Honda Has 350 HP All-Electric AWD Sports Car In The Works
By Paulo Acoba
Honda is finding its sporting heritage and its tapping all-electric power to make that a reality.
Earlier this year, Honda took a Super Handling All-Wheel Drive all-electric Honda CR-Z up to Pikes Peak and won 14th overall. Earlier this week (Oct. 27, 2015) Top Gear had the opportunity to drive that exact same vehicle minus all the downforce, a bit of power and racecar livery and they came away somewhat impressed. In 2016, Acura will finally drop its long-awaited NSX, the Honda Civic Type R has already been kicking some serious hot-hatch tail in the UK, and in Honda’s home country, the S660 has been altogether a hit. Don’t call it a comeback just yet as this 350 HP all-electric beast may complete the quad-fecta.
There are two pieces of the project that Honda is keen to exploit. First, with four individual industrial type electric motors at each wheel, Honda is able to achieve generous amounts of power and traction from a launch and around corners. The all-electric CR-Z Top Gear tested had plenty of torque off the line, enough to hit 60 MPH in 3.5 seconds ( in 250 HP guise.) Powering the motors is a 16 kWh battery pack, about half of what a Nissan Leaf currently has. We expect that battery pack to increase in size if production becomes possible. And only carrying around less than 3,500 pounds certainly has its benefits around tight corners as well as contributing to the overall efficiency of the entire package.
Then there’s Honda’s all important Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) that’s somewhat been in development for Honda as early as 1997. Back then it was labeled as Automatic Torque Transfer System (ATTS) and was stuffed underneath a Honda Prelude. Today, in its most sophisticated form, it allows a Honda to send up to 70 percent of its torque to the rear wheels with 100 percent of that rear torque going to either the left or right rear wheel.
Combine a possible 350 HP from all-electric power with superior handling characteristics and Honda has a recipe for a true barn burner of a sports car. Honda will place an entirely new body as the CR-Z is only a prototype. Is this the successor to the Honda S2000 in the works? We’ll have to wait with bated breath.
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