Honda's F1 engine ideas will be difficult to copy - Fernando Alonso

By Ben Anderson and Matt Beer of www.autosport.com

Honda will be impossible for rival Formula 1 engine manufacturers to copy if its "unique" power unit ideas pay off, reckons McLaren driver Fernando Alonso.

The Japanese firm has endured a torrid return to F1 with McLaren this year, racking up a string of failures and generally being mired in the lower midfield.

It has deliberately avoided hiring experienced engineers from established F1 manufacturers and focused on its own homegrown team at Sakura in Japan.

Asked if he thought this was a weakness that left Honda isolated, Alonso said he was certain Honda's distinctive thinking would ultimately prove advantageous.

"It can be a weakness or it can be the winning formula," he said.

"I choose to believe this is the winning formula.

"If you want to copy what Mercedes do, you can be close to Mercedes but you cannot ever be better than Mercedes.

"Being there in another culture, with another discipline and another ethic of work has maybe been difficult this year because some of the process has been slower than what it could be, but I think some of the ideas we have are very unique in the paddock.

"If we make them work, it will be difficult for anyone else to copy."

McLaren also took a divergent technical path, though Alonso admitted recently that there were areas where falling into line with rivals would probably be beneficial.

He does not think the team's much-trumpeted 'size zero' aerodynamic philosophy of tight power unit packaging will be a long-term drawback, saying the concept only proved problematic this year because "the power unit was not ready to compete at the top level this year".

The 2005/06 world champion is adamant the McLaren car itself is a competitive proposition and the only "question mark" is over winter engine development.

"We have everything," Alonso said.

"The car is responding well, aerodynamically we have the direction to go in, we are improving and I see when I am on the track how we attack the corners and how fast we are in the corners.

"So I am not afraid that next year's car will not be at the top level."

Source;
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/121885

2015 Honda IndyCar aero kit unveiled

by Marshall Pruett of www.roadandtrack.com

If you were disappointed by Chevy's high-downforce aero kit a few weeks ago, Honda has the cure with what must be the wildest collection of wings and widgets fitted to a modern Indy car.

You'll quickly run out of fingers trying to count all of the wing elements on the front of Honda's road course/short oval ("RC/SO") aero kit, and if it bears a likeness to the front wing packages found on recent Formula 1 cars, there's a reason. Along with Honda Performance Development's designers and engineers, former F1 chassis designer/entrant Nick Wirth and his UK-based Wirth Research penned the majority of the bodywork.

For those who've grown bored with spec cars, HPD VP Steve Eriksen believes aero kits can serve as a gateway to bring some inventiveness back to this once-pioneering form of American motor racing.

"We've had a car that is essentially the same since 2012—all cars the same across the whole grid," he said. "Now you're going to have the visual differences across the cars. I think it will be engaging for the fans, particularly the folks that are really interested in the details. My sense is that it is really about getting back to the roots of IndyCar, where you have development going on as opposed to being spec."

The cost of a complete aero kit, which includes all of the bodywork and wings for both the RC/SO package and the drastically different Speedway kit for the Indy 500, Pocono, and Fontana, can be had for the price of a new Corvette Z06.

"The cost to a team for the initial kits is $75,000 for the aero kit," Eriksen added.

More than 100 pieces comprise Honda's aero kit, and with teams permitted to add and subtract the various bolt-on winglets and other aerodynamic pieces as desired, a driver could practice, qualify, and race with three different configurations. Teammates could try different aero options in the same session, and across the field of 24 Indy cars, keeping track of which components are on or off a car at any given time would require CSI: Indianapolis to conduct a season-long investigation.

Not only has IndyCar unhooked itself from the tethers of spec racing, they've run so far in the opposite direction—at least with aerodynamics—that avid photographers and private investigators would be needed to monitor the major and minor variances being run at any given time.

Rather than force every team to master the same identical chassis and aero, the entrants in IndyCar will need to keep tight control over Pandora's Box.

"I believe the first half of the season, or at least until we get to Indy, teams will be so immersed in what they already have at their fingertips to work with and what they can do with it, that there won't be a lot of time to go through and see what this Honda team has done compared to other Honda teams, or what the Chevys have done and what the Hondas have done," said 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, who handled the majority of Honda's aero kit test-driving duties with his Andretti Autosport team.

"Obviously, if another Honda team has a lot of front downforce, we can see that they are adding it by the number of wing elements on their car, but we don't know what they started with. It is a package. It is a whole package. It's their mechanical combined with their aero, and we certainly won't know their aero numbers to try and copy it. I think at the beginning, I really do think that the teams will just have blinders on, looking straight down at the computer trying to figure out what, when, and how they can make their own stuff work better."

We're a week away from having Chevy and Honda together on the same track with their respective aero kits, and even by the end of the two-day Spring Training event at Alabama's Barber Motorsports Park, it's still unlikely either brand will uncork every ounce of potential contained within the cars.

The two have also been working on making more power from their 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6s, and with the extra downforce pushing the cars to the ground, they'll certainly need additional grunt to push through the air. Tune into the season-opening race March 29 at 3 p.m. ET on ABC to see who fires the first successful volley in IndyCar's wild aero frontier.

Source;
http://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/news/a25225/2015-honda-indycar-aero-kit-unveiled-and-it-looks-nuts/

Honda plans upgrades for next F1 test after tough start for McLaren

By Jonathan Noble of www.autosport.com

Honda will introduce a host of upgrades to its latest Formula 1 engine for the next test at Barcelona to solve the reliability problems that it suffered at Jerez this week.

The Japanese manufacturer faced a spate of niggling issues with its new power unit in F1's first 2015 test, which included sensor problems, oil level issues and a fuel pump failure.

With the reliability dramas limiting Honda's running to 79 laps over four days, it is clear a step forward is needed ahead of the next test which begins on February 19.


Honda's motorsport chief Yasuhiso Arai has no doubts that the difficulties it has faced this week will be sorted so that its Barcelona-spec engine will run better.

"There are many difficulties that we had this week, but we will fix it before the next Barcelona test and get back to work again," he told AUTOSPORT.

"The new engine will be a step up, because we are taking things step-by-step. Some parts will be final [race] parts, but not all.

"There are several testing parts still, and we will take final confirmation on those just before Melbourne."

Arai said that he had still total faith that Honda and McLaren would be able to perform strongly this season, and said he was encouraged that the Jerez dramas were not caused by any major design fault.

"There was no major big trouble," he said. "Our package is very tight and skinny, but some points have been validated.

"It is a tight package, but we had no big trouble with it."

Source;
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/117604

JAS releases first image of TCR Honda Civic

J.A.S Motorsport has released a first image of the TCR specification Honda Civic that is set for competition in the new championship next year.

“The price cap and the technical regulations for the new TCR class match perfectly the needs of the Touring Car market and it enables us to extend our offer to Honda customers around the world,” said Alessandro Mariani, Managing Director of JAS.

“The price of the base car and the affordable running costs will allow many drivers and teams to participate in numerous national and regional championships, while the TCR International Series will be a worldwide showcase for more ambitious outfits.”

The car is designed, built and developed by JAS while Honda engine specialists Mugen are building the engine.

Swedish team WestCoast Racing is going to run three Honda Civics in the 2015 TCR championship, formerly named TC3, with drivers yet to be named.

Source;
http://www.touringcartimes.com/2014/12/15/jas-releases-first-image-of-tcr-honda-civic/

TopGear: Listen to the new McLaren-Honda

Your first taste of 2015’s most anticipated new Formula One car. But who’ll be driving it?

Honda is returning to the Formula One grid to power next year's McLaren MP4-29H/1X1. For anyone who remembers McLaren's late 80s/early 90s form, this is news to get excited about.

For those that don't, a smidge of context. McLaren switched to Honda power for the 1988 Formula One season, using a 1.5-litre turbocharged V6 engine powering the cars of Messrs Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.

Were they successful, you might ask? Fuhgeddaboudit. It was almost embarrassing; McLaren won 15 of the 16 races that year, taking the constructors' and drivers' championships with it.

McLaren won both 1989 titles too, with Honda's new 3.5-litre V10. And then again in 1990. And then again in 1991. The partnership with Honda then, was bloody successful.

So, after a dismal few years, McLaren has reenlisted the help of its former Japanese partner for next year. The video above gives you a little taster of what it'll sound like - and we must stress it's a very little taster. And judging from the car's first tests, there's still some work to be done - electrical issues blighted the first test at Abu Dhabi, and it then completed just three laps in total, following a ‘fuel/data exchange issue'. This sounds like quite a big issue.

Nevertheless, McLaren reckons the test was useful, and has all its fingers and toes crossed that come Australia next year, it'll give the Mercs a run for their money.

But with the team still undecided on its driver line-up (though Fernando Alonso is hotly tipped to make up half of it), who'd you like to see behind the wheel of the new McLaren-Honda?

Source;
http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/mclaren-honda-formula-one-car-2015-first-video-2014-12-01

Jalopnik: This Honda Is The Fastest Formula One Car Ever Made

by Raphael Orlove of www.jalopnik.com

You don't hear a lot about Honda's now-kaput single-seater program anymore, but they did build the fastest outright F1 car ever made.

Honda's F1 program wasn't a total loss. With rally legends Prodrive running BAR Honda, the team came second to the all-conquering Ferrari in 2004, for instance. Honda quit the sport before the '09 season, but their car (with some modification including a new Mercedes engine) absolutely dominated and won the championship as a Brawn. Brawn ended up getting sold to Mercedes, and the team has already won this year's manufacturer's title.

My favorite modern F1 moment for Honda came in 2006. It wasn't the worst year for the team, getting one race win and fourth place in the title standings, but it was far from the best, and the team could've used some publicity.

So they went to the Bonneville Salt Flats.

For the rest of the article;
http://jalopnik.com/this-honda-is-the-fastest-formula-one-car-ever-made-1658080684

Video: Honda’s 2015 F1 Engine Teased

Not long after revealing the first image of its 2015 Formula One engine, Honda has released an interesting video of the powertrain. It provides us with some up close details of the engine while also previewing how it sounds albeit under some fairly loud music.
Honda left Formula One as an engine supplier back in 2008 but due to the new turbocharged V6 engines adopted this year, has decided to return to the top form of motorsport for next season. Just the McLaren cars will use the Honda engines but there’s a possibility more teams will adopt the Honda engine in coming years depending on their success.

Source;
http://www.gtspirit.com/2014/10/13/video-hondas-2015-f1-engine-teased/

Honda could run new Civic Type R model in BTCC in 2015

by Kevin Turner of www.autosport.com

Honda could field its new Civic Type R in the British Touring Car Championship next season.

The Japanese firm's future participation in the series had been questioned due to its Formula 1 entry with McLaren, but negotiations are ongoing for a 2015 tin-top plan.

A Honda spokesperson told AUTOSPORT: "We haven't finished our deal for 2015, but it is absolutely our intention to run in the BTCC again in 2015, especially with the launch of the new Civic Type R."

If confirmed, the move would mean works squad Team Dynamics switching back to a hatchback-style body for its NGTC contenders, after one season with the Civic Tourer estate (pictured).

BTCC champions Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal have both won races in the Tourer this season, but their championship campaigns have been troubled.

After a difficult Rockingham weekend, Neal pointed to the BTCC's boost regulations as an issue for the team's VTEC engine, which was also new for 2014.

"The car's great but it's not got a TOCA engine," said Neal.

"The first speed trap [at Rockingham] is fine because it's halfway through a corner but there's not a single Honda in the top 20 in the middle speed trap."

He also warned the issue had threatened Honda's future involvement, before the spokesperson's comments.
"Honda will pull out of the championship," added Neal.

"So they [TOCA officials] have done their job because what they want is Honda out of the championship."

GOW DISMISSES COMMENTS

Series boss Alan Gow responded to Neal by pointing to the fact that Honda has won three consecutive drivers' titles.

"We've heard those moans for the last three seasons about their engine power," he said.


"And in that time, the Honda Civic has won every drivers', teams' and manufacturers' championship.

"Moreover, last year Andrew Jordan in an independent Civic won the championship, beating the works Team Dynamics cars.

"At Rockingham Jordan was the top Honda driver - and he's not even using the latest-spec VTEC engine like the works cars - while the two Team Dynamics cars went backwards.

"Clearly they need to direct their frustration elsewhere, but if they think I'm going to just sit back and accept their outrageous accusation about us wanting Honda out of the BTCC, then they can think again."

Source;
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/115778

Honda claims overall win, production electric vehicle record at Pikes Peak

Romain Dumas raced to the overall win at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

The 2014 Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb resulted in two more Pikes Peak titles for Honda, as four Honda drivers and riders earned top-five class finishes in Sunday's 12.42-mile trek up the mountain.
The Honda effort was highlighted by Romain Dumas, who scored his first overall Pikes Peak title. Roy Richards also came up big in his Honda Fit EV, winning the Electric Production class with a record run of 12 minutes, 55.591 seconds.

"After [finishing 2nd in] 2012, the target was to win one," Dumas said. "This year, we did a perfect job, the [Honda engine] was running good and we prepared how we should. I knew I was running smoothly, so I didn't want to take any risks. It was a clear run. It was not incredible, but it was enough to win and that was the target anyway. We are very happy, and this is a big win for the team.'

This year marked the 13th consecutive year that a Honda-powered vehicle has won at least one class in the Pikes Peak event.

"I am very pleased with the Fit EV's performance this year," Richards said. "We knew from last year's practice times that the Fit EV had a shot at the record, but weather spoiled our run. Building on the knowledge gained from last year, our team refined the suspension settings and did additional weight reduction. The results were better than we expected with a new record for the production EV class."

Associates from American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Honda Performance Development (HPD), Honda North America and Honda R&D combined to field six vehicles for Honda associates in this year's race. With five of the six Honda drivers having previously competed at Pikes Peak, each of the six vehicles made successful runs to the 14,115-foot Pikes Peak summit.

Honda provided power for Dumas in his own Norma RD Limited prototype chassis entry in the Unlimited class. Starting first, Dumas pushed his Honda powerplant to a race-winning time of 9:05.801 to claim his first race win and the first overall Pikes Peak victory for a Honda-powered car.

James Robinson posted the fastest time of the six Honda associate-driven vehicles in his Acura Pikes Peak NSX, finishing sixth in the Open Class with a time of 11:09.134. Zach Jacobs rode his Honda CBR600RR throughout the course's 156 turns in 11:11.885 to place fifth in the Middleweight motorcycle class, while Sage Marie's effort of 11:59.095 in his Honda S2000 was good for fourth in the Time Attack 2 class.

Keith Steidl placed sixth in the quad class with a time of 12:31.245, while the only rookie in the 2014 class, Corey Taguchi, placed fourth in the Exhibition standings after posting a time of 14:26.438 in his Honda Fit.

Source;
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140702/motorsports/140709977

Acura TLX GT Race Car Debut Delayed

Acura’s new TLX race car was supposed to make its first public race debut this coming weekend at the Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, but a technical glitch has eliminated the car from the race.

“Unfortunately, our program suffered a serious setback yesterday afternoon during final testing which immediately ended our chances of making our debut in Detroit as promised,” wrote RealTime Racing, the outfit responsible for taking the TLX to the race track.

The TLX GT car uses a twin-turbocharged version of the V6 engine that is found in the road-going TLX.

Once it is ready to hit the track, the car will compete in the highest class of Pirelli World Challenge racing, which means it will be taking on the Audi R8 LMS, Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes SLS, Nissan GTR, Porsche 911 and Ferrari 458.

Source;
http://www.houseofjapan.com/auto-moto/acura-tlx-gt-race-car-debut-delayed

Honda Performance Developement unsung heros of 2014 Indianapolis 500

by Parks McCants of www.torquenews.com

Honda Performance Development has been in the racing game since 1993.

With Andretti Autosport dropping Chevrolet for Honda in 2013, Torque News notes a paradigm shift in the Racing Universe.

Big things, baby…And nothing is bigger in racing on this side of the pond than the Indianapolis 500.

Torque News-Honda was very fortunate to have our associate Keith Griffin at the Brickyard. By the writing of this article, the whole world knows that 32 year old, Fort Lauderdale, Fl. native, Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport took the flag as this years Indianapolis 500 winner.

Ryan and Honda powered Team Andretti dominated the 500, with 5 of the top 10 positions taken by a Honda powered Andretti Autosport Dallara IndyCar.

 For those few fans that were out fishing during the broadcast of the Indy 500, the first American to win the 500 in 8 years did so in the last 6 laps of the race.

32 lead changes between 11 drivers came down to the wire as a late red flag facilitated a re-start. And, a well maneuvered fake past Castroneves by Hunter-Reay clinched the race.

According to Hunter-Reay, the fact that his Honda HI14TT engine restarted after 480 miles driven, facilitated the win for him.

When we think about the beating this 2.2 liter twin turbocharged six cylinder takes during a 500 mile race, with average speeds reached of 186.56 mph, we must applaud Honda engineering and the engine builders of HPD for an extreme job well done.

HPD won its first CART championship in 1996 and has never looked back. Until 3 years ago, Honda was the exclusive provider of engines to the IndyCar series.

No small thing…From 2006-2011, Honda was the sole engine supplier for the Indy 500.

During that period of time there were no race day engine failures reported; None.

This 250 pound alloy blocked V6 produces a reported 580 horsepower @ 12,000 rpm; while holding together for no less than 1,000 race-miles between rebuilds. 

The internal engine friction and temperature here is second to none. How does Honda do this? They're not saying.

But looking to the specifications of the 2014 IndyCar specification HI14TT V6, we glean a couple of interesting facts.

The HI14TT IndyCar engine is based on the iconic V6 found in your Odyssey minivan, Ridgeline pickup or Acura TLX.

Source;
http://www.torquenews.com/1574/honda-performance-developement-unsung-heros-2014-indianapolis-500http://www.torquenews.com/1574/honda-performance-developement-unsung-heros-2014-indianapolis-500

McLaren passing Mercedes information to Honda?

Toto Wolff suspects McLaren will pass on knowledge about Mercedes' turbo V6 to its 2015 engine supplier Honda.

This year, Mercedes is in the awkward situation of being contractually bound to supply its industry-leading new technology to McLaren, whilst knowing the British team is already setting up its new works relationship with Honda.

When asked by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport how much information about Mercedes has already passed from Woking to Japan, team boss Eric Boullier smiled whilst insisting: "Nothing!"

Indeed, correspondent Tobias Gruner insists Mercedes is "using every means" to prevent Honda from learning from McLaren's final year with Mercedes.

But Wolff admitted: "I am convinced that what McLaren learns is being exchanged with Honda in the context of what is allowed."

He said McLaren's own telemetry will allow Honda engineers to see information about things like torque, power delivery and driveability.

"And also what is needed for cooling, hydraulics, electronics -- all these things are of course passed on," said Wolff.

Wolff said he trusts McLaren - famously fined $100 million by the FIA for the 2007 'spygate' scandal - to stick to what is allowed as it moves from Mercedes to Honda power.

"We have a very clear understanding of what can be disclosed and what cannot, but I am convinced that they acknowledge the partnership and the confidentiality that they enjoy as a client today," he added.

Wolff also acknowledged that even the transfer of some information will not overcome Honda's inherent "disadvantage" of only returning to formula one in 2015.

"Honda has a natural disadvantage," he said, "because they are coming into the sport when everyone else has already been there (in the V6 era) for a year," he said.

At the same time, he also thinks rivals Ferrari and Renault will be closer to Mercedes next year.

"Our concepts are very different," said Wolff, "but the others will certainly catch up a lot, because they have information about how our engine runs when they see it on the track.

"Next year the field will automatically be closer," he added.

Source;
http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns27923.html

Honda to field seven entries at Pike’s Peak

by Mike Lingeman

Honda will join the 2014 Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb as a sponsor and a competitor, the company said on Thursday. The company will run five cars up the hill, in addition to a motorcycle and an ATV.

"Pikes Peak presents us with a unique opportunity to showcase Honda's diverse product lineup as we work to further strengthen Honda's presence in racing at all levels," said Art St. Cyr, president of Honda Performance Development, the racing arm of American Honda. "Our associates will be working hard between now and race day to prepare this diverse field of race vehicles and showcase the Honda Racing Spirit."

In the Unlimited class, the one that Monster Tajima owns, Honda will field the Norma, a Honda-powered purpose-built racer. French driver Romain Dumas will be behind the wheel. In the Pikes Peak Open class, Honda will run a first-gen Acura NSX with James Robinson at the helm. Honda PR flack Sage Marie will drive the S3700 in the Time Attack class. Corey Taguchi will drive a Honda Fit B-Spec in Exhibition and finally in the EV class, Roy Richards will pilot the Fit EV.

Honda is also working with the Pikes Peak sanctioning body to improve safety on the course. Honda joined with the American Medical Association to implement the AirFence on key corners, providing a soft-wall safety barrier.

This isn’t Honda’s first time at Pikes Peak. In 2011, the company brought a Fit hatchback to the famous hill climb. In 2012, it fielded an Acura NSX powered by an ALMS engine. In 2013, it brought 11 vehicles to compete in 10 classes.

The 2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb takes place on Sunday, June 29.


Source;
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20140424/CARNEWS/140429910

Honda: No customer teams in 2015 or 2016

Honda has confirmed that it will only supply one team with engines when it returns to the sport in 2015, McLaren.

Having unceremoniously left the sport at the end of 2008, the fruit of its efforts belatedly paying off in 2009 when Brawn GP took both the drivers' and constructors' titles, the Japanese company returns to F1 next year in partnership with McLaren, a partnership that became one of the most successful and powerful in the sport's history during the 1980s and ’90s.

Speaking at today's official press conference in Shanghai, the company's motorsport boss, Yasuhisa Arai, dismissed rumours that Honda would be supplying other teams in 2015, or indeed 2016, whilst refusing to comment on who might become a customer in 2017 and beyond.

"For 2015, McLaren is our only customer," he told reporters. "I don't think about the future, because we want to concentrate on next season."

Pushed under the assumption that the Japanese giant must have factored the income from potential customer teams into its budget, Arai continued to give nothing away, whilst appearing to suggest that the McLaren deal is exclusive for 2016 also.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Of course we want to have good results next season and see the results from other manufacturers," he said. "Please chose our power unit for next season. If teams want to use our engine or power unit, we can deliver after year 2016 but right now there are no plans."

Chris Balfe

Source;
http://www.pitpass.com/51398/Honda-No-customer-teams-in-2015-or-2016

Honda Details Twin-Turbo V6 Indy Engine

by Ciprian Florea of www.autoevolution.com 

With the 2014 IndyCar Series season just around the corner, Honda, one of two engine suppliers for this year’s championship, has released new details on its brand new V6 unit.

Codenamed HI14RTT, the 2.2-liter (134-CI) twin-turbocharged V6 aluminum units features a dual overhead camshaft with four valves per cylinder, an alloy steel crankshaft, forged aluminum alloy pistons and machined alloy steel connecting rods.

Fitted with an in-house fuel injection driver control unit and Drive-By-Wire electronic throttle control, the aluminum alloy engine utilizes a McLaren Electronics engine control unit (ECU) and sends power to the wheels via a six-speed sequential, paddle-operated transmission.

As mandated by the sanctioning body, the unit weighs about 250 pounds (112.5 kg) and runs on E85 race fuel.

Honda’s new V6 will provide motivation to 13 single-seaters to be run by six teams, including Andretti Autosport, A.J. Foyt Racing, Dale Coyne Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Sarah Fisher Hartman and Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports.

The remaining five teams, including Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske, will utilize Chevrolet power.

"We've been encouraged by the performance of the new Honda Indy V6 and the improvements we've made during the off-season," said Mark Crawford, HPD project leader for the IndyCar program. "We believe we have a great lineup of teams and drivers, including a good balance of proven race winners and promising new stars. We're looking forward to the start of the 2014 season on the streets of St. Petersburg, and taking on the challenge presented by Chevrolet in the battle for the Manufacturers' Championship."

The 2014 IndyCar Series season will commence on March 30 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The championship will include 18 events, with the final race scheduled on August 30 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Source;
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/honda-details-twin-turbo-v6-indy-engine-78982.html

Honda NSX prototype to tackle the Goodwood hill climb

Goes into production next year

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is three months away but that hasn't stopped Honda from announcing plans to tackle the hill climb with an NSX prototype.

Described as the "perfect event to demonstrate its flagship supercar for the first time in Europe," the prototype will be joined by a 1989 NSX - once driven by Ayrton Senna - and a 2005 NSX.

As we have previously reported, the Acura / Honda NSX will go into production next year at the newly constructed Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio. It will feature a twin-turbo V6 engine and a Sport Hybrid Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system that has three electric motors.

Source;
http://www.worldcarfans.com/114031972030/honda-nsx-prototype-to-tackle-the-goodwood-hill-climb

2014 Honda Civic Tourer BTCC shown in the metal

First estate car after 1994 season

Honda Yuasa Racing has published several photos with their Civic Tourer set to compete in this year's British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).

The BTCC-spec 2014 Honda Civic Tourer is undergoing some last-minute testing ahead of its official debut set for March 29-30 at Brands Hatch in the inaugural race of the season. Honda Yuasa Racing's contender marks the return of an estate car after the 1994 season and it will be the only vehicle of this type in this year's lineup.

Powered by a 300+ HP (221 kW) four-cylinder, 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, the Civic Tourer BTCC will be driven by Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal. Joining the Tourer variant will be the Civic hatchback part of the Eurotech Racing team.

Source: Honda Yuasa Racing (Facebook)
Source;
http://www.worldcarfans.com/114032072063/2014-honda-civic-tourer-btcc-shown-in-the-metal

CarThrottle.com: This Is The S2000 CR: Honda’s Super-Rare Track Special S2K

This track-focused, US-only S2k is the brainchild of the NSX’s creator

While perusing Reddit we came across this mint, stock 2008 Honda S2000 Club Racer. Having done only 4235 miles, it’s about as close to a factory fresh example as you’re going to find.

The CR was never sold outside America, so us Brits had to hit Google to find out exactly what we were looking at. Simply put, it’s a track-oriented version of the S2000, created by Shigeru Uehara, a former Chief Engineer at Honda. Credentials? He’s the man behind the original S2000, NSX and Integra Type-R – so basically a living legend.

The CR was his retirement project. Created over his final year at Honda, he festooned the S2k with aerodynamic upgrades that reduced the car’s coefficient of lift by an incredible 70-80 per cent – no doubt largely due to that massive rear wing. He also reworked the springs and shocks, making the suspension much stiffer, and quickened the steering ratio for sharper inputs at high speed.

It’s also a lot lighter than the standard car, thanks to the fact it has no spare tyre, while air conditioning and a stereo were simply options. Weight was also reduced by the removal of the power-folding roof, replaced with additional chassis bracing and a removable hardtop.

It has the same 2.2-litre VTEC engine as the standard car, giving 234bhp. But the power-to-weight ratio is improved, and the car sticks to the road thanks to all that downforce, so track times will tumble.

It’s the lack of engine upgrades that make this fall short of a ‘Type-R’ version, but for serious S2000 fanboys, there can’t be many more sought after examples, especially given that only 699 CRs were built. Got a spare $33k?

Source;
http://www.carthrottle.com/this-is-the-s2000-cr-hondas-super-rare-track-special-s2k/

Acura/Honda NSX GT Concept Racer (Video)

Source;
http://www.autoblog.com/2014/03/01/honda-nsx-concept-gt-racing-video/

Honda Performance Development Unveils 3.5-Liter Prototype Racing Engine

02/20/2014 - SANTA CLARITA, Calif.

• Starworks Motorsport to Debut HR35TT at Sebring
• Latest Racing Application of Production-Based Honda V6 Engine
• Two-Team HPD Effort In TUDOR United SportsCar Championship

Honda Performance Development Thursday announced a new, 3.5-liter racing application for the versatile, production-based Honda V6 engine found in a wide range of Honda/Acura passenger cars and light trucks and now raced in multiple categories worldwide.

The Honda HR35TT twin-turbocharged V6 is expected to make its TUDOR United SportsCar Championship debut at the 2014 Mobil1 12 Hours of Sebring, mounted in a Riley Gen3 prototype chassis campaigned by Starworks Motorsport.

Previously, Starworks partnered with HPD to win the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and World Endurance Championship in 2012, using HPD's ARX-03b chassis and Honda HR28TT twin-turbocharged V6, which also is derived from Honda's J35 series of engines.

Starworks becomes the second team to utilize Honda power for the new TUDOR championship. Extreme Speed Motorsports campaigns a pair of prototype class HPD ARX-03b Hondas, after a successful initial season with the same package in the 2013 American Le Mans Series.

"This is an exciting program for HPD and our customer teams in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship," said Steve Eriksen, HPD Vice President and COO. "Adding Starworks, a team that achieved great success with us in 2012, in a prototype machine alongside the proven HPD-Honda combination run by Extreme Speed Motorsports provides HPD with a strong, balanced attack in the inaugural TUDOR Championship."

"It's a fantastic feeling to be partnering with Honda once again," said Starworks team owner Peter Baron. "No doubt we had amazing success with HPD in 2012, but unfortunately it was only a one-year program. We have had numerous conversations over the past two years about building a Daytona Prototype motor and we're thrilled to see it come to fruition. We absolutely love working with HPD and have been in collaboration to find a new opportunity to partner with them again. We will have our work cut out with the steep learning curve to get us to Victory Lane, but HPD brings determination and success to every program it touches. Although HPD already competes in the Prototype class, we feel this is huge step for the TUDOR series and Starworks is thrilled to be part of it."

Starworks Motorsport has compiled an enviable record in Daytona Prototype competition, with five race victories, including back-to-back wins at Indianapolis in 2012 and 2013; and a second-place finish in the Daytona Prototype team championship in 2012, with two victories and six podium finishes. That same year, Starworks became the first American-based prototype team to win an FIA World Championship since 1968, and HPD won its first world title in WEC competition.

The HPD-developed twin-turbocharged Honda engines to be used in the TUDOR championship are both derived from the Honda J35 series of production V6 engines, and include relevant twin-turbocharger technology, along with the efficiency provided by direct fuel injection.

The HR35TT is yet another competition application of the ubiquitous J35 engine. The first, the HR28TT, was designed for LMP2 competition and won in its American Le Mans Series debut in 2011. The engine has gone on to record 24 individual race victories and three series titles in the American Le Mans Series, World Endurance Championship and European Le Mans Series Competition.

Other variants of the engine have been raced in Japan's Autobacs SuperGT Championship, the One Lap of America competitive rally and Pikes Peak International Hillclimb.

Honda Performance Development (HPD) is the Honda performance company within North America.  Located in Santa Clarita, Calif., HPD is the technical operations center for high-performance Honda racing cars and engines. The company is marking its 20th anniversary in 2013.

As an engine supplier to the IZOD IndyCar Series, Honda has scored 204 race victories in both CART and IZOD IndyCar Series competition since 1994, and powered Scott Dixon to a series-high four victories and the 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series drivers' championship.

HPD offers a variety of race engines for track applications from prototype sports cars to karting; and showcases "fun-to-drive" products for professional, amateur and entry-level racers.

Honda HR35TT V6 Engine

• Engine Type Aluminum alloy, twin-turbocharged, direct fuel-injected V6
• Displacement 3.5 liters
• Valve Train Single overhead camshaft, four valves per cylinder
• Crankshaft Alloy steel
• Pistons Forged aluminum, low-friction coatings
• Connecting Rods Machined alloy steel
• Engine Management HPD/McLaren
• Ignition System Digital inductive
• Lubrication Dry sump system
• Cooling Single mechanical water pump
• Fuel E10 100-101 octane gasoline, 10% ethanol 

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/channels/corporate-headlines/releases/honda-performance-development-unveils-3-5-liter-prototype-engine