2011 Honda CR-Z with Red-Out Wrap Kit

The 2011 CR-Z Hybrid is intended to be the successor to the Honda Insight and to wrest control of the carbon-sensitive crowd from the clutches of the Prius. The folks at Car and Driver have given a pretty detailed analysis of the history of Honda's hybrid lines and how they have consistently out-performed the Prius in terms of fuel efficiency but for most of the first decade of the 21st Century sales of all Honda hybrids combined paled in comparison to those of the Prius alone. So, with high hopes, Honda introduced the CR-Z in 2011 and would like everyone to think of it as the symbolic successor to the athletic and iconic CRX of? years passed. But the CR-Z is actually mmore closely related to the two-seater Insight and thus the progeny of the original, and now, ironically, much-sought-after Insight. From the outside, the 2011 CR-Z stout and low-slung but with a large rear cargo area capped by a transparent hatch lid that remains innovative even though it seems directly carried over from the old Insight. Of particular interest to reviewers is instrument panel's layout, illumination and graphics, which make the interior look futuristic while remaining Honda-functional. All in all, the CR-Z seems to straddle the worlds of green and boy-racer without fully mastering either. Despite this fact, the CR-Z is an attractive looking ride with innovative styling cues on the inside and out. Perhaps the best part of the CR-Z aesthetic is found in the design of the rear hatch and over-sized taillights. Luckily for us, Arthur sent in his rebate photos of precisely this area. For those of you not already familiar, red-out film is transparent red smoke Rtint which can be purchased pre-cut or as a wrap and allows you to modify the look of your head and/or taillights in an easy and semi-permanent fashion. I had to do a triple-take before I realized that there even was a red-out kit applied so be sure to look closely. Enjoy!

The 2002 Acura RSX Type-S – The Successor to the Integra Throne

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The 2002 Acura RSX was the designed to succeed the acclaimed Integra and take its rightful place on the Japanese tuner throne. Among some of the most noticeable improvements are increased engine power and enhanced handling. But, perhaps the biggest change to whch the RSX attests is theat of marketing strategy. It seems that someone in Japan realized that Audi, BMW and the rest of the sports and luxury crowd in Europe must be doing something right by sticking to alppha-numeric desigmnations rather than pulling the names for new cars out of Final Fantasy. And, surprisingly, it seem=s to have worked as 10 years later you can't drive far in the Tristate area without seeing a bevvy of TLs, CLs, MDXs and the now venerable RSX. Anyway, to return to the topic at hand, in terms of size, the RSX is only slightly larger than its predecessor and there are only two trim levels for 2002: the RSX and the RSX Type-S. Fortunately for all involved, the sexier Type-S is the trim that concerns us today. The Type-S is the performance version of the base with a riduculous amount of HP for it's size. Like its predecessor it uses Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control that made it incredibly fuel efficient for its day. Yet, the most interesting thing about the RSX for a vinyl guy like myself is its rich exterior. The smoothly sloping hood and roof line, the pointed nose, pentagonal grille and fantastically formed head and tailights lend themselves incredibly well to wraps, tinting and aftermarket accessories of all types. A case in point are Ivan's rebate photos that he took of his installation of a yellow smoke wrap on his for lights.

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• Rtint Red Smoke Tint - The Perfect Non-Permanent Way to Tint Your Taillights (rvinyl.com)