Latest news with #HondaCollectionHall
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Meet The Mid-Engine V8 Honda Supercar That Almost Was
Meet The Mid-Engine V8 Honda Supercar That Almost Was originally appeared on Autoblog. In the mid-1970s, when the oil crisis had brought much of America to its knees, Honda was on the cutting edge of efficiency innovations. Its now-famous Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion system allowed the 1975 Civic and subsequent models to pass emissions tests without an expensive and power-sapping catalytic converter, prompting Ford and Chrysler to license the technology. GM executives, however, dismissed the technology as only being suitable for motorcycles and very small cars, not a V8. "Well, I have looked at this design, and while it might work on some little toy motorcycle engine... I see no potential for it on one of our GM car engines." Dr. Soichiro Honda disagreed, and to prove a point, he had a Chevrolet Impala with a 5.7-liter V8 shipped to Japan, fitted it with the CVCC tech, and sent it back to the EPA for testing, showing the world that the invention cleaned up the emissions from any engine. Around the same time, in 1973, the automaker was considering a mid-engine supercar with a V8 of its own (shown in a video of the new exhibit at the Honda Collection Hall on the モンベル好きS660乗りYouTube channel), way before the first-gen NSX arrived in 1990. After all, Honda was clearly ahead of the curve, so why not redefine it? Little is known of Honda's contemporary plans for the engine, but we doubt it would have been as humongous as the 5.7-liter beast in the Impala because, although front-engine supercar layouts were being considered by Honda's design team, a mid-engine design made it all the way to a full-size clay model. The sketches show a styling strategy that was typical of the time, blending smooth curves with sharp lines. Despite some clear British influence, it also had a distinctly Japanese look. View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Sadly, it never went further than a clay model, but now, some volunteers in the Honda design department have come together to build a static model complete with paint and wheels. Since it's much too late to waste resources on building a working prototype, this is just a one-fourth-scale model, but the original designers were consulted to ensure that the lines and proportions are just as they originally envisaged. View the 5 images of this gallery on the original article Like this forgotten supercar concept, the NSX that eventually did arrive had pop-up headlights, though its design was more directly influenced by the Pininfarina-designed HP-X concept from 1984. The NSX name stood for New, Sportscar, eXperimental, and had Honda chosen to press on with its V8 supercar, it certainly would have fit the bill. Back then, the oil crisis dictated most decisions in the automotive space, and a supercar was seen as too great a risk. But there's no doubt that the NSX we did eventually get was born in the minds of those mid-1970s designers, and although a V8 Honda supercar never happened, the idea of pushing the brand beyond what others think is possible has been a hallmark of its success. With the automaker working on everything from reusable rockets to hydrogen-powered cars these days, any new idea it has in the pipeline is always worth keeping an eye on. Some may not make reality in their initial form, but the seeds planted by Honda's experimental cars certainly inform future production. Meet The Mid-Engine V8 Honda Supercar That Almost Was first appeared on Autoblog on Jun 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
TimesLIVE
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Nigel Mansell to join Goodwood's star-studded F1 75th anniversary lineup
Nigel Mansell, the 1992 Formula 1 world champion and patron saint of the moustache, is set to return to the 2025 Festival of Speed, marking his fourth appearance at the iconic event. The festival will join forces with Formula 1 to celebrate 75 years of the World Championship, making Mansell's participation more special. Mansell will be behind the wheel of two significant cars from his career: the Williams FW14B, which secured his 1992 Championship, and the FW11, the car that could have won him the 1986 title had a dramatic tyre failure not cost him the crown in the final race. The FW11 will be displayed with support from the Honda Collection Hall. From his first race in Formula 1 in 1980 to his retirement in 1994, Mansell became known for his fierce competitiveness and aggressive, sometimes breathtaking overtakes. During his career, he racked up 31 Grand Prix wins, 14 pole positions and a reputation for relentless determination. His driving earned him fans not only in the UK, but in Italy, where he was nicknamed " Il Leone" during his time at Ferrari, and in the US, where he followed his F1 title by winning the IndyCar World Series in 1993. Mansell's F1 journey wasn't without its ups and downs. After a difficult start with Lotus, he found success with Williams, winning his first Grand Prix in 1985. By the time he retired, Mansell held the record for the most wins by a British driver, a record later surpassed by Lewis Hamilton. His connection to the Goodwood Festival of Speed goes back to 2006, when he first took part in the event. Over the years, he has driven some of his most memorable cars, including the 1982 Lotus 91 and, in 2022, his 1992 Championship-winning FW14B. In 2023, the FW14B made another appearance, this time driven by Sebastian Vettel, running on sustainable fuel as part of Vettel's "Race Without Trace" initiative. At the 2025 Festival, Mansell will join other F1 legends to mark the 75th anniversary of the Formula 1 World Championship. Fans can expect a special reunion of champions, including Alain Prost and Mario Andretti, with more iconic names to be announced.
