Auto Blitz: Honda Concepts

Showing posts with label Honda Concepts. Show all posts

LA Auto Show Design Contest Part 1: Cadillac, Honda, Maybach and Mazda Concepts

For the past seven years, the most important automotive design studios in Southern California compete in a Design Challenge organized by the Los Angeles Auto Show. For this year's edition of the show, which runs November 19-29, the event planners decided to add an international flavor to the contest by inviting studios from Germany and Japan to join the competition for the very first time.

The theme for the 2010 Design Challenge is the creation of a super-efficient and lightweight four-passenger car: "The objective is to envision an efficient, light-weight, four passenger vehicle (not to exceed 1,000 lbs.), that is both comfortable and safe, while delivering satisfactory driving performance without sacrificing the styling consumers demand. "

Follow the break for the first group of concept models by Cadillac, Honda, Maybach and Mazda, and stay tuned for the second part.

Automotive designers find inspiration in all kinds of places. For independent designer Andrus Ciprian from Romania, it was Harley Earls' legendary GM Firebird concept cars of the 1950s. The thing is that he didn't use this inspiration on a GM product but on a futuristic Honda racing car design study that he named Pegasus.

The Romanian designer has dreamed up a small gas-turbine jet engine as the power source for the imaginary winged prototype, while other features include specially designed wheels that increase air-flow to the brakes. Full mage gallery after the break.

For starters, there's nothing wrong with your eyes, the screen or the picture; the twin set of horizontal headlamps flanking either side of the Li Nian Everus concept's chrome-happy grille are the real deal.

Li Nian is a newly formed brand from Honda's China branch, Guangqi Honda, formerly known as Guangzhou Honda. The brand has showed two other concept models in the past, a compact-sized crossover and a sporty roadster.

A futuristic single-seater three-wheeled concept called "3R-C" will take a central role at Honda's stand at this year's edition of the Geneva Motor Show. Created by European designers working at Honda's Research and Design facility in Milan, the 3R-C concept vehicle is motivated by a battery electric drivetrain which is mounted low in the three wheeled chassis.

Honda selected the 2010 Chicago Auto Show to unveil the Odyssey Concept study that teases the next-generation of the Japanese firm's minivan. And by that, we mean that the concept is more of a garnished pre-production model than a pure study.

Just don't expect the shaved door handles, funky exterior mirrors, large alloy wheels, the futuristic light inserts and every other detail that makes the concept stand out to be present on the series production 2011 Odyseey that will debut this fall.

Compared to the current Odyssey, the concept has a slightly lower roofline (-1.0 inch) and wider stance (+1.4 inch), both contributing to a somewhat sleeker shape and a more dynamic stance. The wheelbase length remains the same at 118.1 inches.

The Japanese company said that the production version of the next generation Odyssey will boast enhanced aerodynamic properties and new powertrain technologies resulting to an increased fuel efficiency.

In particular, Honda anticipates that the 2011 Odyssey minivan will achieve an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway on select models.

From Concept to Reality: Honda S2000 Roadster

Japanese manufacturers, residents of the BLAND unit in the trauma ward that is the modern auto industry (for the most part), put out some huge and extremely popular sports cars in the 90's.

Toyota had the twin-turbo Supra; Mitsubishi had the 3000GT VR-4; Mazda had the twin-turbo RX-7 and Nissan had the twin-turbo 300ZX and Skyline GT-Rs. And Honda? Well, they tried to pick a fight with Ferrari with their naturally-aspirated V6-powered NSX, but as for the common man? That's where the SSM concept stepped in, foreshadowing the S2000 roadster.

At next month's 2010 Chicago Auto Show, Honda will preview the forth-generation Odyssey people carrier through a new concept model that will most likely be a hair away from the actual production version that will follow shortly after.

In typical Honda style, the automaker did not release any teaser photos - the picture above is a Carscoop sketch based on an older concept.

However, the company did note that the next-generation Odyssey will "further enhance its hallmark qualities of innovation, quality, safety and fun-to-drive character (yes, Honda actually put 'fun to drive' and 'Odyssey' in the same sentence..), while increasing its overall efficiency."

Current Generation 2010 Honda Odyssey