Honda’s rebirth of the NSX is here!

Honda’s all-new NSX supercar could give rise to even more potent versions, if the man behind the NSX’s development has his way. Faster and more stylish versions of the Honda NSX will be launched over the coming years. In an interview with the UK’s Auto Express, NSX project boss Ted Klaus said the NSX should continue to evolve, and that hotter variants could be on the cards for the future.

“I think everyone who loves cars wants to see a version that we say is ‘pure red’, The NSX has always been silver first, moving towards red later. Someone asked me, ‘when will you be satisfied?’ Probably never. What you do today, you can improve on tomorrow.”

-Ted Klaus 

The original Honda NSX went on sale in 1990, with an R version joining the range in 1992. The NSX-R was specially modified for improved on-track performance, featuring stiffer suspension and a lighter body. The stereo and air-conditioning were removed, while new forged alloy wheels and a titanium gearlever helped drive down the car’s overall weight.

While we can only speculate on the new car’s power, price and performance, the Type R is likely to be at least a couple of years away. The starting price for the NSX should be around $130,000.

Despite the growth of new NSX variants, Honda is keen to restrict demand and it’s unlikely to rise much above its current capacity of eight cars a day. However, the technology will drive development advances for Honda’s more mainstream models. It’s clear Klaus and his team of engineers has high aspirations for the new NSX. It’s said to have the lowest centre of gravity in its class, designed to make it more agile and fun to drive. We asked which cars Klaus considered to be ‘in the NSX’s class’ – and he immediately listed the Ferrari 458, Audi R8 V10 and Porsche 911 Turbo as rivals.

Contact us today to check out our other great Hondas!

Here we grow again!

On Thursday, August 18^th, Gurley Leep broke ground on its new Honda showroom. Located on the 2300 block of Cassopolis St in Elkhart, the new Honda Showroom is part of the American Honda Environmental Leadership Program and is labeled a Generation 3 Facility. A Generation 3 Facility means it will meet the highest standards set by American Honda to enrich customer experience, improve energy efficiency and enhance the way business is conducted.

The new Gurley Leep Honda Elkhart location will be huge upgrade from the current location. The main building will clock in at over 30,000 square feet, and a main showroom that will proudly display 5 great Honda vehicles. The service will house a 6 car service reception area and 18 service bays. A separate 12,000 square foot body shop and high-speed car wash will complete the new Honda Elkhart location to serve all of our Gurley Leep Honda customers. 

“We are committed to bring a comfortable and enjoyable Honda experience to our customer’s in Elkhart. In addition, we are excited that our new state-of-the-art facility will add jobs to our wonderful community.”

-Don Reese, COO Gurley Leep Automotive

Gurley Leep is staying local and will be using general and local contractors in all phases of the new build. The whole project kicked off on July 15^th with digging and earth moving. The build is slated to be completed in the spring of 2017 and once everything is finished, the dealership will see an increase of 10%-20% employment.

 

Until the new doors open at the new building, Gurley Leep will continue to operate at its current location of 2200 Bypass Road in Elkhart and online at www.gurleyleephonda.com.

Honda if you Dream it you can Do it!!

Honda has reunited with stop-motion artist Pes for an ad that kicks off a big new campaign for its 2017 Ridgeline pickup. A TV ad debuting Friday during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games uses stop-motion filming in an attempt to portray the versatility and utility of the truck, which hit the market in late June.

The ad shows six Honda Ridgeline trucks hauling materials to construct what appear to be five distinct construction projects, including a playground, a garden and a motorcycle racing track. But as the camera pans out, the scenes come together to spell out "Honda" as a voiceover declares, "If you can dream it, you can do it."

Pes, whose full name is Adam Pesapane, last worked with Honda for a spot called "Paper" that debuted in September and weaved together roughly 3,000 hand-drawn illustrations using stop-motion filming that took viewers through a paper-flipping, historical journey of Honda products. The new Honda spot is called "The Power of Ridgeline." The creative agency on the spot is RPA and the production company is Reset, with Mr. Pesapane serving as the director.

“We really wanted something that stood apart from traditional truck advertising that you see on television because it's Honda and we like to do things a little bit differently, we decided to take this turn and show all the different things that you can do with a Ridgeline -- not just the typical throwing lumber in the back and then going off to a construction site."

-Susie Rossick, assistant VP-marketing at American Honda Motor Co.

Check out Inventory of New 2017 Honda Ridgelines and contact us now to take yours home today

Welcome Back, Ridgeline!!!

In 2014, Honda pulled the Ridgeline from the market. Honda was following the trend in which the midsize pickup was disappearing. Gone were the Ranger, the Dakota, the Colorado and the Canyon, with only the Frontier and the Tacoma remaining. But the people demanded, and Ridgeline is coming back!!

All New 2017 Honda Ridgeline

Now, with the resurgent of the midsize pickup trucks, the 2017 Ridgeline is completely redesigned. Using styling of the car-based Pilot, the new Ridgeline has lost some of its old characteristics. Gone are the boxy fender flares and the “flying buttresses” behind the cab. But still retains its crossover roots with the most, in class, interior cargo space with the rear seats folded. Along with its dual-action tailgate, that opens to the side for easier access to the in-bed trunk.

Dual Swinging Tailgate with In-Bed Trunk

Redesigned Dashboard

The Ridgeline is tech-heavy, having adaptive cruise control, which automatically brakes or accelerates to maintain a set distance with the vehicle ahead of you. Lane-keeping assist helps you stay in your lane and Garmin Navigation helps you find where you want to go. Honda retained some hard buttons on the center stack, unlike some recent models. Environmental controls are reasonably intuitive with toggles for dual-zone temperature selection. I'm getting more used to the 8-inch touch-screen infotainment interface with its strip of controls on the left, though I still don't like the bar-graph volume control and some functions are slow to react.

The Ridgeline has impeccable carlike driving dynamics, It has a respectable degree of truck functionality, and it has an interior cabin as roomy and comfortable as a SUV. 

Ready for your brand new 2017 Honda Ridgeline? Check out our inventory and contact us today to get yours!!

Happy Birthday Accord - 40 Years of Reputation

1976. The bicentennial birthday of America, NASA lands the Viking rover on mars, Fidel Castro settles in as the president of Cuba, and two guys named Steve (Jobs and Wozniak) made a new computer company you might have heard about. Meanwhile, Honda was hard at work to spit out their newest fun, fuel-efficient, 3-door hatchback - The Accord.

The 1976 Debut Accord 

Over 40 years, Accord has consistently set the benchmark for the U.S. auto industry, earning the trust of more American car buyers than any other car during that period. A record 30 times Accord was named to the Car and Driver 10 Best list during its tenure*. It’s also been restyled quite a bit since it's inception.

The 2017 Debut Accord

Accord has earned a reputation of class-leading reliability and durability, outstanding fuel efficiency, low emissions, and top-class safety performance through continuous improvement and innovation.

According to IHS Automotive data, Accord has been the top retail-selling car in America for the past three years**. It sounds like the most appropriate way to celebrate this “big 40” birthday is to stop in and drive one. How else can it earn your trust? Pick one you like from our inventory and contact a sales rep to schedule a test drive!

Happy Birthday Accord!

* Car & Driver, November 2015
** Based on IHS Automotive, Polk CYTD December 2015 non-luxury traditional mid-size segment new retail registrations in the US.

New Civic Coupe Goes Back to It's Roots

 

 The re-designed 2016 Honda Civic sedan has received most of the attention- and tons of awards- but the new Civic coupe shouldn't be overlooked.  While it has been written over the past several years that the two-door version of the Civic had gotten a bit stale, Honda has made a decided effort to put more fun back into the coupe, and the effort has paid off. 

 

 

 

First off, Honda has given the Civic coupe a style of it's own, rather than just making it look like the sedan minus two doors.  It sits a bit lower, the fenders are flared just a bit, comes with standard aluminum wheels, and overall has a sportier look than the sedan- as it should. 

 

The interior is just as impressive.  It is surprisingly spacious and comfortable.  Road and Track describes the cabin like this:  "The same sorcery that makes the subcompact Fit capable of hauling the entire contents of your apartment yields a coupe that feels as airy and spacious as most sedans. Despite the higher beltline, it's easy to see out of. Grownups won't mind riding in the backseat and enjoy slightly more headroom than in the last coupe."

The 2016 Honda Civic coupe has brought back the driving fun that should excite lovers of the gone-but-not-forgotten Honda Prelude.  You can see our inventory of new Civic coupes here, or our entire inventory at www.gurleyleephonda.com. 

 

The Honda S660 is Way More Fun Than it Should Be

3 cylinders and 63 horsepower doesn't exactly sound like most people's idea of a sportscar or roadster, but Honda seems to have struck the right tone with the S660.  Road and Track took a spin in the little 2-seater and came away notably impressed.  "Thankfully, the S660 is an exemplary sports car, more than any three-cylinder economy car has any right to be. The easy comparison to make is that this is Honda's answer to the Mazda MX-5 Miata. Then, you realize that the S660 is endowed with just 63 horsepower."

For a company like Honda, which produces many of the world's most popular models, like the Civic and the Accord, producing an ultra-niche vehicle like the S660 is an ambitious venture.  It's also very possible that we will never make it to the states, at least in it's current configuration.

No one will ever confuse the S660 with anything resembling practical.  There is essentially no storage, so this isn't going to be a long road-trip type car, but then again, it was never meant to be.  But what it lacks in practicality in makes up for in driving enjoyment.

The S660 comes standard with a newly-developed 6-speed manual transmission.  Although there is an available continuously-variable transmission, for a pure driving experience, the manual would seem to be the way to go for most people.  The turbo-charged inline 3-cylinder may not wow you with it's pure numbers, but it sounds and drives like something much more powerful.

We don't know if Honda will ever move the steering wheel to the other side and bring it to the U.S., but we would certainly welcome the opportunity to give it a drive.