World Auto News & Reviews

Once a well known executive in auto industry Ben Bidwell, was asked why he was so fond of using the letter “Z” in the name of a lot his products.

The answer was rather interesting: “Because it’s the last letter of the alphabet”.

Well, maybe that’s not the real reason. It seems to convey a sense of performance and excitement, ala the legendary Nissan Z, or Mitsubishi’s Tokyo Concept-ZT. But for Honda, the name of its striking Tokyo show car, the CR-Z, is short for Concept Renaissance Zero.

As one online blogger has declared, it seems just a little too outrageous to be a Honda. We have to agree, even though it’s apparent that the Japanese maker is trying to revive its old CRX sports compact. So, think “zero,” as in starting all over.

The striking three-door Honda designers have come up with seems ready to leap into motion at the slightest provocation. That seems in keeping with the theme of Honda’s ’07 Tokyo display.

The CR-Z with its oversized, 19-inch wheels, looks like it would be an absolute blast to drive. But despite the revived half-frame glass panel in the lower hatch, don’t expect just a rebooted CRX.

The interior is relatively stark, considering the way many Japanese makers fill their Tokyo concepts with video screens and other electronic gewgaws, but the high-tech lighting and mesh finish provide a simple yet sleek look to the CRX that suggests that this is a real “driver’s car.”