PUBLIC MARKS from adfunk with tags 2006 & 2007

Honda Announces Plans to Sell Factory-Prepared Mugen Civic for the First Time in U.S. Honda revealed a prototype Civic Mugen Si Sedan prepared by legendary Honda tuner Mugen equipped with a high performance suspension, forged aluminum wheels, aerodynamic body styling and a sport exhaust system at the 2006 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show. Planned for production in a limited quantity of 500 units a year, the Civic Mugen Si will be available at U.S. Honda dealers starting in spring 2007 with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of less than $30,000 and a full factory warranty.

Nissan invited us up to San Francisco to drive its all-new 2007 Sentra, and to be honest with you, we initially weren’t that excited. While we’re big fans of the old B13-chassis SE-R and the outgoing B15 Sentra (also in SE-R trim), our initial impressions of the 2007 Sentra weren’t that good. It seems as if Nissan decided that its entry-level Sedan just couldn’t hack it against the Civic, so it decided to go after the old Echo instead. The new Civic got sleek and sporty while the now-upright-and-bubbly Sentra turned into an oddly-proportioned caricature of a “real” sedan.

THE cheery people at the dealership still clap and sing and take your picture when you buy a new Saturn, though I wonder how they have mustered their enthusiasm for the last 10 years. Saturn has long suffered as General Motors’ most pathetic brand, with neither the sales nor products to truly justify its continued existence. Those pumped-up salespe