Honda’s Hybrid Sports Concept

Honda does sports cars a little differently. Its V-6-powered NSX combined world-class handling with Accord-like refinement, changing our expectations of what a supercar could be. Honda's lightweight S2000 roadster set a new record for squeezing the most power out of a small engine. The next step: a hybrid sports car. At least that's the possibility implied by Honda's not-so-creatively-named Small Hybrid Sports Concept recently unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. The design study demonstrates how advanced environmental technology, dramatic styling, and exciting driving dynamics might come together in a future Honda model.

Underpinned by a front-wheel-drive, small car platform, the concept is powered by a 4-cylinder version of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system. The Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) isn't the most sporting option, but promises high efficiency to appropriately complete the hybrid powertrain. The exterior design - penned by the design studio at Honda R&D Europe - contrasts contoured surfaces with sharply creased edges. The steeply raked windscreen extends back over the occupants' heads to meet a single-piece glass roof, which terminates in a unique fastback shape at the rear. A telling design touch: Honda chose to wrap the properly show car-sized 20-inch wheels in tires that offer low rolling resistance without compromising sporty handling.