Honda Patents New 2012 Civic Sedan and Coupe Designs in Europe

A peek through the European patent office files revealed images of Honda’s freshly launched in North America, 2012 Civic in both four-door sedan and two-door coupe guise. Given that the European market will get its own, bespoke version of the Civic, chances are that Honda simply wanted to cover its back like most of the competition just in case another automaker (we are looking towards you China) got any crazy ideas.

However, it is possible that Honda will offer the four-door saloon model in certain European countries to compete against the Volkswagen Jetta. With the exception of one version of the Civic sedan seen in this set of images and which features slightly modified taillights with additional strips that extend towards the license plate holder, there are no other differences compared to the North American Civic.

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SPY VIDEO: Is this the New 2012 Honda Civic Sedan?

What is claimed to be the new 2012 Honda Civic Sedan was caught almost naked with very few body parts masked, hot weather testing in the Dubai by Car Magazine Middle East. Having eliminated the possibility that this may be a local version of the Fit/Jazz-based City small sedan, the next step is to see if this is a brand new edition of the Civic saloon or a facelifted model.

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Mid-Engine Honda CR-Z in Super GT-like guise Spied in Japan

Found on the GT Channel website, are these photos of a Honda CR-Z racer with a widebody mock up and what appears to be a mid-mounted engine. The unfinished project also gets carbon fiber doors. We don't have any information on the mystery car, but chances are it's either being readied to compete in Japan's Super GT racing series or to be displayed as a concept model at an upcoming motor show such as the Tokyo Auto Salon in January 2011. More photos after the jump.

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SPIED: 2012 Honda Civic Scooped on Video

Over in Europe, Honda is busy developing a new Civic ahead of its rumored release date either in late 2011 or early 2012. Spy shooters have captured on film a heavily cladded prototype lurking around Honda's offices in Germany.

We're not entirely sure if this here test car is a brand new model or a heavily revised version of the current, European market, five-door Civic, with fresh sheetmetal, but either way, it appears that the glasshouse, if not identical, is very similar to today's model, while the car also sports the same hidden door handles tucked away at the corners of the rear windows.

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SPIED: Honda Civic Hatch Prototype with Full Hybrid System Snagged Testing

Only a few weeks after Honda President Takanobu Ito disclosed plans to equip the next generation of the Civic Hybrid with a new high-output and compact in size, lithium-ion battery, and our spies have captured a pair of test mules in the body of the current, European market Civic five-door hatch, testing near the company's R&D center in Offenbach, Germany.

According to our man with the long lens, the two prototype Civics "left the traffic lights in complete silence", which points to a full hybrid set up with the ability to run on electric power only.

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