports, Racing Cars and Engines

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced that its second FCX Clarity customer, Jamie Lee Curtis, took delivery of the vehicle on July 31, 2008. Curtis and husband Christopher Guest are the second of approximately 200 customers who will begin leasing the vehicle in the United States and Japan over the next three years.

“I really wasn’t expecting it to be so luxurious,” said Curtis. “It’s luxurious, luxurious, luxurious! I love the interior layout, design and access to controls. It is user-friendly and very modern.”

Actress and children’s book author Curtis and her husband, filmmaker Guest, live in Santa Monica. They have owned other alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles and continue to seek out ways to live and advocate a greener lifestyle.

Ron Yerxa and Annette Ballester, Santa Monica residents, took delivery of the first FCX Clarity on July 25, 2008.

The FCX Clarity is a next-generation, hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle. Significant advances over Honda’s previous generation FCX include a 25 percent increase in combined fuel economy to 72 miles/kg-H2* (74 mpg GGE ) and a greater than 30 percent increase in driving range up to 280 miles*. Propelled by an electric motor that runs on electricity generated in the fuel cell, the vehicle’s only by-products are heat and water, and its fuel efficiency is three times that of a modern gasoline-powered automobile.

Source: American Honda Motor Co

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Fuel Cell Vehicles, Gasoline Powered Automobiles

Honda’s large transmission plant in west-central Ohio reached a major milestone when associates built their 10 millionth automatic transmission. Honda Transmission Mfg. of America supplies these transmissions to Honda’s auto engine plant in Anna, Ohio, where they are mated up with the engines for delivery to Honda auto plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio, and in Canada and Mexico.

Located in Logan County near Russells Point, Honda Transmission has manufactured* transmissions for nearly 12 years. The 10 millionth transmission was produced for a Honda Accord and will remain on display in the plant. Nearly every department was involved in its production through its final assembly and quality inspection, including casting of the aluminum case, and forging and machining of its high-precision gears.

More than 1,000 associates at Honda Transmission are being recognized at an internal ceremony for their contributions to the production milestone. “Our team has worked very hard to achieve this milestone,” Honda Transmission President Nobuyuki Sanui said. “Working together as one team to exceed our customer expectations is the driving force behind our successes.”

Since starting transmission production in 1996, Honda Transmission has steadily expanded operations to keep pace with Honda’s growth into new passenger car and light truck models. In addition to the Accord, the plant produces automatic transmissions for the Honda Ridgeline, Element and CR-V, and the Acura TL, MDX and RDX.

The plant’s growth would not have been possible without the contributions of each associate, said Jeff Tomko, the company’s vice president. “What we are celebrating goes well beyond a production milestone,” Tomko said.  “Our associates have worked as a strong team to satisfy 10 million customers, and they are continuing to build on that success as we increase our capabilities with the additional production of gears and differentials.”

The result of a $100 million expansion project, Honda Transmission associates started producing high-precision transmission gears in 2006, followed a year later by four-wheel-drive rear differentials for the Acura RDX and MDX. That 263,000-square-foot expansion was part of a major North American drive-train initiative that Honda announced in late 2004 that also included investment of $100 million for Honda Precision Parts of Georgia, a new plant that now supplies automatic transmissions for the light trucks produced at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama. At the same time, Honda invested $70 million to expand engine machining at the Alabama plant.

More recently, Honda invested $75 million at the Anna Engine Plant in Ohio to increase the production of steel engine parts previously imported from Japan. That project included a 135,000-square-foot expansion to manufacture camshafts, crankshafts, cylinder sleeves and connecting rods. Honda’s largest auto engine plant in the world, the Anna plant celebrated production of its 15 millionth engine last year.

Honda Transmission’s predecessor company, Bellemar Parts Industries, started producing auto parts for Honda of America Mfg. in 1982 as the Marysville Auto Plant was making history as the first Japanese auto plant in America. The company was formally incorporated as Honda Transmission Mfg. in 1997. Investment in the 651,000-square-foot facility exceeds $325 million.

Among five Honda plants in Ohio, Honda Transmission has the capacity annually to produce 750,000 automatic transmissions, 288,000 gear sets and 110,000 rear differentials. Honda’s two auto plants in Marysville and East Liberty, Ohio, produced a record 700,000 cars and light trucks in the state last year, making it the largest auto manufacturer in Ohio.

Source: Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

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Honda auto plants, Light trucks

The all-new, completely redesigned 2009 Acura TL employs dramatic new styling along with a luxurious interior that includes more driver relevant technology than ever. Featuring the most powerful Acura engine ever, the 2009 TL will be available in two distinctive versions including the first ever application of Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD®) on TL. Available in the fall of 2008, the new TL will deliver a driving experience that achieves new highs within the performance luxury sedan category.

Source: Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced five of the first customers for its advanced new FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle and also provided details of the world’s first fuel cell vehicle dealership network in the United States. The announcements were made during a ceremony for the start of FCX Clarity production at the world’s first dedicated fuel cell vehicle manufacturing facility in Japan.

Source: American Honda Motor Co. Inc.

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Honda, Japanese Vehicles