By Robert Cumberford
Ignore the awkward, long-winded name applied to this little red jewel; it's nothing more or less than the next iteration of the fascinating but flawed Honda Insight, the first hybrid gasoline-electric car ever offered commercially in the United States. The Insight represented a fabulous bit of technology, but it was, alas, rather funny looking. That it didn't have to be so is proved by this svelte, smooth concept that appeared at the Geneva auto show earlier this year.
Some of us at Automobile Magazine--Jamie Kitman and me, for example--were suckers for the Insight. In fact, had Honda not decided that hot-blooded Latins in Spain, Portugal, France, and Italy would not buy it, thereby keeping the Insight out of those markets, I'd have one parked in my garage in France today. An advanced light aluminum structure, one of the most entertaining instrument panels ever put on the road, fabulous economy that really matters when gasoline costs $6.75 a gallon, a decent ride, and plenty of driving challenge made it irresistible, despite its clumsy styling.
With the Hybrid Sports Concept, that last part is pretty much fixed. Although the car's design is attributed to Honda's European design studio, I wonder if Pininfarina might not have had something to do with the form; the venerable Torinese design house has consulted with Honda for decades, although neither party officially acknowledges it, and the flowing forms--suitably stretched out for a much bigger car--would honor Pininfarina's key client, Ferrari.
It remains only a two-seater, and there still isn't a lot of luggage space, but for commuting or even for highway use, two seats are plenty. And we should all learn to travel light, because it saves fuel. The Insight's 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine has been replaced by a four-cylinder unit, and although nothing was said about its displacement, it seems reasonable to surmise that more horses are available under the pointed nose of this sports car. To assure a sporty look and low rolling resistance, tires are 165/60-section on twenty-inch wheels. Having experimented with beveled rear edges in wind tunnels, I appreciate Honda's use of a trick that really does reduce drag by reattaching airflow behind the wheelhouse openings. It looks good, too.
A single piece of laminated glass serves as the windshield, the roof, and the backlight, with an added concave vertical glass panel at the back that provides a little more rearward visibility and acts as a fairing for the LED lamps. It's hard to imagine that the row of LEDs along the top of the grille will adequately illuminate the highway, but lamp manufacturers have been able to accomplish virtual miracles in recent years, and so perhaps they could.
This car may never go into production, but it should. And it ought to be sold everywhere as a lesson to less adventuresome car builders. It's a lovely design that is full of innovative ideas.
source : automobilemag
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