[TSM330i]

Clearly Honda’s immediate priority should be to halt production of everything, and focus instead on building Jenson and Fernando a decent F1 engine. However, we’ll forgive them a quick lapse in this strategy, because this new ‘2&4’ concept is, frankly, quite excellent.

It’s been revealed today, here, ahead of a public debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. We’re told it’s the winner of Honda’s global design project, and marries the worlds of motorbikes and cars.

Inspiration for the 2&4’s design comes from Honda’s quite beautiful RA272 Formula One car from 1965 – we’ve included a pic of it in the gallery above because, well, it’s lovely. You’ll also spot that excellent single-seat design, suspended, says Honda, as a sort of ‘floating seat’ to provide the freedom of a bike but security of a car.

The whole thing measures 3 metres in length, stands less than a metre high and takes up 1.8m of width. It also weighs just 405kg, which means its mid-mounted engine certainly makes its presence felt.

That engine is – unlike the RA272 F1 car – a motorbike engine. Specifically, the 999cc V4 four-stroke built for Honda’s MotoGP bike. It’s fitted low in the car, and produces 212bhp at 13,000rpm – with a redline at 14,000rpm. 14,000rpm!

A motorbike-spec 87lb ft of torque is delivered at 10,500rpm, reaching the rear wheels through a six-speed DCT gearbox. No performance figures have been issued. We suspect they’ll be rather impressive.

“Honda Project 2&4 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,” Honda tells us.

We’ll bring you more pictures of the 2&4 next week once we’ve seen it for real. You want one though, right?

[C5driver]

Take my money!

[pgviper]

Originally Posted by C5driver

Take my money!

Yes!!! This is a dream machine.

[135TX]

Dirty, this seems sick

[NoSHAM3]

Whoa. Honda, you once again have my attention.

[Nkc]

Originally Posted by C5driver

Take my money!

What he said.

And oh, while you're at it Honda, why not keep making the S2000?

[secretsquirrel]

14k redline? I'd love to hear that lil engine behind my ears.

[///M Power-Belgium]

More....

[RABAUKE]

Two things. Thing one, 14;40min of still photos with elevator music.....WTF. Thing two, Ariel Atom, I see Jeremy driving the shit out of the thing.....I AM THE ELEPHANT MAN.

[///WORK-F36]

This thing looks amazing....

[RABAUKE]

Tuff to go around corners with your hard on stuck in the steering wheel.....

[Nitrousbird]

Pointless since they will never produce it or even using anything useful from this concept to trickle down to production cars.

[Ragged Edge]

Originally Posted by Nitrousbird

Pointless since they will never produce it or even using anything useful from this concept to trickle down to production cars.

Agreed. But I would love to see it on the track...

[TSM330i]

Apparently, there's been such a reaction to this thing that they're looking to make the next step.
From the Top Gear website:
Since clapping eyes on the skeletal Project 2&4 concept car, we’ve been praying for one thing: that Honda sees sense and puts it into full production immediately.

And now there’s real hope because its designer, Martin Petersson, has hinted that the 2&4 story won’t end with the Frankfurt show concept. This is excellent news.

“There will be a next step. It’s been too positive for us to go and complete this project in a basement somewhere,” Petersson tells TG. “The question is what that next step is.”

He continues: “The company slogan is ‘The Power of Dreams’. If we don’t believe in it I might as well not go to work, right? I believe there’s potential.

“It’s a big challenge but we’ve built jet airplanes. That was a big challenge and a lot of these iconic Honda products more-or-less start like this. There’s no science fiction in the car…”

The product of an internal global design competition between 80 of Honda’s brightest sparks, the 2&4 brief was simple: it had to use the V4 engine from Honda’s RC213V MotoGP Bike, producing 212bhp at a screaming 14,000rpm, and had to have four wheels.

It was Petersson’s pared-back design, referencing Honda’s impossibly cool RA272 F1 car from ’65, that clinched the prize.

Petersson’s day job as a motorbike designer dictated an inside-out approach, rather than starting with the exterior silhouette.

http://www.topgear.com/car-news/conc...-says-designer

[Twixboy]

Is the engine mounted on the right side of the driver's seat? How does that affect handling since the car is so light to begin with?

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by Twixboy

Is the engine mounted on the right side of the driver's seat? How does that affect handling since the car is so light to begin with?

The driver would offset the engine weight.

[ShocknAwe]

Honda is looking at getting back into motorsport and performance cars. This comes as no surprise to me. Bring it on!

[Mavus]

finally they are trying to collect their balls