OT: Honda Civic 2006 model: trying to be BMWsque..

[emw525E34]

Wife bought this new model today. Good value and pretty responsive for a 1.8 litre 4 banger. It has i-VTEC which is a simpler VANOS "clone". I took a flashlight and looked at the rear multi-link suspension geometry. Guess what ?.

Looks almost like an E39 suspension, only that horizontal swing arm is smaller due to its lower weight. I suspect BMW could sue......

Oh, the tail end looks like an E46 tail from the side view, though dead on, is typically Honda. The manual shifter is almost an E36M3 copy, nicely weighted and short enough within level of the centre arm rest. Easy shifting from the armrest for lazy people. I am impressed by the performance, it pulls well in all gears...:)

Honda is ahead of BMW in the F1 so far....

[Bill R.]

vtec has been in a production model since 1989. And the I-vtec is more like double vanos with even greater flexibility.



Wife bought this new model today. Good value and pretty responsive for a 1.8 litre 4 banger. It has i-VTEC which is a simpler VANOS "clone". I took a flashlight and looked at the rear multi-link suspension geometry. Guess what ?.

Looks almost like an E39 suspension, only that horizontal swing arm is smaller due to its lower weight. I suspect BMW could sue......

Oh, the tail end looks like an E46 tail from the side view, though dead on, is typically Honda. The manual shifter is almost an E36M3 copy, nicely weighted and short enough within level of the centre arm rest. Easy shifting from the armrest for lazy people. I am impressed by the performance, it pulls well in all gears...:)

Honda is ahead of BMW in the F1 so far....

[kick7ca]

Honda's products stand on their own as superior machines and engineering marvels. I'm sure 0% of it is coppied from any BMW.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Take a look at any of the Japanese auto makers, they all have Bangled models.
Bangled butted trunks, mongoloid lighting and bulbous lines.

Toyota/Lexus has several

Nissan/Infinity too

and Honda as well.

True the Japanese auto makers have stand alone models, but much of their work is truly derivative.

[granit_silber]

Take a look at any of the Japanese auto makers, they all have Bangled models.
Bangled butted trunks, mongoloid lighting and bulbous lines.

Toyota/Lexus has several

Nissan/Infinity too

and Honda as well.

True the Japanese auto makers have stand alone models, but much of their work is truly derivative.
Toyota submitted a US Patent for the Scion tA that cited the 645i.
-ashley

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

and a new Lexus as well, hmm

[Incantation]

+1

[JAlfredPrufrock]

Looks almost like an E39 suspension, only that horizontal swing arm is smaller due to its lower weight. I suspect BMW could sue......


BAHAHA, this is a joke right?

Please don't tell me your BMW owner ego is in reality this big.

[joshua43214]

Honda has always had sophisticated suspensions. They also have some very top flight engineers on the payroll. they engineer every thing down to the last gram needed to make it function.

Honda is the only manufacturer I have ever seen that has consistant material failure of parts due to being engineered down to maximum weight savings. I am talking about major components that actualy break, things like control arms, camshafts, their CV joints will often fail before the boot even rips. almost every honda over 100k mi I have ever seen had a broken spring.

I have great respect for honda engineering, Some of the stuff is very impressive, but their constant attempts to reduce every thig down to the absolute minimun requirements to save weight (therefore increase economy) has in my mind, ruined every thing that could have been so good.

Sorry if I offended any Honda cult members out there.

[sKilled]

Imitation is the purest form of flattery.

[emw525E34]

Its more BMW's ego, I would think (if they were to attempt it). I do have great respect for Honda's engineering. I am no legal expert in mechanical designs. Maybe a single part similarity is not enough justification. Also, good for Honda as a lesser model is getting rather sophisticated suspensions that just to be outside its reach. I suppose it shows the maturity of these cars.

Ford Focus famed "Control-blade" design seems to steal the limilight when it was released. Repeated so many times in WRC and motoring press...