A Hybrid Tuner, the Honda CR-Z Spotted in the Philippines

    In the long, long line of Honda's history of sports cars, quite an interesting addition to its saga was the hybrid Honda CR-Z. One great example of the CR-Z was this one. The car was parked out in the sun right on the sidewalk. Its signs of dust and mud along the sides and below the undercarriage proved it wasn't just for show, this CR-Z had a history of actual driving.


    The most notable additions to the CR-Z were its custom bumpers, side skirts and wheels. The front bumper's large vents added a cool airflow straight to the engine and its front splitter, attached below the bumper, was inches away from the ground. Seen right above its front wheel were the bumper's security locks screwed on to the car's front fenders. They were used mostly on loose bumpers as a method to keep ones that are unsteady from falling off.


    The rear end of the vehicle looked to be a work in progress. The rear bumper was incomplete, although it wasn't too noticeable. Its large rear vents and blackened tail lights distracted looks away from the missing pieces.


    Upon closer look, the trunk's facade was affixed with badges and stickers. The "Modulo" badge was the mid-end variant of the car sold in the Philippines, which gave it its more sporty looks than the usual CR-Z, and at the peak of its sales, it was priced at a reasonable ₱1.5 million.


    However, what caught everyone's eye at the time of the car's release was its "hybrid" title. It was Honda's first swing into the sports car market with a "sport hybrid coupe". Taking design inspiration from the former Honda CR-X and becoming its spiritual successor, it became Honda's first new sports car since the S2000.


    Produced from 2010 to 2016, with a total of over 35,000 vehicles made, was one of the first traditional sports cars to integrate a hybrid gasoline-electric powertrain. It was equipped with a 1.5L I4 engine, which came with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a CVT. It's i-VTEC engine was able to deliver up to 130 brake horsepower combined with 190 Nm of torque.


    Not only that, the CR-Z became one of the least polluting cars available in the market then. It provided a fuel economy of 40 to 60 mpg. It was then ranked in the EPA's top ten list for most fuel efficient vehicles.



    Unfortunately, the CR-Z was then discontinued in 2016 in order to make room for Honda's new vehicles, the Accord Hybrid and the Clarity. Because of its sense of style, desirability and affordability, it became a relatively popular choice for racers and sports car enthusiasts here, despite it still being a hybrid. Nowadays, these coupes have turned into quite a head-turner, as it is not available anymore and has become much rarer.

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