Frankfurt 2015: Honda Project 2&4 is the epitome of ‘car as machine’
Honda is, first and foremost, an engineering company. Its most celebrated products are those that have put technical excellence ahead of styling entertainment. The Project 2&4 concept is a perfect example
Honda is, first and foremost, an engineering company. Its most celebrated products are those that have put technical excellence ahead of styling entertainment. The Project 2&4 concept is a perfect example.
Although many other car manufacturers also make motorbikes (or vice versa), Honda feels to be the most authentic when combining the two. Designed as a collaborative project between car and ’bike studios, the 2&4 strikes a great balance between the two disciplines. The car guys have worked their surfacing magic on its fairings as well as its lighting and HMI, not to mention the great stance of the thing, while the ’bike designers have managed their very skilful trick of creating incredibly functional elements that also look spectacular.
But the most impressive element is that you can’t see the join between the two. Look at how the rear lamp interacts with the exhaust and the suspension to understand what I mean.
And while others have created similar concepts before (the 2001 Suzuki GSX-R4 is perhaps the closest), the Project 2&4 goes one better by reimagining the driving experience with its cantilevered seat that places the driver into the airflow in way that’s almost exposed as a rider.
After years of rather underwhelming cars that have had engineering excellence stripped out to save cost and replaced by fussy styling, it’s great to see that Honda is now back on track and remembering its roots.