Photo: Honda
Stretching across an area of approximately 40 square miles (104 sq km), the salt pan in Tooele Country is the place where speed demons nourish quench their thirst to go fast. The Bonneville Salt Flats is a place of legend, a place where land speed records were broken, then broken again. Manufacturers too are attracted Bonneville’s promise of spine-tingling speed, including Honda.
See the aerodynamically conscious vehicle in the featured photograph? It is powered by the 660 cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine from the S660, a kei car-sized roadster that tips the scales at 1,830 pounds (830 kilograms). In this application, the 63 HP unit is good for just about 83 mph (134 km/h). In Bonneville-spec configuration, the 660 cc engine has plenty more to offer.
Dubbed Honda S-Dream Streamliner, the sleek-looking machine has recently hit 261.875 mph (421.446 km/h) over the course of a mile and 261.996 mph (421.641 km/h) over the course of a kilometer. Hence, it broke two records for a Category A Group 1 Class 4 vehicle, posting a higher speed than any Honda-powered car ever. Indeed, it outperformed the V10-powered BAR Honda Formula 1 car that hit 246.908 mph (397.360 km/h) in 2006.
From 660 cc, can you imagine that? The daredevil who made it happen is test driver Hikaru Miyagi, who told the team that he found it hard to see properly through the canopy at top speed. Hence, engineers went back to the drawing board and fixed the problem 10 days before the first day on the salt flats. Be that as it may, preparations for this record-breaking car have started in 2015.
From a pool of 100 volunteers, only 16 people were chosen to see the plan through, including project leader Keisuke Tsuta. The goal from Honda was pretty both straightforward and difficult to put into practice: “Achieve world speed record with a 660 cc engine.” In this regard, the S07A three-banger in the S660 was reworked so that it could take the punishment of such a feat.
In this regard, many internals of the engine have been carefully redesigned, including the crankshaft, valves, connecting rods, pistons, even the cylinder block. After these upgrades had been added to the menu, Honda found out that power increased threefold. In other words, less than 200 ponies on tap.
What’s more, the official record of the S-Dream Streamliner was surpassed on one run when Miyagi took the car to 266 mph (428 km/h). Unfortunately, the team couldn’t duplicate the speed on the return run, so no official record.
Dubbed Honda S-Dream Streamliner, the sleek-looking machine has recently hit 261.875 mph (421.446 km/h) over the course of a mile and 261.996 mph (421.641 km/h) over the course of a kilometer. Hence, it broke two records for a Category A Group 1 Class 4 vehicle, posting a higher speed than any Honda-powered car ever. Indeed, it outperformed the V10-powered BAR Honda Formula 1 car that hit 246.908 mph (397.360 km/h) in 2006.
From 660 cc, can you imagine that? The daredevil who made it happen is test driver Hikaru Miyagi, who told the team that he found it hard to see properly through the canopy at top speed. Hence, engineers went back to the drawing board and fixed the problem 10 days before the first day on the salt flats. Be that as it may, preparations for this record-breaking car have started in 2015.
From a pool of 100 volunteers, only 16 people were chosen to see the plan through, including project leader Keisuke Tsuta. The goal from Honda was pretty both straightforward and difficult to put into practice: “Achieve world speed record with a 660 cc engine.” In this regard, the S07A three-banger in the S660 was reworked so that it could take the punishment of such a feat.
In this regard, many internals of the engine have been carefully redesigned, including the crankshaft, valves, connecting rods, pistons, even the cylinder block. After these upgrades had been added to the menu, Honda found out that power increased threefold. In other words, less than 200 ponies on tap.
What’s more, the official record of the S-Dream Streamliner was surpassed on one run when Miyagi took the car to 266 mph (428 km/h). Unfortunately, the team couldn’t duplicate the speed on the return run, so no official record.
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