Las Vegas, Nevada - Nov 2-5
For Honda fans, SEMA isn't exactly the mecca for Honda builds. To be perfectly honest, unless you possess a very keen eye, you might not see any Honda activity at all. For some, that's upsetting to hear. However, if you're a "car guy" and just love combing over every square inch of a high-end build regardless of brand, SEMA is amazing. Domestic cars that take intensive, detail-orienting building to the next level rub shoulders with high-powered race cars from both the domestic and import camps along the red carpet. In the far distance, an "electric corner" of a massive hall sits a large section populated by Honda of America and their guests. This year, with the buzz surrounding the CR-Z, Honda recruited six tuning groups to modify the CR-Z any way they saw fit. The results were mixed as some were mild, some were wild, and others had people simply scratching their heads in disbelief. Here's a recap of the CR-Zs and booths that caught our eye throughout the week.

Pure panic ...
Though I wish it were 12, Honda Tuning magazine is always scheduled for nine issues per year. For an editor, this would usually mean a nice little break after the winter issue is complete, right? Well, sort of. When dealing with just the magazine, there is a three week period of idle time that most would refer to as a "vacation." I've heard this word thrown around quite a bit, but have yet to experience it for myself. I view the time away as more of a catch up period. The search for new cars never stops, and though the short pause excuses me from dreaded deadlines, cocky car owners demanding covers, and everything else that comes with the editorial role, there's always work to be done. Still, with the lull in action, I can breathe easy and relax a bit. That mirage quickly began to disintegrate as SEMA 2010 began to creep up. The CR-Z project car that was to be delivered to Honda Tuning in August was severely delayed. With a roll of red tape stifling the car, September soon swept by and before I knew it, October was slapping me in the face. With just a few weeks left before SEMA, and my mind set on building something, anything, to display in the Honda booth, Father Time placed his hour and minute hands firmly around my throat.

Top Fuel Japan
The month of September is a time of year that has always seemed somewhat peculiar to me. As a culture, we automatically associate autumn with raking leaves, football, the start of school, and cooler weather. The last part of that equation is the only factor that seems to waver. When September begins, it's just as bloody hot as August, and there's no magic cool-down valve. However, that's another diatribe for another day; right now I am concentrating on not vomiting from the excessive heat. I'm from Alabama, so I know heat and humidity, and I sure as hell know sweat. But Japan hits me with a level of humidity that feels entirely overpowering. The feeling is best conveyed using just one word: sweltering. Uchinaka, Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi, Japan is no exception to the rule. This little town north of Nagoya truly surprised me, for it has many notable aspects outside of the blistering temps. Firstly, it has one hell of a tongue twister for a name, and like many rural parts of Japan, it sits in a land-locked valley filled with farmers. Rice has to grow in stagnant water, so all of this still water significantly increases the humidity levels. Plus, being a good bit inland doesn't help because there's a lack of natural breezes to offer relief. Add to that the absence of the typhoons that consistently hit other areas of Japan this summer, and things are even worse in the shadow of a drought.