What Might Have Been
Honda has produced many interesting concepts over the years. Of course, most don’t actually reach production, but there are one or two from the past decade that we wish the Japanese automaker had made for real.
The first is the properly compact Sports EV Concept, shown at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. We’d probably swap its electric powertrain for a compact hybrid, but we reckon it could’ve been a sweet little sports coupe. The other one is the Project 2&4 powered by RC213V. Admittedly, it’s a clumsy name, but its intent is laser-focused on delivering thrills.
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What is the Project 2&4 powered by RC213V?
The Project 2&4 was born from a design contest at the company and was the winning entry in Honda’s ‘Global Design Project.’ Honda called it part motorcycle and part car, and it’s also a nod to its first Formula 1 car, the RA272 from 1965. It was first shown during the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, coinciding with the race car’s 50th anniversary.
We can certainly see some inspiration from the RA272, but the Project 2&4 is even more extreme than the classic race car. The ‘interior’ is literally just a seat, a steering wheel, and a floating screen for instrumentation. The body is completely stripped out, giving onlookers an uninterrupted view of the car’s internals. But the party really starts when you look at the specs.
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A Pocket Rocket
Classic Formula 1 cars are tiny, but the Project 2&4 took that to the extreme. It’s a little under 120 inches long and will fit between the wheelbases of a full-sized pickup. The car is also less than 40 inches tall, and it weighs a mere 893 lbs. As for the motorcycle part, that’s the powertrain.
The engine used to motivate the Project 2&4 came straight from an RC213V. The RC213V is powered by a 1.0-liter engine that revs up to 14,000rpm (depending on market), making 212 hp and 87 lb-ft of torque. Shifting came courtesy of a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. Sure, it doesn’t sound like much, but with less than a ton to pull around, it might have given something like an Ariel Atom a good scare.
Unfortunately, it was never bound for production, and it’s presumably neatly tucked away somewhere in one of Honda’s garages. The Project 2&4 could’ve been an absolute track weapon, but we can only imagine how fast it could’ve gone.
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