With my mode of transportation gone, I kindly asked if I could borrow something off the lot to drive before I left town. (I was thinking I would probably get a "wholesale" vehicle to drive, which I would have been absolutely fine with.)I was generously afforded the opportunity to drive a certified pre-owned 2017 Buick Envision until my departure. My first thought was of course, A new car?!

GRANDVILLE, Mich.,––Happy New Year from the entire team at RiverTown Honda. We're kicking off 2018 with great news from Honda! It's always exciting to hear about increases sales, not just at our dealership, but nation wide. It shows that the brand is doing well and that the brand's vehicles are in high demand by a large number of consumers for their quality, affordability, and overall appeal. This time, the increase is substantial. Honda has recorded a best-ever December and has broken the all-time annual record for Honda and Acura vehicles!


Honda has posted an all-time annual sales record for the third year in a row, which included sales of 1,486,827 units from the Honda division  - that's 10,245 units more than last year. The trucks category, including all SUV models and the Ridgeline pickup, posted sales of 734,269 for the year. The success of the trucks category with help from the Pilot, CR-V, and HR-V.

The Pilot, now produced in Alabama, jumped 5.4% year-over-year this December. The CR-V, also produced in the United States at three different plant locations, also jumped 5.8% year-over-year with 377,895 units sold. The CR-V is undoubtedly Honda's best-selling model, and a marvel in the compact SUV category. The 2018 CR-V was named Motor Trend's SUV this year. Aside from the Odyssey, which fell from last year's big launch, every light truck model saw an increase in sales this year. The Ridgeline in particular gained a stunning 46.8%, with a total of 34,749 units sold.

While cars saw a year-over-year decline throughout the U.S. market, across almost all manufacturers, Honda continued to post good numbers in 2017. The release of the all-new 2018 Accord has been going well, and should see a jump when the 2.0T engine model is brought to dealerships, but the Civic is the real star of the show. The Honda Civic, posted a best-ever annual record of 377,286 units - that's 10,359 more units sold than last year, equaling a 2.8% increase year-over-year. Aside from the brand new Clarity, the Civic was the only sedan to post an increase for 2017.

Check out the numbers for yourself:


"2017 was a terrific year for the Honda brand with the continued fortification of our light truck and passenger car lineups, and a new generation of electrified vehicles combining to reach a record number of new customers for a fourth consecutive year," said Henio Arcangeli, Jr., senior vice president of the Automobile Division & general manager of Honda Sales. "Eight all-new or refreshed product launches is an impressive achievement for any car company, but it put us in a strong, competitive position to maintain our unique commitment to retail sales to individual buyers."

At RiverTown Honda, we really feel like we're starting of the New Year right with a lineup of incredible, heavily-awarded, and best-selling vehicles from a brand that's committed to offering consumers the most bang for their buck. We're also continuing our never-ending resolution: to provide our customers the best dealership experience of their lives! We don't just say that, we actually mean it, and we'd love to show you the RiverTown Honda difference at our dealership in Grandville- just 12 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids. You won't just find a great selection of new Hondas, including the 2018 Honda CR-V and 2018 Honda Civic, but a team of helpful, understanding, and welcoming sales, service, and finance people that care about you beyond the dealership. Please let us know how we can assist you in your search for a new or used vehicle this year!

Formula One comes back with a bang, as the Silver Arrows score double podium in Melbourne. Lewis Hamilton came home in P2 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit to claim his 105th Formula One podium finish. Valtteri Bottas completed a double podium for the Silver Arrows in P3 on his debut for the team, taking his career tally of top three finishes into double figures. Lewis (18) sits P2 in the Drivers' Championship, seven points shy of Sebastian Vettel (25), with Valtteri (15) a further three points behind in P3. Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport (33) trail Scuderia Ferrari (37) by four points in the Constructors' Championship.

Race at a glance

Lewis Hamilton
Chassis No.: F1 W08 EQ Power+/01
Grid: P1
Result: P2
Fastest Lap: 1:27.003 (Lap 44)

Valtteri Bottas
Chassis No.: F1 W08 EQ Power+/03
Grid: P3
Result: P3
Fastest Lap: 1:26.593 (Lap 56)

Strategy

No. 44
Start: UltraSoft
Stop 1: Soft (Lap 17)

No. 77
Start: UltraSoft
Stop 1: Soft (Lap 25)

Weather
Dry, Warm, Clear

Temperatures
Air: 24 – 25°C
Track: 31 - 37°C

Post-race Comments

Lewis Hamilton
A big congratulations to Sebastian and Ferrari. I know this win has been a long time coming for them. This shows we’ve got a real race on our hands this season and it’s a challenge we will relish. It’s going to be great for the fans. We had a really good start which is fantastic. It was nice to get a good getaway. But I was struggling with grip from the get-go. Sebastian was able to always answer me in terms of lap time and just go quicker. Towards the end of the first stint I caught some traffic and that overheated the tyres. I struggled for grip to the point where I needed to come in, plus the gap was closing up and I was sliding around a lot. We made the call to pit, because otherwise I think Sebastian would have come past me anyway. After my stop I got caught in some traffic which was unfortunate but that’s motor racing.

Valtteri Bottas
There are always things that could have gone better on the day but it’s a good starting point for my journey driving for Mercedes. As a team I think we did a really good job with the car we had. But Ferrari were quicker today, there’s no doubt about that. They’ve obviously done a great job over the winter. From my side the main issue was the first stint. I felt like I was always sliding around on the UltraSoft tyre - missing front and rear grip - especially after 10 laps. That wasn’t easy. But once we stuck on the Softs I had a great feeling with the car. It was behaving really nicely and it felt really nice to drive. It’s a shame it was just a bit too late. But overall this race wasn’t a disaster. It’s good to start with a podium with a new team and every position is important for the Championship. There’s a long season ahead. I have my points and I’ll do better next time. I’m looking forward to China.

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
Some races you win, some races you lose, and when the days come where another team has done a better job, you need to accept that with humility and recognise their performance. Today, Sebastian and Ferrari were well-deserved winners. From the early stages of the race, it was clear that Sebastian was very quick because Lewis wasn’ t able to pull away. Sebastian came into the window where the undercut was possible and we had the feeling at that point that the tyres were not lasting. It was the team’s impression on the pit wall looking at the data and Lewis’ in the car, too. So that was when, with all the clear risks of coming out in traffic, we took the decision to come in. We were between a rock and a hard place, really, and we went for it. But Ferrari played it very well – and they had the quicker car today. After that, we seemed to pick up in performance on the Soft tyres. Lewis managed everything perfectly and I must compliment Valtteri, too – he showed really good pace, made no mistakes through the whole weekend and got his first podium with the team in his first race. Now, the job for us is to learn the lessons from this race, understand why we didn’t perform to our maximum today and keep working hard to improve the car in every area.

James Allison, Technical Director
If it wasn’t already clear after qualifying, then it’s certainly clear now that this is going to be a season of very small margins. We got a good getaway from the flag. But credit to Ferrari today, they had a very quick car and we just weren’t quite good enough to stick with them. We won’t panic, though. It’s race one of a long season and we scored some very good points with both cars today. We’ ll be determined to come back stronger in China and make sure those small margins go our way next time.















Credits: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport

Copyright © 2017, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

The Silver Arrows team were on top after qualifying at Melbourne as Lewis Hamilton took pole position ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel. Lewis Hamilton today took his 62nd career pole – his sixth at the Australian Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas will start his first race for the Silver Arrows from third. Both drivers ran the UltraSoft compound tyres throughout Qualifying.

Qualifying at a glance

Lewis Hamilton
Chassis No.: F1 W08 EQ Power+/01
FP3 stats: P3
Q1 stats: P1, 1:24.191, 5 Laps
Q2 stats: P2, 1:23.251, 3 Laps
Q3 stats: P1, 1:22.188, 6 Laps

Valtteri Bottas
Chassis No.: F1 W08 EQ Power+/03
FP3 stats: P2
Q1 stats: P4, 1:24.514, 4 Laps
Q2 stats: P1, 1:23.215, 3 Laps
Q3 stats: P2, 1:22.481, 6 Laps

Weather
Dry, Mild, Clear (AM), Overcast (PM)

Temperatures
Air: 27 – 30°C
Track: 31 – 40°C

Post-qualifying Comments

Lewis Hamilton
It’s been a fantastic weekend so far. It’s amazing to be here for the 11th time. It feels like only yesterday that I came here for my first race in 2007. I’m just incredibly proud of the team. The rule change has been huge – it’s been such a massive challenge and the guys have worked so hard to get the car to where it is today. To be up here representing them is fantastic. I'm looking forward to the race. I think it’s close between us and Ferrari. Tomorrow is about putting all of the work that’s gone on over the winter and over testing into practice. I think Valtteri did a fantastic job in his first qualifying session, which is great for us.

Valtteri Bottas
Third position is not ideal. I couldn’t quite get a perfect lap in, so I’m not quite satisfied with the result. But what I’m really proud about is the team of people who built this car. I only saw a very small part of the preparation for this new era of Formula One – but it’s really nice to see that all of the work has paid off. Tomorrow is the day that matters and my race starts have been quite strong, so hopefully we can keep that going.

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
P1 and P3 is a really good way to start the first race after a winter with so many changes. Under new regulations, there were no guarantees for us and we knew from testing that Ferrari were very strong. It was exciting to have that close battle for pole, right down to the wire with the final laps in Q3, and it’s clear that we have a big fight on our hands with Ferrari. Lewis has been flying all weekend so it’s great to see him put it on pole. For Valtteri, he might be a little disappointed to miss out on P2 by just a few hundredths. But you cannot expect everything perfect on the first weekend. He improved with every run and there is still more to come, no doubt. Now we need to get our heads down, do the homework and see what tomorrow brings us. Whatever happens, it will only be the first part of the answer to how the competitive picture looks. But I hope most of all that we see a great battle for the fans to enjoy, to begin this new era for the sport.

James Allison, Technical Director
That was an exhilarating session. Massive credit to all the people in this team who, after such a strong year in 2016, have created a car to a new set of regulations, come back a year later and put it on pole again. It’s a splendid effort from the entire team. But what is clear is that it’s very close. We’ve got some serious competition and this could be the start of quite a memorable season. We’ve just got to make sure that it’s us who keeps our nose ahead in the development race. I’ve joined a very strong group of people here and it’s a privilege to be part of this team.












Credits: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport

Copyright © 2017, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

The 2017 Formula 1 season kicks off with the usual Australian opener at Albert Park, Melbourne. On Friday, it was a game of cards on the table. For the first time, all teams have shown their muscles and early potential. The hidden advantages that were not revealed during the winter pre-season tests have begun to shape up for most of the contender. The new regulations are aimed to boost the show to new heights as the cars are now hugely faster compared to the previous generations.

Mercedes-AMG Petronas quickly emerged as the top team, the one to beat this year, followed by Ferrari and Red Bull Racing, which also showed a remarkable development. The new F1 W08 EQ Power+ Silver Arrows driven by Lewis Hamilton and Valteri Bottas touched the Australian soil for the first time and felt right at home, impressing with their strong pace, overall performance and reliability.

Lewis managed to top both free practice sessions of the day, exhibiting lap times which were, on average, almost half a second faster than the rest. Valteri's first practice rounds in a Silver Arrow proved he is a skilled driver that succeeded in getting accustomed to a new team. He ranked P2 in the morning and then P3 in the afternoon FP session. Both drivers ran all three compounds in the morning session. Lewis used the Soft and UltraSoft in the afternoon, Valtteri the SuperSoft and UltraSoft.

Free Practice at a glance

Lewis Hamilton
Chassis: F1 W08 EQ Power+/01
FP1 stats: 22 Laps, 1:24.220, P01
FP2 stats: 34 Laps, 1:23.620, P01

Valtteri Bottas
Chassis: F1 W08 EQ Power+/03
FP1 stats: 25 Laps, 1:24.803, P02
FP2 stats: 34 Laps, 1:24.176, P03

Weather
Dry, Mild, Clear (AM), Overcast (PM)

Temperatures
Air: 20.7 – 23.1°C
Track: 27.2 – 36.0°C

Post-practice Comments

Lewis Hamilton
It’s great to be back in Australia and I’m super happy to be back in the car – particularly after a first day like that. It was 99 per cent perfect. After struggling with some issues in Barcelona, we didn’t know if we’d have the same thing here. What’s really encouraging is that we’ve arrived at the track just a week later and the car is exactly where it should be. It’s feeling great out there and the guys have done a fantastic job. We’ve shown good form so far on both the long and short runs and we got every lap done that we wanted to. The tyres performed really well today too. Coming into today, we really didn’t know where we’d be. We knew from FP1 that the Ferrari’s weren’t at their maximum. Of course, in FP2 all of a sudden they were quick. We’ll see tomorrow how it really stands. I feel very much at home in Melbourne. There’s always a great buzz here and a lot of support. I’m just really happy to see everyone and receive their positive energy. I’ll be pushing as hard as I can to win this race.

Valtteri Bottas
It was great to be back on track after Barcelona and overall it was a good day today. We still have work to do with the car balance but we got all of our running completed without any issues. From my side I definitely feel like I can make a step forward tomorrow. It’l l be a busy evening for us tonight looking through all the data to see where we can improve but it’s a reasonable start. In terms of our pace, it is only practice, so tomorrow we’ll find out exactly where we are. These tyre compounds are the right choice for this race. The softer compounds all felt good. Everyone is pushing to the limit, as we saw a few times out there today. This track is always quite dirty at the start of the weekend, but we’ll get used to it.

James Allison, Technical Director
It always seems like a bit of a cliché to say that we were pleased to get through our programme smoothly. But in the first practice sessions of a new season – particularly under new regulations like these – it’s especially important to achieve that and also to leave the car intact for Saturday. On both counts, I think we can say that today was a smooth day. Our programme focused on trying out the various tyre compounds that we have available this weekend to see what kind of pace and degradation we can expect from them. We also worked to ensure the car has a reasonable balance with race fuel and lower fuel. Our long run pace looked decent but it’s harder to tell where we stand at this stage in terms of single lap pace. We’ll find out tomorrow. Overall the car seems strong, so we’re looking forward to seeing what we can do with it.





















Credits: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport

Copyright © 2017, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.