I thought Honda just made, cars, lawn mowers, generators and motorcycles ...

[Mr Quatro]

Now they make jet engines and have been developing this one since the 1980's

http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/21/5735796/honda-is-making-a-luxury-jet-with-really-weird-engines

The six-passenger bullet cruises at 420 knots — about 0.63 Mach — and gets power from a pair of specially designed turbofans developed through a joint venture with General Electric.

Honda just announced this week that the first production HondaJet is now in final assembly. The road to this point hasn't been an easy one — the high-tech transport has been beset with delays, most recently due to an engine failure during testing — but the company says it's tracking for FAA certification in the first quarter of 2015.

Start saving your pennies: the aircraft will command around $4.5 million when it goes on sale.

[Wolferz]

They make robots too.

Knowing what I know about their cars I won't set foot on their aircraft.

[Catfish]

^ You do not seem to know very much of their cars.

When you look at the suspension system of the middle class Hondas, and compare it to BMW and Mercedes, you might get tears in your eyes. Also when you compare rust problems..
Oh you buy new car every two years, don't care about quality and money ? Then of course japanese cars are not your cup of tea.

Honda has much higher standards when it comes to the production and quality control of parts, which is why Hondas in Germany usually survive their much more expensive competition, like Mercedes. From quality to durabilty, Honda (and b.t.w. Toyota) has a higher level and less tolerances, in parts production.
And then there's also Nissan, Subaru ...

[Wolferz]

You do not seem to know very much of their cars.

I know you put a wink on your statement and left the interpretation open with the word "seem" but, I worked in a GM/Honda dealer shop for thirteen years and I "know" a lot about their automobiles from the wheels up and bumper to bumper. Sure, they build the things to very close tolerances but that can sometimes be a bad thing in a motor. Then there's the sheet metal. If you like fenders that can be bent in half with your bare hands and rust out within five years, then they're the guys you want to go with.
Are you planning to buy one of their jets?
Can I borrow some money?

Having those jet engines mounted on pylons above the wings might seem innovative but they could mount them under the wings like most other jets.
I wonder where the fuel tanks are located.

[Sailor Steve]

Kawasaki started life a shipbuilding company, but today are most famous for their motorcycles. The also make industrial equipment...and pianos!

[Betonov]

The problem with japaneese cars is, that the Japaneese don't salt their roads.
We do

[Wolferz]

Originally Posted by Betonov

The problem with japaneese cars is, that the Japaneese don't salt their roads.
We do

It does snow in Japan. Are they using aircraft de-icer on their roads or do they just see it as an opportunity to do some drifting?

Most cars are dipped in a zinc primer during manufacture to combat rust.
I don't think the Japanese cars get that because we heavily undercoated nearly every Honda we sold. More money.
Maybe the German cars stay on the road long enough to defeat that armor.

[Mr Quatro]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Kawasaki started life a shipbuilding company, but today are most famous for their motorcycles. The also make industrial equipment...and pianos!

Don't forget the airplanes they made in WWII: http://www.airpowerworld.info/ww2-fighter-planes/kawasaki-ki-100-fighter.htm

In combat during WWII the Kawasaki Ki-100 was to prove at least as fast as any of the American fighters it encountered and was more manoeuvrable than any of the ...

[TarJak]

I'm not sure why it's surprising, most largeJapanese industrials have a broad and diverse foot print of manufacture.

[Platapus]

Daewoo makes practically everything. It would be a shorter list of what Daewoo does not make. I was shocked!

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by TarJak

I'm not sure why it's surprising, most largeJapanese industrials have a broad and diverse foot print of manufacture.

Rgr that

[VipertheSniper]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Kawasaki started life a shipbuilding company, but today are most famous for their motorcycles. The also make industrial equipment...and pianos!

You sure you're not mixing up Kawasaki and Yamaha on the piano part?

[Schroeder]

Originally Posted by Betonov

The problem with japaneese cars is, that the Japaneese don't salt their roads.
We do

My last Japanese car survived 20 years of salted streets before it started corroding...

[Dread Knot]

Originally Posted by Mr Quatro

Don't forget the airplanes they made in WWII: http://www.airpowerworld.info/ww2-fighter-planes/kawasaki-ki-100-fighter.htm

In combat during WWII the Kawasaki Ki-100 was to prove at least as fast as any of the American fighters it encountered and was more manoeuvrable than any of the ...

The paradox of Japanese military aviation in WW2 was that they produced their best designs at a time when their industrial output was collapsing, and their rookie pilots were virtually untrained. The Nakajima Ki-84 Type 4 Army fighter ('Frank') was another world-class machine which compared favorably to the most advanced versions of the Hellcats, Thunderbolts and Mustangs( and therefore to such European superstars as the Spitfire, Tempest, FW-190D and La-7)

In terms of quality, some of the last Japanese warplanes put into production were of unprecedented brilliance. In terms of efficacy, they were almost irrelevant.

[Sailor Steve]

Gee, and my whole idea in bringing up Kawasaki was that they also make pianos.