Typically, show cars as radical as Honda’s Project 2&4 Concept make a big splash at auto shows and then fade into the shadows, never to be seen again. However, a new report out of the UK suggests that Honda may not be done with its half-motorcycle, half-race car Frankenstein just yet.
In an interview with Top Gear, Honda motorcycle designer Martin Petersson told the magazine, “There will be a next step. It’s been too positive for us to go and complete this project in a basement somewhere.”
Petersson also revealed that, like a motorcycle, the Project 2&4 was designed from the inside out, rather than following the typical automobile design process in which an exterior is penned first. That is likely why the 2&4, a collaboration between Honda’s motorcycle and car design teams, looks so raw.
The Project 2&4, which had its first public showing at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, is single-seater powered by a 1.0-liter V4 from a MotoGP race bike. Detuned for street use, it still produces over 215 horsepower. The body weighs less than 900 pounds and was inspired by Honda’s 1965 Formula One car that won the Grand Prix of Mexico.
Some outlets have speculated that it could yield a production model based on Petersson’s comments. Petersson, for his part, admitted there wasn’t a clear direction on its future: “The question is what that next step is.” However, he offered this retort: “The company slogan is ‘The Power of Dreams’. If we don’t believe in it I might as well not go to work, right?”
Live images by Ronan Glon.
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