It has been a tough time for workers at the Honda car production plant in Swindon which is where the Honda Civic is produced. Ever since September that has been working just part time.

The reason for the short time working, which meant that workers worked only for three half shifts a week, was due the a shortage of parts from Thailand. This was a direct consequence of the serious flooding that happened there in the summer.

Fortunately for the workers, they still received full pay. The deal was that there would be no reduction in wages, but the workers would be required to make up for the lost work hours in the future. Effectively the workers banked future hours which they would need to catch up on.

A spokesperson for Honda has indicated that thee are no firm rules on how long workers have to make up their lost hours, but it will certainly take several months. This is not the first time that Honda has approached these kinds of problems in this way. The first time they did it was following the tsunami.

As well as returning to full time production, Honda will also be increasing the size of its workforce. 500 new jobs will be created and the workforce will increase to 3,500. Production, which is currently 100,000 a month, will be increased to 180,000 and there will be extra shifts introduced.

The new Honda Civic is the ninth generation of this very popular car and there have been some exciting developments. It is said to be the smoothest and quitest Civic to date.

The New Honda Civic

Although not exactly cheap, the new Honda CR-Z Mugen will still be affordable when it is launched in 2012 with base prices of around £23,000.

Although £23,000. is round about £5,000 more than you can expect to pay for the Honda CR-Z in its most basic trim and £2,000 more than the cost of a CR-Z 1.5 GT, when you see what you are getting for your money the CR-Z Mugen is reasonably priced.

Unlike many other hybrids that tend to look relatively tame with a style designed to appeal to the more conservative environmentally conscious, the Mugen has very aggressive looks. The car is a very sporty looking coupe which has a performance to match its looks.

It combines a supercharged petrol engine with a state of the a electric motor which give it just under 200bhp. The sports suspension includes adjustable dampers with five settings. The brakes have been upgraded (for the technically minded these are now four-pot callipers with vented and grooved 320mm discs) and the front track has been increased.

The driving characteristics are interesting too. When you launch the car the powerful electric motor provides huge amounts of torque prior to the supercharger kicking in and although you might have to work the six speed gearbox to maintain high torque levels through the revs the car simply powers along. Treat it tamely and it feels tame, but it responds well to a little aggression; 0 to 60 acceleration time is just 6.1 seconds. Cornering is excellent die to the modified suspension and there is very little body roll, especially in sports setting.

Expect to see these models appear in showrooms from February 2012.

Honda CR-Z Mugen

As the temperature outside starts to drop, it’s a signal to all car owners that it is time to prepare your car for the upcoming winter. Winter creates special considerations for car care and operating. By taking the time before the cold sets in to prep your vehicle, you can be spared costly repairs and problem situations.

One of the most basic yet most important things you can to do winterize your car is to make sure all of its regular maintenance is up to date. Regular maintenance would include such things as checking and topping off fluid levels. This would include oil, power steering fluid and transmission fluid. You also want to check your antifreeze. Test to make sure it is able to withstand frigid winter temperatures. If not, your radiator could potentially be damaged. If it does not meet the test, then either add antifreeze or replace it especially if you may have added water to it over the warm summer months. Perhaps, your car is ready for a tune-up. Now would be the perfect time to do that. Replacing wiper blades and checking to make sure all light are working properly is another good idea. Brake inspections are also important. Get any repairs done before your car needs to experience harsh winter conditions.

Another important part of getting a car ready for winter is to check the tires. They should be visibly inspected for wear. If they are dry, rotted or have little tread, you will want to replace them. You may also need to have them rotated. For some people who live in areas that receive a great deal of snowfall, snow tires might be a good investment for winter. These will help your car have better traction on the road. Another preparation for winter should be to make sure that your car insurance is in proper order. For a free check, consult the professionals at Endsleigh Insurance. Click here now.

Honda’s have always been the go-to vehicle for those that desire to own a reliable yet aesthetically pleasing vehicle.

They not only perform well, they are also very resilient and therefore most owners don’t experience many problems.

has two identities in total. On the Internet it is all about the Honda Civic Type R, however the showrooms seem to focus more on the rest of the range.

It has been described as an unbelievably reliable yet practical hatchback.

The all-new Civic however doesn’t come in the shape of a Type R and instead offers a high revving five-door model. The body is only available in this design as of yet.

It looks unusual, just as its predecessor did so. However this time around the body shape has been spiced up even further. The all-new Honda Civic offers a similar pyramidal outline, which is aesthetically increased by a set of waveform creases. These appear along the sides of the vehicle.

An added extra on the appearance front is the beak like black grill, which makes it appear quite dominating!

The engine is of 2.2 and is said to have a much better performance that the previous Honda Civic. It is also a diesel, which is great news for those that drive lengthy journeys on a regular basis.

The team at Honda has gone out of their way to make other vital improvements. These include the likes of aero improvements, a smoother ride, lower tyre noise and an aesthetically pleasing interior.

The major bonus of this vehicle however is the fuel economy feature; drivers are able to switch to fuel saving electrical power steering.

It is certainly one to think about if you are after a reliable and good looking car!

The Honda rider Marco Simoncelli lost his life in a tragic accident at the Suzuka race circuit this Sunday.

Honda is in mourning following the death of Simoncelli and has cancelled the debut of their new 1,000 cc bikes for the coming season which was planned to take place at Sepang. Hondo has given is sincere condolences to the rider’s family and the race team and the huge number of Simoncelli’s fans.

The Vice President of Honda Shuhei Nakamoto said that he could not find the words to express his sorrow. He even castigated himself for being too harsh to his and expressed his sincere thanks for what he had given.

The whole paddock was deeply shocked. Even though everyone accepts the dangers inherent in MotoGP when tragedy happens it is always unexpected.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Casey Stoner the current world champion. He said that the death had made him feel sick inside. He said that he was very sorry for Marco’s family.

This is the second time in eight years that one of Honda’ riders was killed. The other was Daijiro Kato who was killed in 2003 after crashing into a wall in Suzuka. He had just moved into the premier class following his 250cc title win in 2001.

In order to comply with the homologation requirements, Honda is releasing 500 models of the Honda Civic Ti which are based in the Honda Racing BTCC 2011 Championship Civics. In case you are not familiar with homologation, it is a requirement of any production-based motorsport that a number of production models of the race car are produced that are compliant with the major features of the race car including such items as engine capacity, chassis, and suspension.

The limited edition Honda Civic Ti models are essentially modelled on the 1.4 and 1.8 i-VTEC SE but they have a number of extras including 17 inch Pro Race wheels, front and rear spoilers along with side and rear body skirts. There is also an advanced multimedia pioneer navigation system. In short, the car looks stunning.

Honda Civic Ti