Photo: Honda
For years, there has been a clear divide between cars and motorcycles, and we don't just mean their number of wheels. Then, things like the Ariel Atom and KTM X-Bow came along and blurred that line beyond recognition.
This year, Honda seems keen on joining the fun with the Project 2&4, the product of an internal contest that will have many people - both drivers and riders - scratching their heads.
The idea behind the car - let's just settle on calling it that - is to offer the "freedom of a motorcycle" with "the maneuverability of a car." If you asked us before seeing the Honda Project 2&4, we would have said "impossible", but now we're having second thoughts.
Challenging its design studios around the world, Honda wanted to see what was on the minds of the company's best artist, and apparently this was it. A car that looks perfectly normal (well, sort of) when viewed from the right side, and like a deathtrap from the left.
The "floating seat" is designed to put the driver as close to the action as possible and apart from actually scraping his behind on the tarmac, we'd say the task was completed. There are no side panels, no side window and no windshield - hell, there isn't even a footwell, just some open-air pedals for the driver to push.
The Honda Project 2&4 (we're guessing the name is a reference to the number of wheels to two vehicles it combines have) manages to look both fun and scary. You would definitely have a go, but only on a race track (not that the car is street legal anyway). Any accident in this car would mean almost certain death, as there is no protection whatsoever. And if you happen to roll over, you better hope for a good helmet and strong neck muscles...
The Honda Project 2&4 isn't heavy, though. It weighs 893 lbs (405 kg) and comes equipped with the company's RC213V competition motorcycle engine. It's a 999 cc V-4 four-stroke unit producing over 215 hp and 87 lb-ft (118 Nm) of torque. It's not tire-shreadding fast, but it's enough to feed you a lifetime worth of flies should you forget your helmet.
The Honda Project 2&4 will be displayed at the company's stand at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show that starts next week.
The idea behind the car - let's just settle on calling it that - is to offer the "freedom of a motorcycle" with "the maneuverability of a car." If you asked us before seeing the Honda Project 2&4, we would have said "impossible", but now we're having second thoughts.
Challenging its design studios around the world, Honda wanted to see what was on the minds of the company's best artist, and apparently this was it. A car that looks perfectly normal (well, sort of) when viewed from the right side, and like a deathtrap from the left.
The "floating seat" is designed to put the driver as close to the action as possible and apart from actually scraping his behind on the tarmac, we'd say the task was completed. There are no side panels, no side window and no windshield - hell, there isn't even a footwell, just some open-air pedals for the driver to push.
The Honda Project 2&4 (we're guessing the name is a reference to the number of wheels to two vehicles it combines have) manages to look both fun and scary. You would definitely have a go, but only on a race track (not that the car is street legal anyway). Any accident in this car would mean almost certain death, as there is no protection whatsoever. And if you happen to roll over, you better hope for a good helmet and strong neck muscles...
The Honda Project 2&4 isn't heavy, though. It weighs 893 lbs (405 kg) and comes equipped with the company's RC213V competition motorcycle engine. It's a 999 cc V-4 four-stroke unit producing over 215 hp and 87 lb-ft (118 Nm) of torque. It's not tire-shreadding fast, but it's enough to feed you a lifetime worth of flies should you forget your helmet.
The Honda Project 2&4 will be displayed at the company's stand at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show that starts next week.
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