Frankfurt Motor Show - Is it a car? Is it a single-seater racer? Nope, it’s Honda’s Project 2&4, a conveyance that’s said to provide the freedom of a motorcycle with the manoeuvrability of a car.
The concept vehicle, launched at this week’s Frankfurt show, was conceived by Honda’s motorcycle design studio in Asaka and designed in collaboration with the automobile design studio in Wako.
It seeks to create an intense driving experience by combining the most thrilling elements of riding a motorcycle with the most engaging characteristics of driving a car.
Drawing on Honda’s racing heritage, the concept vehicle’s powered by the 999cc V4 competition engine used in Honda’s MotoGP bike, mid-mounted into a one-seater four-wheeled chassis.
Much like the Ariel Atom and KTM X-Bow, it’s a stripped-to-the-basics car designed for maximum driving entertainment, but provides even more of an ‘open’ experience by having no cockpit to enclose the driver.
Instead the bucket seat is suspended just above the road, a “floating seat” design that places the driver as close to the action as possible, evoking the freedom of a motorcycle.
This is enhanced by the 160kW engine which revs to a heady 14 000 rpm. Transmission is provided by a six-speed DCT gearbox.
The whole shebang weighs just 405kg and with a length of just three metres it’s a compact, sweet-handling ride with a low centre of gravity.
Star Motoring