Hachigo with the all-new Clarity Fuel Cell and Super Cub after the unveiling ceremony.
IT was a galore of cars, bikes and machines as the world’s major motor makers flaunted their top ranch models at the 44th Tokyo Motor Show 2015 with the theme ‘Your Heart Will Race’.
The 11-day event, starting Oct 29 at Tokyo Big Sight, the moniker for the Tokyo International Exhibition Centre, located in the Ariake District on Tokyo Bay, featured, among the exhibitors, renowned Japanese automaker Honda with more than 40 vehicles on display at its booth — the largest for a single brand.
Themed ‘Go Beyond Imagination’, the impressive Honda exhibition kiosk treated visitors to various innovative mobility products — from concept to commercial models, each embodying the Honda spirit.
Two models commanded special attention at the show – the all new-fuel cell vehicle (FCV) Clarity Fuel Cell, touted to pave the way for a hydrogen-based society, and the all-new NSX, the forerunner of supercars.
The Clarity Fuel Cell is the world’s first production model to consolidate the fuel-cell powertrain under the hood area, allowing for a spacious cabin that accommodates five adults. It is a vehicle that has evolved into a new stage.
The all-new NSX, on the other hand, is a supercar model featuring the new direct-injected twin-turbo VTEC V6 engine, mounted on a lightweight body, with an innovative three-motor hybrid system – the Sport Hybrid SH-AWD.
The unveiling ceremony for these two models was officiated at by Honda president, CEO and representative director Takahiro Hachigo.
In his address, Hachigo said apart from outstanding environmental performance, the all new FCV (Clarity Fuel Cell) offered two other attractions — the fun of driving and the joy of using FCV.
“A highly unique package for this vehicle was realised based on Honda’s longstanding M/M concept – man maximum, machine minimum — meaning to ‘maximise the space for people and minimise the space required for mechanical components.’ We believe this sedan model could set a new benchmark for FCVs.”
Hachigo pointed out that by installing a downsized FC powertrain under the hood, Honda had created a cabin capable of accommodating five people as comfortably as the cabin of a regular-gasoline powered sedan model.
“Moreover, this model features a cruising range of more than 700km, the top-class range among all FCVs, and exhilarating driving made possible by the motor drive,” he added.
The all new Clarity Fuel Cell will go on sale first in Japan in March 2016 and then in the US and Europe.
Outstanding features
As for the all-new NSX, Hachigo said the new supercar model featured a newly-developed direct-injection V6 twin-turbo engine, mounted vertically on a lightweight vehicle body in a mid-ship layout together with a three-motor hybrid system to realise both outstanding driving performance and fuel economy.
“I drove this all-new NSX and enjoyed a sense of oneness with the vehicle that comes from ‘on-the-rails’ driving where three motors control the driving force of four wheels.
“I enjoyed the fun of handling this car as if it were my own arms and legs. This model is being perfected as a vehicle that embodies the origin of its name — New Sports eXperience.”
The production of this all-new NSX is scheduled to begin in the spring of next year in North America.
Hachigo said after that, Honda would introduce the all-new NSX sequentially to other markets, including Japan. He also introduced the all-new Civic Type R as a sports model, expected to hit the road ‘a little bit sooner’ than the all-new NSX.
“I would say this Civic Type R is a sports model that most expresses what only Honda can do because it was created by pouring all of Honda’s sports DNA into a popular mass-market Model — the Honda Civic. This all-new model was especially developed with a goal to create the best Civic Type R model ever,” he explained.
This vehicle took shape through a number of test drives on various test courses and racetracks, including Nurburgring in Germany. The all-new Civic Type R has been very well-received ever since it went on sale in Europe this past summer.
Honda is starting to offer 750 units of this all-new Civic Type R to their customers in Japan.
With the largest area for a single brand and over 40 vehicles displayed, the theme of the Honda booth is ‘Go beyond imagination.’
Super Cub starting point
On the lineup of motorcycles, Hachigo began with the Super Cub which he described as ‘the starting point of our company’.
In 1958, Honda offered the Super Cub as a new mobility product that would be useful in the people’s everyday lives. In the meantime, Honda made its debut in the Isle of Man TT Race the following year.
As a company pursuing mobility, it was inevitable for Honda to seek higher performance in its vehicles even while developing down-to-earth and useful products in people’s everyday lives.
Hachigo said such DNA is still present in Honda today, adding that the next generation mobility models, including a motor-equipped EV-Cub concept and Super Cub concept with higher environmental performance, were being developed with a view towards market introduction soon.
“Honda wants to continue to be a manufacturer of new-generation Super Cub models beloved by more and more customers.”
Meanwhile, Honda’s pursuit of driving and riding performance took concrete shape this year in Indianapolis, USA, when Marc Marquez, riding a Honda RC213V, won a historic MotorGP victory in the premier class of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Series.
Following this, Honda achieved an unprecedented total of 700 Grand Prix victories since the first success from Tom Phillis at the FIM Road Racing World Championship Spanish Grand Prix in 1961.
In introducing the RC213V-S, Hachigo said this model is a MotoGP-class racing machine, modified for riding on public roads. Based on the belief that “the fastest machine in the world is the easiest machine to handle in the world,” Honda embodied its new challenge with this model, he added.
The Honda Wander Stand Concept is created based on the theme of “wander = wander around freely.”
Taking on challenges
Going beyond the framework of “feeding technologies amassed through racing machines into mass-production models,” Honda is pleased to deliver the “world’s best dream machine” to customers.
In the area of automobiles, Honda has taken on challenges in F1 racing, the world’s most prestigious automobile racing series, starting this season.
“At the Japanese Grand Prix a month ago, we received a lot of cheers and encouragement. Converting such cheers into a big power, the Honda team has been and will be continuing to taking on bold challenges in its F1 activities,” Hachigo revealed.
On the line-up of motorcycles, he said Honda had expanded the joy of manoeuvring from on-road to off-road models.
“We advanced our original dual clutch transmission (DCT) technologies and developed a new DCT for off-road models. The CRF1000L Africa Twin equipped with this new DCT will go on sale first in Europe before the end of this year.”
Moreover, Honda is also exhibiting the Neowing, a large-sized three-wheeled vehicle with a hybrid system, developed for the pursuit of steering feel with more fun and greater peace of mind.
“Also on display is the Concept CB, an advanced form of the CB Series which represents our sports models. These models indicate the new direction Honda will take in the fun areas of our motorcycle business,” Hachigo said.
He added that by providing such a wide range of mobility products, Honda was striving to address various issues faced by motorised society, including traffic accidents, traffic congestion and mobility issues related to the aging population.
“We believe advancement of Honda Sensing, our driver-assistive technologies, will lead us to the realisation of automated driving. Therefore, we are working on improving the functionality of Honda Sensing as well as the expanding application of Honda Sensing technologies to more models.”
He said drivers could enjoy mobility via cars only when they were able to feel the support, peace of mind and comfort they were getting from Honda Sensing-equipped vehicles.
“When we can realise automated driving, our vehicles’ ability to avoid dangerous situations and assist the driver will be further increased. When that happens, Honda’s ultimate safety goals — zero accident and the ‘realisation of the joy and freedom of mobility — should be attained.”
Towards this end, Hachigo said it was essential to create automated driving that featured a control-function, capable of determining the next move the vehicle should take by using highly sophisticated intelligence technologies, high performance sensors and high-accuracy maps to recognise what was going on with the vehicle and the environment outside the vehicle.
“To be more concrete, we will continue making progress in our technology development with a target to put our automated driving technologies into practical use on highways by 2020. Honda will continue pursuing its goal to advance automobiles to the point where they will have ‘zero social footprint’ and we will strive to contribute to society with our automated driving technologies.”
According to Hachigo, some of Honda’s challenges towards these new mobility products would bear fruit this year.
“Our entry into the aviation industry — which was also a dream of our company founder — with our HF120 jet engine and HondaJet is getting very close. Honda will strive to realise the joy and freedom of mobility in the aircraft business as well.”
“At Honda, we think over and over again. We embody our original ideas with our innovative technologies. We don’t let go of our ideas and passion without trying something. We pursue things all the way to the end and break through the conventional thinking or past precedents. Such determinations run through all of these Honda mobility products I introduced today,” he said.
Driven by ‘The Power of Dreams’, Hachigo said Team Honda would work as one and keep taking on challenges to realise mobility products that delivered inspiration and joy to customers around the world.