Motorcycles

Honda teases MotoGP-powered open-wheeler ahead of Frankfurt show

Honda teases MotoGP-powered open-wheeler ahead of Frankfurt show
Honda Project 2&4 combines the company's automotive expertise with a championship winning V4 motorcycle engine
Honda Project 2&4 combines the company's automotive expertise with a championship winning V4 motorcycle engine
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Honda Project 2&4 combines the company's automotive expertise with a championship winning V4 motorcycle engine
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Honda Project 2&4 combines the company's automotive expertise with a championship winning V4 motorcycle engine

Honda has released a teaser image of a cabin-less car that's set for a world premiere at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Dubbed Project 2&4, the vehicle will be powered by Honda’s MotoGP championship winning V4 engine.

While the illustration gives very little away, Honda’srelease does contain some solid information. Project 2&4 will be a road legal cabin-less vehicleon four wheels, designed in tandem by Honda’s motorcycle design centre in Asakaand its automotive counterpart in Wako, Japan.

The vehicle will be powered by the V4 engine that Honda races in MotoGP and, sincethis car will be road legal, this unit will probably be borrowed from the recentlyunveiled RC213V-S road-going bike.

There islittle more that we can glean in the image. It's clearly anopen wheel layout with double wishbone suspension setup. The visible part ofthe bodywork reveals an F1-type design, with the engine positionedin the rear, a centrally located fuel tank and a structure resembling thetypical F1 air scoop.

What we don’tsee in this image is the actual seating arrangement. Apparently the driver’sseat is not in the middle. Could it be hiding under that detachable panel withthe Honda logo and the dzus quick release fasteners? We’ll know in two weeks.

Honda saysthat this project wishes to combine the freedom of a motorcycle and the maneuverabilityof a car – hence 2&4. One can easily imagine a road going race cargoing up against the likes of KTM X-Bow, Ariel Atom or even Polaris Slingshot.

Apart fromthe Project 2&4, Honda has announced that the all-new HR-V and Jazz modelswill debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Honda’s pressconference will take place at 14:00 CET on Tuesday, September 15 at the Hondastand B11 in Hall 9.0. Gizmag will be there to bring you further details. Stay tuned!

Source:Honda

3 comments
3 comments
Cody Blank
Do you guys realize that the image is a sketch? It's not a photo.
Don Duncan
I have been waiting 50 years for a vehicle that makes economy (100+mpg) its top priority, but this is not considered important by manufacturers. The platform to achieve this was bankrupted by two of its chief executives. Perhaps Honda will take the lead and discover there are a lot of people like me who will buy serious efficiency. I'll be waiting with money in hand.
Bruce H. Anderson
Can we hope tha the price tag is less than an Ariel. And there is a usurper wandering about Kickstarter, although fuel economy is not on their list of selling points, but it could be.