72228 Eclipse issue 4_07

07
ISSUE FOUR
MAGAZINE
HONDA
CAR
CULTURE
FLYING IN FROM TOKYO
FRESH CONCEPTS FROM THE TOKYO MOTOR SHOW
A TASTE OF WELLINGTON • THE HIGHLY ADAPTABLE CRV
ECLIPSE ISSUE 4 / 2007
4 DRIVE
Get ready, New Zealand … Honda’s much-awaited V6 Accord has been previewed in
Japan and it combines power and efficiency in one car.
6 TECHNOLOGY
Honda’s VTEC system balances how your car handles different driving conditions.
In the new V6 Accord, Honda will introduce Variable Cylinder Management, its latest
advance in this industry-leading technology.
8 ROAM
It’s a capital idea ... roaming the streets of Wellington on a gourmets’ tour of the city’s
top culinary establishments. You don’t have to be hungry but it helps.
14 FOCUS
The exciting Honda Puyo concept car caused a buzz at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show.
Honda New Zealand Marketing Manager Graeme Meyer was at the event to soak up
all the drama and excitement.
18 PEOPLE
Honda fan Willie Poynter loves spending time in a CRV almost as much as she does in
her outstanding Auckland garden. Eclipse catches up to find out why.
22 MY HONDA
Up to date with myHonda? Honda’s online resource is a treasure chest of products,
services and information to help make life easier.
24 FUEL
Unexpected guests turn up over the holiday season? No problem. Tap into top cook
Ruth Pretty’s simple but delicious tapas ideas.
26 ABOUT
Honda’s leading role in environmentally friendly motoring took centre stage at the
recent Ellerslie Flower Show.
Eclipse magazine is published quarterly by NZ Contract Publishing Ltd for Honda New Zealand Ltd.
Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced in any form without written permission.
Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Honda NZ or NZ Contract
Publishing. Designed and printed: Image Centre. All address changes to: Hondacare, Honda NZ Ltd,
PO Box 97340, S.A.M.C., FREEPHONE 0800 246 632, email [email protected] All enquiries
to: Marketing Department, Honda NZ Ltd, FREEPHONE 0800 246 632, email [email protected]
All journalistic enquiries to: Aana Marinovich, NZ Contract Publishing Ltd, phone 09 412 9685, email
[email protected]. More information on all things Honda can be found on the website www.honda.co.nz.
SOMETHING OLD,
SOMETHING NEW
AS A KEEN, YOUNG, “SLIGHT” HOTHEAD IN THE EARLY 1970s even I knew I could hot up any engine (even my old Morrie’s)
by adding more valve opening (lift) by fitting what is known as a high-lift cam. The trouble was that in doing so I
compromised the engine tuning so much that it would hardly run at low revs. Even today boy-racers create these
“lumpy”-running engines by fitting high-lift camshafts to get more power at top-end revs.
Of course, even back then Honda was studying how to gain the benefits of variable valve lift in its engines. The
company’s now-patented solution – a sys tem using hydraulic pressure to move small locking pins sideways between
the valve rocker gear to engage or disengage valve lift gear – is legendary. All of this happens at phenomenal speeds.
This unique and seemingly indestructible technology came to be known as VTEC and it has changed forever the way
our engines are designed.
First used in the Honda CBR400 motorcycle, then in Honda’s Integra and NSX supercar from 1989, this technology
has been employed in nearly every Honda sold in the past 10 years. Continued improvement and adaptations of this
technology have meant that Honda has been able to design engines that combine super fuel efficiency, high torque or
high power, and yet very low levels of emissions by controlling the degree of valve lift and the timing at which opening
occurs.
More recently this technology has been employed to give variable capacity cylinders, effectively changing the size
of the engine.
This magazine showcases our new offering in the first quarter of 2008, the all-new V6 Accord. This extremely powerful
vehicle has a 3500cc engine at its heart but at cruise or in other low-load situations such as around-town driving, the sixcylinder engine drops to either four- or three-cylinder modes (see page 6 for more details).
The V6 Accord, about to be launched in Japan as the Inspire, was exposed to a small group of New Zealand journalists
in Japan at the end of October. The core reason for introducing such technology became abundantly clear when
speaking with Mr Yokota, the project leader for this vehicle. He started his presentation with a graph that addressed
environmental concerns on worldwide temperature correlations with the concentrations of CO2 in our atmosphere.
Honda has always accepted the responsibility and challenge to provide technical solutions that have less environmental
impact while adding to driving enjoyment.
Our new car is ground-breaking. The engine in the new V6 Accord will be the most sophisticated engine available in
any non-hybrid vehicle in New Zealand today. It’s as simple as that.
Graeme Seymour, Managing Director
Honda New Zealand
DRIVEV6ACCORD
GET READY, NEW ZEALAND
THE NEW V6 ACCORD – POWER AND EFFICIENCY NOW AVAILABLE IN ONE CAR.
Photography by Graeme Meyer
A V6 SEDAN THAT IS POWERFUL, environmentally friendly
and still fuel-efficient – that’s the promise of the all-new
Honda V6 Accord, which launches on the New Zealand
market early in 2008.
The car, just released in Japan as the Accord Inspire,
makes more environmentally friendly motoring possible
without sacrificing the overall drive experience. It
features Honda’s revolutionary i-VTEC engine technology
incorporating the new-generation Variable Cylinder
4 ECLIPSE
Management (VCM). VCM deactivates the engine’s
cylinders when power is not required, providing both
brisk acceleration and fuel savings.
Dubbed the most sophisticated engine in any nonhybrid vehicle available in this country, the V6 Accord
looks set to take New Zealand by storm.
To register your interest, or to book in for your test
drive, contact 0800 2 HONDA (0800 2 46632) or email
[email protected].
DRIVEV6ACCORD
The new V6 Accord is put through its paces by
motoring journalists in Japan, October 2007.
ECLIPSE 5
TECHNOLOGYVTEC
The VTEC engine: top performance
with an eye on fuel efficiency.
6 ECLIPSE
TECHNOLOGYVTEC
VTEC JUST GETS BETTER
HONDA’S VTEC SYSTEM BALANCES HOW YOUR CAR HANDLES DIFFERENT DRIVING CONDITIONS. IN THE NEW V6 ACCORD,
HONDA WILL INTRODUCE VARIABLE CYLINDER MANAGEMENT, ITS LATEST ADVANCE IN THIS INDUSTRY-LEADING TECHNOLOGY.
Words by Graeme Meyer
FROM THE SCREAMING, FRENETIC DRIVE OF THE S2000 at the edge
of its 9000rpm redline limit to driving comfortably in gridlock
in the same car, engine technology makes one of the biggest
contributions to your car’s driveability.
Optimisation of an engine for driveability around town requires
a very different design to optimising it for high-RPM racetrack
performance such as for a Formula 1 race car. Honda’s development
of VTEC balances the range of driving conditions. It was applied in
motor racing and made its road-car debut in the Integra and the
NSX, a high-performance street car still recognised as one of the
most driveable supercars made.
VTEC provided the mix of easy, around-town driveability,
economy and frenetic, high-performance, high-rpm race ability.
VTEC provided the fabled “two engines in one”. It is reputed
to have been created over teppanyaki one night when a Honda
engineer rolled a skewer round in his hands and saw a similarity to
camshaft lobes on the stick … and the rest is history.
The acronym VTEC means Variable-valve Timing, with Electronic
lift Control. The technology dynamically adjusts valve timing and
also valve lift (or amount of opening) while driving. A simple
analogy of its benefit is to block one nostril, which is fine when
you’re walking, but you need both nostrils for enough air when
you’re running or working hard.
VTEC has been applied to most vehicles in the Honda range and
provides high efficiency or economy with high performance. More
recently VTEC has been used as an economy tool in engines such
as the Civic Hybrid where cylinder management is applied to close
three or four cylinders when the engine is cruising or decelerating,
allowing maximum battery regeneration.
Arriving in New Zealand early next year in the all-new V6
Accord is the latest VTEC derivative, a system that provides for
Variable Cylinder Management (VCM). VCM is designed to deliver
outstanding power and fuel economy in real-life driving situations
by shutting down cylinders when they are not required.
The full potential of the Accord’s 3.5-litre V6 is unleashed when
you need it: in acceleration situations, power and control when
you want it, overtaking, accelerating and starting at the lights. On
typical drives, most of the time we do not require the full power
capabilities of the engine. Maintaining momentum requires much
less energy than accelerating. To maintain speed on a highway
or motorway, you need only minimal power and you can easily
identify these situations as they require minimal accelerator
pressure. VCM comes to the fore in this situation as it reduces the
engine size by deactivating two or three cylinders.
When you are cruising around town or on the highway with
little throttle the engine control unit deactivates one bank of three
cylinders, reducing the engine capacity from 3.5 litres to 1.75
litres. With light to moderate acceleration the engine will change
to four cylinders, with one cylinder in each bank deactivated
and creating a 2.3-litre engine, both scenarios that improve fuel
economy. When a touch more acceleration is requested by the
driver, the engine instantly kicks in all six-cylinder, 202kW potential
to take you where you want to go.
To close down cylinders, Honda uses VTEC control to deactivate
and close the cylinder inlet and exhaust valves. Energy “pumping
losses” are reduced by avoiding reloading the air inside the
engine. Additionally, the spark plugs continue to fire to keep the
cylinders clean.
We all know that running a smaller engine means improved fuel
economy and VCM provides this. Even the most vigorous driver
will find that VCM achieves additional fuel economy.
The V6 Accord’s VCM system is optimised to give maximum
fuel economy in real-world driving situations rather than the
arbitrary laboratory (dynometer) fuel economy testing generated
by various authorities to compare fuel economy between vehicles.
These EU or Australian Design Rules (ADR) standards are usually
useful in comparing vehicles, however these “standard” tests do
not accommodate and measure the advanced technology present
in Hybrids or variable-capacity vehicles.
Under the laboratory tests performed on static vehicles,
sequences of quick acceleration, immediate deceleration and
stationary situations are applied. This means the V6 Accord’s VCM
engine will mostly be running in six-cylinder mode in the test and
not actually deactivating the cylinders as it does in real driving
situations.
Honda New Zealand will conduct and publish our standard local
comparison (Optimal NZ Drive Test) result, driving the return trip
between Auckland and Taupo, which will illustrate the true potential
of VCM. Equally, the fuel efficiency potential of this new model
will be clearly demonstrated in the EnergyWise Rally in November
2008 and it will be a serious contender for the award for the largest
improvement against the ADR figures for the same car.
Such is the smoothness of the VCM operation that without the
“eco” light on the dashboard there is no sensation that VCM is
activated or not. With a little care, it will be possible to drive this
vehicle for hundreds of kilometres with the “eco” light displayed
most of the time.
VTEC is an unseen product that helps deliver the best driving
experience through sophisticated engine technology that adapts
to meet the driver’s intentions. The VTEC and VCM systems
optimise performance and economy engine set-ups to provide the
best of both worlds.
ECLIPSE 7
ROAMWELLINGTON
8 ECLIPSE
ROAMWELLINGTON
ZEST FOR THE BEST
IT’S A CAPITAL IDEA … RAMBLING THE STREETS OF WELLINGTON ON A GOURMETS’ TOUR OF
THE CITY’S TOP CULINARY ESTABLISHMENTS. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE HUNGRY, BUT IT HELPS.
>>
Words by Sharon Stephenson • Photography by Stephen A’Court
Honda’s S2000: good looks and high energy.
9
ROAMWELLINGTON
BACK
IN THE ’80S when I was a student in
Wellington, it was almost impossible to get a
coffee after midnight. Back then, the capital was
the domain of cardigan-wearing civil servants
whose journey to their suburban homes on the
“unit” each evening closed the city down early.
Thank goodness Wellington has liberated itself
from that dreary mindset to become a jewel
in New Zealand’s food and beverage crown.
As the oft-repeated statistic goes, Wellington
now has more cafés and restaurants per head
of population than New York. But here’s the
dilemma: if you’re not a local, how do you find
the best caffeine hit in town or sniff out the
creamiest pasta this side of the Vatican?
You take a Zest Food Tour. Established in 2003
by food lovers Catherine Cordwell and Susan
McLeary, Zest is a culinary tourism company that
specialises in providing a behind-the-scenes look
at some of the best food producers, restaurants
and wineries in Wellington and the Wairarapa.
Catherine, Susan and their guides have extensive
backgrounds in food and food promotion, so
know everyone and everything on the gourmet
circuit. Their tours are aimed at those who love
to eat, want to hear from the equally passionate
producers/retailers, and are ready for a rollicking
good time.
I should probably nail my colours to the mast
here: I’m a glutton. I adore most foods. So the
chance to spend the day stuffing my face while
10 E C L I P S E
talking to Wellington’s food artisans seems like
manna from heaven.
Billed as a walking tour, “Taste Wellington”
is basically a six-hour gastronomic ramble that’s
guaranteed to send the obesity police into
conniptions. Starting at 9.30am, it begins at Civic
Square, skirts the waterfront and then ducks back
through Tory Street and Courtenay Place before
finishing in the funky Cuba Quarter. Sadly, the
weather gods refuse to co-operate on the rainlashed Wednesday six of us sign up for the tour,
but the photographer and I have a frenetic yellow
Honda S2000 to keep us warm and dry.
Our first port of call is Nikau Café, next to
the imposing City Gallery. Over coffee we meet
Zest guide Tracey Jones, a fount of knowledge
about the best comestibles the city has to offer.
A former nurse, Tracey juggles her Zest role with
a catering company, and her love of food and the
people behind it shines through.
If weather conditions had permitted, we would
have strolled along Wellington’s waterfront to
our next stop in Tory Street but while the
photographer and I enjoy the style of the S2000,
the others slum it in a taxi. It’s hard not to feel
smug when you’re encased in the Honda’s oh-socomfortable leather seats. The flick-of-the-wrist
gear changing makes short work of manoeuvring
Wellington’s narrow streets and gliding into
seemingly inaccessible parking spots.
Like the one we nab in front of our next stop,
ROAMWELLINGTON
OVER COFFEE WE MEET ZEST GUIDE TRACEY JONES, A FOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT
THE BEST COMESTIBLES THE CITY HAS TO OFFER.
Schoc Chocolaterie and Espresso Bar. It’s a far
cry from the shrink’s couch, but Schoc was set
up by two psychotherapists, Roger Simpson
and Murray Langham, who discovered the link
between their patients’ moods and the sweet
stuff. Not surprisingly, Schoc is the global home
of chocolate therapy or “chocology”, the science
of discovering your personality profile by the
chocolates you choose. Roger is also famous
for advising author Joanne Harris when she was
researching her book-turned-movie, Chocolat.
But today it’s our tastebuds we’re here to
analyse and we start with a blind tasting. Schoc
offers more than 38 flavours including Earl Grey
tea, black pepper and strawberry, cardamom
and the odd-sounding but surprising best-seller,
lime and chilli. We’re taught to let the chocolate
shards rest on the tongue for a while to release
the flavours, and many a brow is furrowed as
taste characteristics are identified. By some fluke,
I end up getting the highest score of the group
(all those years of scoffing chocolate obviously
weren’t in vain) but it’s harder than it sounds. We
follow it up with a “real” hot chocolate, so sinfully
rich the spoon almost stands up in the cup.
A lamb chop’s throw from Schoc is Meat on
Tory, which will revolutionise the way you think
about butcheries. Forget blood-stained aprons
and sprigs of fake parsley, here owners Ian and
Hilary Domett have turned a dusty old shop into
an upmarket haven for food lovers. As a semivegetarian, you’d have thought I’d want to avoid
this place but such is the ambience (including
the lack of a “meat” smell) that it didn’t faze me
at all. Plus, Meat on Tory stocks so much more
than the free-range, corn-fed beasts its name
would suggest. It offers all manner of deli-type
condiments and marinades/rubs, including the
delicious Pudding Lane range of (what else?) oldfashioned puddings. So if flesh isn’t your cup of
green tea, plenty of other goodies are on offer,
including the delectable Portobello mushrooms
stuffed with parmesan, garlic butter and parsley.
If you’re stuck for inspiration, Ian will suggest
options or you can browse the extensive cookbook
collection. A small but perfectly formed wine
selection can be found upstairs and they’ll even
whip up a latté if you wish. (How many butchers
offer that kind of service?)
Legend has it that Ian, a former restaurant
manager, was so distressed about the poor
quality of meat in the local market that he
chucked in his job to do a year’s butchery course
before opening Meat on Tory two years ago. The
E C L I P S E 11
ROAMWELLINGTON
>>
IT’S AT ABOUT THIS STAGE OF THE TOUR THAT I COMMIT THE ULTIMATE FASHION CRIME:
THINKING ABOUT ELASTIC-WAISTED PANTS IN A POSITIVE WAY.
hoards of hungry Wellingtonians worshipping at
his temple of fine meats, innovative cuts and deli
treats would suggest he’s got it right.
By now, the weather is starting to improve so
we take a short stroll along Wellington’s café/
nightlife strip, Courtenay Place, where Tracey
points out favourites to the out-of-towners (who
include a couple from Los Angeles and one from
Invercargill).
Wellingtonians know their macchiato from their
mochaccino. Nowhere is this more evident than
at Mojo Coffee Cartel on Kent Terrace. Here
we are privileged to watch a master at work.
Lambros Gianoutsos has been involved with
Wellington cafés as long as he can remember
(if you ask nicely, he’ll show you the book that
proves it). Now he works for his son Steve, who
set up the Mojo chain, and roasts between 150270kg of coffee beans a day.
We also witness the brilliance of baristas in
action, sampling firstly a Ristretto (15-20ml of
espresso) and then an Affogato (espresso served
over icecream). Perhaps as a foil to all that
caffeine in our veins, we snack on traditional
cigar-shaped Greek biscuits covered in sesame
seeds. They are divine and although its only
11am and I’ve already consumed my body weight
in food, I can’t help but scoff a few.
From there, it’s a short stroll to the mecca
of food shopping, Moore Wilson Fresh, which
12 E C L I P S E
is where Wellington’s foodies and chefs come
to shop. It boasts an eclectic mix of fruit and
vegetables, seafood, meat, cheeses and baked
goods but, as our American friends rightly point
out, they’d never have found it on their own.
A highlight is the private tasting that all Zest
groups are treated to which generally involves
the newest and most interesting products in
stock that day. For us, that includes smoked fish,
warm bread and lashings of caterer and Eclipse
contributor Ruth Pretty’s fabulous chutneys
(including tamarillo, which our American visitors
are particularly taken with). The winner on the
day, however, is the innovative cheeseboard
which includes a sharp feta from Wellington
cheese company Zany Zeus and an aged cheddar
that we agree is “superlative”.
It’s at about this stage of the tour that I commit
the ultimate fashion crime: thinking about elasticwaisted pants in a positive way. But who can blame
me, particularly as the feeding frenzy is about to
kick into overdrive with the next stop – lunch
at one of the capital’s top restaurants, Logan
Brown. Named Cuisine magazine’s Restaurant of
the Year in 2004, Logan Brown is that rarest of
things: a fine-dining establishment without the
usual pretension, or price tag. Built in the 1920s,
the building once housed a bank chamber and
I can, in fact, recall going there to withdraw my
university allowance.
ZEST FOOD AND WINE TOURS
“Walking Gourmet” half-day tour
costs $210 per person; “Taste
Wellington” full-day tour costs
$395pp.
Ph: (04) 801 9198 or
www.zestfoodtours.co.nz
SCHOC CHOCOLATES
11 Tory Street.
Ph: (04) 382 8907
www.chocolatetherapy.com
MEAT ON TORY
5 Tory Street.
Ph: (04) 801 6328
wwwmeatontory.co.nz
As befits our insider status, we start with the
restaurant’s signature dish: paua ravioli. Head
chef Shaun Clouston tells us they once tried to
take it off the menu and there was a near-riot.
I can understand why. I’d never really fancied
myself as a paua girl but, by heck, that buttery
ravioli is the yummiest thing I’ve tasted in a long
time (well, since this morning’s chocolate feast).
As the carnivores tuck into lamb cutlets with
harissa-crusted lamb shoulder and feta, I enjoy a
hunk of gorgeous West Coast Turbot smothered in
crushed macadamia nuts and served on a pillow of
cauliflower cream. We finish with white chocolate
panna cotta and pears poached in passionfruit.
Luckily, there’s no rush and we’re able to
enjoy lots of lively chat over lunch. I could quite
happily set up camp here for the rest of the
day, but Tracey’s a stickler for time (in the nicest
possible way) and by 2pm I’m back in the S2000,
navigating Wellington’s rain-slicked streets for an
across-town journey to the waterfront.
I’d never heard of Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA)
before today but thank goodness it exists. In my
eagerness to turn into one of those skinny-as-apipe-cleaner streets that Wellington is famous
for, I overcorrect. Within a nano-second the
VSA automatically reduces the engine’s torque,
helping stabilise the vehicle and allowing me to
maintain control. Phew! Obviously all that rich
food has affected my driving ability.
Our culinary voyage then takes us to the
harbourside apartment of Jane Ritchie, a renowned
food writer and stylist, who opens her mind and
pantry to our group. A lively raconteur, Jane
ROAMWELLINGTON
F
MOJO COFFEE CARTEL
23 Kent Terrace.
Ph: (04) 385 3001
www.mojocoffeecartel.com
MOORE WILSON FRESH
cnr Tory and College Streets.
Ph: (04) 384 9906
www.moorewilson.co.nz
LOGAN BROWN
cnr Cuba and Vivian Streets.
Ph: (04) 801 5114
www.loganbrown.co.nz
FLORIDITAS CAFÉ
16 Cuba Street.
Ph: (04) 381 2212
spent 16 years as celebrity cook Alison Holst’s
chief researcher and regales us with all manner of
insider’s yarns, from the tricks of making food look
good on camera to testing recipes and filming a
food series. For the non-Wellingtonians, this is an
opportunity to see how the locals live and enjoy a
bird’s-eye view of a working harbour.
As if we haven’t eaten enough already, Jane
produces a batch of Russian fudge she just
whipped up and home-made cordial she serves
with soda water for the drivers and bubbly for
the fortunate others. Along with the treats, Jane
spills the beans on any food-related queries we
have. Like why, for example, my fudge doesn’t
set as well as hers (the answer, apparently, is I’m
a slacker when it comes to beating it and need to
do so for longer).
Before long it’s time to leap back into the
S2000 and hit the road for our last stop, Floriditas
Café in the eclectic Cuba Quarter. Stepping into
this graciously proportioned café is like being
transported to Europe. It’s all high ceilings, flock
wallpaper and old-world atmosphere. Lowering
our groaning bellies into comfortable seats, we
decline cake and settle on restorative coffee and
tea while we recap the day’s events.
The weather may not have played its part but we
all judge the day to have been a roaring success.
While it’s probably more suited to those on the
higher side of the tax bracket, a Zest tour remains
a truly unique food and beverage experience for
visitors and locals alike. As one wag in our group
said: it’s the most fun you can have with your
clothes on – if they fit any more, that is!
E C L I P S E 13
FOCUSTOKYO
14 E C L I P S E
FOCUSTOKYO
HONDA SHOWS THE WAY
HONDA NEW ZEALAND MARKETING MANAGER GRAEME MEYER CATCHES UP WITH ALL THE DRAMA AND
EXCITEMENT THAT IS THE TOKYO MOTOR SHOW.
Photography by Graeme Meyer
THE TOKYO MOTOR SHOW provides vehicle brands the
opportunity to showcase their best technology and
thinking, and this year Honda showed it is looking to the
future with a compelling strength and vision. Honda’s future
consolidates a level of planning and product development
that extends beyond most vehicle manufacturers.
The star of Honda’s stand was the concept CR-Z (no
relation to the CRV), bringing back design cues from the
popular CR-X in a new and striking package. There was no
confirmation that the CR-Z was close to production but
there was a buzz that this may be indicative of the all-new,
small, IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) hybrid announced
recently. Its sharp styling leaves little doubt that this is a
car with intent.
The concept CR-Z: the star of Honda’s
stand at the Tokyo Motor Show.
>>
FOCUSTOKYO
>>
“THROUGH THIS MOTOR SHOW, WE WANT MORE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND
THE VARIOUS CHALLENGES HONDA IS UNDERTAKING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY.”
The second concept model was the Puyo, a
funky little car offering plenty of fun. The exterior
colour can be changed on the go to suit your
mood, no painting required. The car also takes
the hassle out of parking in difficult places. Found
a parallel park but it’s a bit hard to get into it?
Simply rotate the Puyo’s body 180 degrees and
drive straight in. The body is capable of 360degree rotation and joystick operation makes for
an intuitive driving experience.
This parking operation is made possible by the
use of the small Honda hydrogen fuel stack and
electric motor operation, removing the requirement
for a motor fixed at one end of the car. The electric
motor runs equally well in either direction.
The development of new compact motive
power sources allows for new configurations and
operation to be implemented, bringing the start
of a new age of motoring.
Honda CEO Mr Takeo Fukui said: “In the
area of environmental technology, we believe
there are different approaches to comply with
different challenges in each region of the world.
Especially related to our products, Honda will
pursue every possibility with our own unique
ideas and technologies.
“This includes our effort to improve the
efficiency of the fuel cell; also hybrid, diesel and
gasoline engines; and even the development of
energy-creation technologies. With this approach,
we will accelerate our CO2 reduction efforts on a
global scale.
“Through this motor show, we want more
people to understand the various challenges
Honda is undertaking in the development of
environmental technology.”
This was apparent in the many items featured
in the show that expand on this theme.
First was the all-new and innovative V6 engine,
featuring Variable Cylinder Management, heading
our way shortly in the V6 Accord.
16 E C L I P S E
The home filling station for hydrogen cars
running on a house’s natural gas supply brings
many functions to the home. Using a conversion
process, the station creates hydrogen fuel for
your Puyo or FCX, and residual heating produced
is converted into home electricity and water
heating, showing an encompassing development
process.
It was notable that while there was a flurry of
non-working concept hybrid and hydrogen cars
among many vehicle brands, only Honda stands
tall in the refinement and development of new
fuel production rather than leaving “someone
else” to do it.
Hydrogen cars are a great step forward for
CO2 reduction. But the simplest production
of hydrogen is from oil and this produces
an abundance of CO2 in its creation which
reverses the benefit. Honda has techniques in
development to create hydrogen from solar cells
and has an all-new, efficient and easier-to-make
solar panel on the market.
The same principle applies to ethanol, with
its production currently coming from food
sources such as corn and sugar cane. Honda has
developed technology to create ethanol from the
stalks of the plant rather than the food portion,
so we are using waste rather than food sources.
Production of ethanol from food is causing
increases in cost of living and pressure on land
use, which Honda’s type of development will
overcome.
Of personal interest was the Formula 1 Earth
Car, displaying the names of those who signed
up on myearthdream.com. Seeing my name on
the car was particularly gratifying. Myearthdream
is an extension of Honda’s commitment to the
environment with its F1 cars having all branding
removed and replaced with the image of the
earth. Visit www.myearthdream.com for more
information.
FOCUSTOKYO
THE EXTERIOR COLOUR OF THE
CONCEPT PUYO CAN BE CHANGED
ON THE GO TO SUIT YOUR MOOD,
NO PAINTING REQUIRED.
E C L I P S E 17
PEOPLECRV
18 E C L I P S E
PEOPLECRV
FLOWER POWER
HONDA FAN WILLIE POYNTER LOVES SPENDING TIME IN A CRV ALMOST AS MUCH AS SHE
DOES IN HER OUTSTANDING AUCKLAND GARDEN. ECLIPSE CATCHES UP TO FIND OUT WHY.
Words by Tracey Strange • Photography by Mark Smith
IT’S A BLEAK DAY IN AUCKLAND and things are
– quite literally – not looking good. Bad weather
is causing havoc with our plans to photograph
Rick and Willie Poynter’s Kumeu garden, and has
been for the past two weeks. The only fine day in
eight days straight had to be abandoned because
strong winds in the days before had damaged
the scented walkway. But we’ve run out of time.
Come gale or grey skies, the Poynter’s garden is
going to have its time in the sun.
>>
PEOPLECRV
WILLIE POYNTER:
SNAPSHOT
Favourite song to sing along with
on a car trip: Harry Belafonte’s Island In
The Sun.
Favourite inspirational quote:
“There is no road under heaven that cannot
be walked. Even stones carry the footprints of
insects” – from the book Miss Chopsticks by
Xinran Xue.
Favourite books: all books by Fiona Kidman.
Favourite stretch of road:
driving along State Highway 16 in autumn,
passing the Kumeu River Vineyard and watching
the colours of the leaves turning on the
grapevines.
Favourite place to get snacks for
the road: A Tavola breadshop in Huapai, and
Phil Greig’s Strawberry Farm on State Highway
16, close to Kumeu River Vineyard.
>>
“ WE NEED TO FIT IN THREE WOMEN, THREE TRUNDLERS, THREE SETS OF CLUBS AND
THREE OVERNIGHT BAGS WITHOUT FEELING SQUASHED, AND WE’VE NEVER BEEN
DISAPPOINTED.”
We have two main reasons for being here. The first is that Willie,
a Honda owner and devotee, has been test-driving a new CRV
Sport for us. The second is that we have the chance to photograph
a spectacular garden rarely seen by the public. The 1.4ha property
has been used for a few fund-raisers but, in the main, it’s a private
Eden, a garden for “friends and family”.
Willie, who’s mainly responsible for it, has become so attached
to her flowers, she can’t pick them. “I can’t put roses from the
garden in a vase,” she jokes. “How could I when they would have
to look out there at all their mates?”
Attachment to her plants aside, you get the impression Willie is
not a victim of over-sentimentality. A former school teacher, who
now helps her husband Rick manage their sustainable plastics
company, Poynter Agencies, she appears a walking embodiment
of the good old Kiwi “can do” attitude. Take the garden. “I really
prefer natives,” she says, looking out at lush, rolling grounds that
look like they could have been lifted from an English country
mansion. “This garden is really different from what I thought I
would have. But when we bought the house, the groundwork for
a traditional English garden was already laid.”
Rather than fight against what nature – and previous owners
– had provided, Willie set about developing the grounds to their
20 E C L I P S E
current glory, nurturing classic roses and willow trees, revitalising
a small lake, building shelter belts and laying lawns, and planting
thousands of scented plants and bushes, including a romantic
walkway hedged with white roses and philadelphus that’s just
wide enough to fit her ride-on lawnmower.
She says she could spend “all day, every day” in the garden
– called Ashcombe – but daily life tends to get in the way. The
mother of two adults (Geraldine and Michael) and Rick’s right
hand in the Poynter Agencies’ office, she also has a major passion
for sports, especially golf, boating and fishing.
The CRV’s capacity for clubs and rods – not to mention the 40kg
bags of fertiliser and “reasonable-sized trees I need to transport
from the garden centre” – is one of the reasons Willie is such a
CRV fan.
“It’s easy to drive, you can hitch a boat to it and it can fit in all
the girls for a golf trip,” she says in the matter-of-fact way that
seems to typify all her actions, including the upkeep of a property
that would make your average recreational gardener down tools
in horror.
In fact, the CRV Sport scores points with Willie in all aspects. It’s
stylish, powerful enough to tow a boat and the double-deck rear
cargo organiser makes light work of heavy – and varied – loads.
PEOPLECRV
“Just take the regular girls’ golfing trips,” she says. “We need to
fit in three women, three trundlers, three sets of clubs and three
overnight bags without feeling squashed, and we’ve never been
disappointed.”
Two other major reasons for choosing a Honda are comfort and
safety. Willie, who has had a hip-replacement operation, says she
finds the CRV fantastic for long journeys. “The fact that you can
just load everything straight in and out so easily and not stress
your back is also a great feature for me.”
In terms of safety and drive appeal, the CRV Sport is also
blessed with two Honda hallmarks: Real Time 4WD and Vehicle
Stability Assist. The first is a fully automatic system that enhances
the car’s capabilities in all types of weather. The second is a hightech steering and braking system that provides better control
when you most need it, such as during cornering. Both features
work in tandem to provide optimum safety and handling.
Willie also points to other useful features such as heated leather
seats (“great for my hip”), cruise control and the controls for the
audio system which, on the CRV Sport, are integrated into the
steering wheel. “It is a practical, safe car that you also feel really
good in.”
“I just love CRVs in general,” Willie says. In fact, you could say
Hondas run in the Poynter family. Rick drives an Accord and the
children have owned a Honda City and an Integra.
“The cars themselves aside, we’ve always found the back-up
service – even though you rarely need it – to be excellent,” she
says. “Hondas are just incredibly reliable.”
CRV MAGIC
The CRV’s technology includes:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Real Time™ 4WD
Electronic Stability Control (VSA)
Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) structure
Front and side airbags
Curtain airbags
i-VTEC including VTC (Variable Timed Control)
Double-deck cargo space
Child seat fixing points
Six-disc CD player with AUX jack
ELR (Emergency Locking Retractor) pre-tension seatbelts
ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System)
EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution)
EBA (Emergency Brake Assist)
Emissions fall within LEV II (Low Emission Vehicle) standards
E C L I P S E 21
THE WORLD OF
EXCLUSIVE
University Games Travel Pack
A three-pack selection from the Travel Card Games
Collection in their own handy boxes. Includes
20 Questions, Man Bites Dog and Symbol Simon.
Recommended Retail:
$68
myHonda Shop Price:
$60
12% OFF
Wahu Eva Skimboard
These awesome skimboards are an excellent beginner’s
board. Made from EPS with a polypropylene base, they
are both strong and buoyant. 180cm long.
Wild Science – Bath Bomb Factory
Have good clean fun making your own scented bath
bombs. Experiment with Phunny Foam, magic tricks
and more. Hours of fantastic, fizzy, fascinating fun.
Recommended Retail:
$48
myHonda Shop Price:
$43
10% OFF
Thomas Collection
Thomas The Tank Engine is loved by
children around the world. This brilliant
set contains magnetic puzzles, play sets
and magnetic whiteboard.
Recommended Retail:
$83
myHonda Shop Price:
$69
17% OFF
22 E C L I P S E
Recommended Retail:
$65
myHonda Shop Price:
$55
15% OFF
ONLINE DISCOUNTS OF UP TO
35%
S H O P O N L I N E @ W W W. H O N D A . C O . N Z / M Y H O N D A
Order by December 15, 2007, and receive your products in time for Christmas. More product information is available on the myHonda website.
Royal Worcester
“Georgienne” Mugs
A pair of bone china mugs designed
by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.
Gift boxed.
Recommended Retail $60
myHonda Shop Price: $50
17% OFF
Simunovich Olive Estate Gift Pack
Natural olive oil in 250ml glass bottle, multivitamin
face cream, cleansing milk and soap in woven bag.
Recommended Retail:
$68
myHonda Shop Price:
$59
13% OFF
LG Electronics DVD System
New DVD TouchMe Micro Lifestyle System,
AM/FM-PLL digital tuner, single CD tray, CD,
MP3, CD-R, CD-RW, WMA, XDSS sound system,
USB host port, MP3.
Recommended Retail:
$399
myHonda Shop Price:
12% OFF
$349
Tea Towel Set
Fashionable stripes in a variety of colours.
100% cotton. Perfect for those last-minute
Christmas gifts
Recommended Retail:
$53
myHonda Shop Price:
$48
9% OFF
TO ENJOY THIS GREAT SERVICE, REGISTER TODAY. PH: 0800 246 632
E C L I P S E 23
FUELENTER TAINING
RUTH PRETTY IS ONE OF NEW ZEALAND’S MOST
RESPECTED FOODIES. SHE WRITES FOR HONDA
ECLIPSE ABOUT MOUTH-WATERING FOOD ...
TAPAS ON TAP
UNEXPECTED GUESTS TURN UP OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON? NO PROBLEM. TAP INTO TOP COOK RUTH PRETTY’S SIMPLE
BUT DELICIOUS TAPAS IDEAS.
Food by Ruth Pretty • Photography by Stephen A’Court
ONE OF LIFE’S PLEASURES is to be able to say to friends “come back
for a drink” or – to unexpected guests – “stay for a glass of wine”,
knowing you have little treats you can quickly gather up to serve
with the drink. Stuck for a few easy tapas ideas? Here are two of
my favourite tapas recipes. Both are easy to prepare and are sure
to please. For a full list of quick tapas ideas, plus the ingredients
any well-stocked pantry or freezer should contain over the summer
“entertaining” season, please visit www.honda.co.nz/food.
RICOTTA AND PESTO TORTE
(makes one four-cup bowl)
After maybe 12 years, this is still one of my most sought-after
recipes. It’s great to serve as you would a dip at a party. Everyone
loves it. A client who had asked me for the recipe told me that she
made it for her daughter visiting from Britain, who then asked for
the recipe, made it for a business guest from New York, and that
the guest’s wife rang her from New York wanting the recipe. It’s a
chain-letter recipe.
INGREDIENTS
90g (½ cup) sun-dried tomatoes
65g (½ cup) lightly toasted pine nuts
350g cream cheese (not softened or low fat)
200g ricotta cheese
175g unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
100g basil pesto
100g sun-dried tomato pesto
METHOD
Line four-cup bowl with plastic wrap. Place circle of sun-dried
tomatoes in base of bowl and fill circle with single layer of pine nuts.
Chop cream cheese into cubes and allow cream cheese and ricotta
to come to room temperature. In food processor fitted with metal
blade, place cream cheese and process till smooth. Add melted
butter and process till combined. Add ricotta and briefly pulse to
combine. Remove mixture from processor and divide into three.
24 E C L I P S E
Spread first layer of cream-cheese mixture into bowl and smooth
with small palette knife or spatula. Cover first layer with thin layer of
basil pesto and smooth. Sprinkle half remaining pine nuts over basil
pesto. Spread and smooth second layer of cream-cheese mixture
and cover this with thin layer of sun-dried tomato pesto. Sprinkle
rest of pine nuts over sun-dried tomato pesto. Spread and smooth
final layer of cream-cheese mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and
chill for at least four hours or for up to three days. Unmould on to
serving platter and serve with crostini, toast or crackers.
FUELENTER TAINING
CHILLI-SPICED ALMONDS WITH CUMIN
(makes 500g/12 aperitif serves)
These sweet and spicy nuts are simply delicious with a glass of wine.
Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to two weeks.
INGREDIENTS
1½ tsp flaky sea salt
1½ tsp ground cumin seeds
1 tsp hot chilli flakes (buy as flakes or finely chop 2–3 small dried
chillis)
1 small fresh red chilli (finely chopped)
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp (45ml) peanut oil
360g blanched almonds
125g sugar
METHOD
Grease a baking tray. Place salt, cumin seeds, chilli flakes, fresh chilli
and one tablespoon sugar into a bowl and mix together. Heat oil in a
heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add almonds and sprinkle
the 125g sugar over nuts. Cook almonds for 8-12 minutes, stirring
from time to time, till they become golden brown and
sugar has caramelised. Remove almonds from pan
to bowl with spices and stir together quickly
to ensure spices are spread evenly
over almonds. Pour almonds on to
prepared tray to cool. Break
into pieces and store in an
airtight container.
For more quick-and-easy ideas for tapas, please
visit our website: www.honda.co.nz/food
E C L I P S E 25
ABOUTENVIRONMENT
WAY OF THE WORLD
HONDA’S LEADING ROLE IN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY MOTORING TAKES CENTRE STAGE.
Photography by Mark Smith
THE AMOUNT OF WORK that goes into an Ellerslie Flower Show
display is immense. Thousands of hours are poured into ensuring
exhibits are flawless – from the message they convey to the tips
of their perfect plants.
Honda, which has a reputation for producing stunning sites at
the show (last year’s Supersize Bee Garden won a bronze award),
has again stepped up, this year taking a silver for its Pathways To
The Future garden site.
Designed by Eva Zombori, of Zombori Designs, and built by
Rescape Land Designs, the two-site exhibit – display and garden
– highlighted Honda’s commitment to reducing its environmental
impact, primarily by symbolising how every Kiwi can contribute to
a sustainable New Zealand.
Pathways To The Future (pictured) featured a Honda Civic
26 E C L I P S E
Hybrid painted to resemble Honda’s Formula 1 Earth Cars. The
Earth Cars – adorned with satellite images of the Earth – are the
only cars on the F1 racing circuit that don’t feature corporate
logos and are designed to encourage people to support Honda’s
leadership and commitment to the future of the environment.
“Ten people spent two weeks full time building the sites in the
lead-up to the show,” says Eva. “Fortunately, the weather was
generally good. We had only two days of horrible rain. It was a
fantastic experience and winning the silver award at the end was
a huge bonus.
“In a way, it’s a shame it’s over. I have that funny, empty feeling.
We’ll just have to go back next time and go for the gold!”
For further information on Honda’s environmental policies,
please visit www.honda.co.nz
In the AA EnergyWise Rally,
we didn’t just give it our best.
We gave it our all.
Why were we the only ones to enter all of our cars?
Although proud to have been rated Supreme Award winner 2006, we
motor industry as a whole must step up if we are to make any real
consider the AA EnergyWise Rally to be more than just a competition to
progress in these areas. At Honda, we have increased fuel efficiency
see who can make the most fuel efficient car.
across our entire range by 30.9% in the last decade. And we’re committed
We understand that when considering your next car purchase, fuel
to improving this by a further 5% over the next ten years. You can hold
efficiency may be an important factor. Events like the AA EnergyWise
us to it; events such as the AA EnergyWise Rally help to keep results
Rally can be a great way to showcase these efficiencies, allowing you
available for all to see.
to make well-informed decisions. However, only some car manufacturers
At Honda we also care about your investment in vehicles and we are
entered, and predominantly with their hero ‘economy cars’. Which
proud to have received the Deloitte/Management Top 200, AUT Business
makes you wonder, do they really appreciate the importance of this
Ethics Award. Although this is a credit to our philosophies and people, it
issue? After all, it affects both your pocket and the environment. The
is the best result for you and the environment that motivates us.
FUEL EFFICIENCY - Litres/100km
EnergyWise Rally 06
Jazz
Manual
Jazz
Auto
CVT
Jazz
Sport
Civic
Hybrid
Auto
Civic
1.8S
Manual
Civic
1.8S
Auto
Civic
2.0S
Auto
Accord
Euro
Manual
Accord
Euro
Auto
V6
Accord
Auto
Legend
CRV
4WD
Manual
CRV
4WD
Auto
Odyssey
VTi
Auto
5.06
5.04
5.59
4.72
6.23
6.06
6.65
6.72
7.09
7.44
9.08
7.8
8.0
8.08
HON1687
www.honda.co.nz/environment
0800 255 666 (Mon-Fri 8-5)
E C L I P S E 27
Escape in the Jazz and discover a world free of constraints and filled with
possibilities. Confident and carefree, the Jazz offers exceptional fuel
economy, a tiny turning circle and flexible Magic Seats that make room
for every opportunity. Take on the world with the freedom of a Jazz.
5-speed manual or 7-speed CVT automatic with racing-inspired shift paddles and steering wheel-mounted audio
controls, front and side air bags, ABS, EBD and EBA, indicator wing mirrors on Sport model. Fuel economy ADR 5.76.1 l/100km, falls within LEV ll (Low Emission Vehicle) standards. Jazz from $20,500 plus on-road costs. Full maintenance
operating lease from $373+GST per month for 45 months/55,000km. Honda Lease Direct credit criteria apply.
Call 0800 255 666 (Mon-Fri 8-5) or visit www.honda.co.nz to book a no obligation test drive.