Possible replacements for the Insight?

[stoner]

Just came across this looking for info on the new Jazz after reading that Honda are to introduce a new smaller Civic IMA engine based car to the US next year.
http://www.prelude.ru/internetclub/acco ... uto&id=469

Don't know if they are genuine (translation required) - perhaps you have come across them before?

In particular look the 'HONDA CRX IV Generation 2006'

and...

the 'HONDA JAZZ / FIT III Generation 2006'

Both have potential for a Civic IMA transplant :P

the 'HONDA INSIGHT II Generation 2007' just looks too conceptual to me

[Foxpaw]

The grammar of Russian doesn't make for a clean translation, but the top more or less says "Sources are not always reliable, but where there's smoke, there's fire, and it seems improbable that the sources would be entirely incorrect; time will tell."

This suggests that the page is a compilation of rumours, but I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions. Given the number of "2006" models, you would think more concrete information would be available by now, unless Honda is planning to drop 15 new models on us by surprise.

[b1shmu63]

The one labeled Insight II is a rather unflattering picture of the IMAS prototype. No way Honda is going to release something like that this year.

The CRX? looks like a posibility.

[The Citrus Smoothie]

I know that there will be both three door and five door new Civics; I believe the new IMA Civic will also be available in both. What qualifies as a CRX replacement?

[Insightful Trekker]

Originally Posted by The Citrus Smoothie

<snip>

What qualifies as a CRX replacement?

No back seat <g>

And the _BEST_ MPG of any car in production so far...

[Dougie]

It seems to me that the problem with trying to build a "replacement" for the Insight is that it's already quite a ways up the technology curve. Things that Honda could do:

Put in a smaller ICE, but then it wouldn't be able to keep up with traffic on the highway. You could take maybe 200 pounds of weight out of the body by making it from carbon fiber, but then it would cost $250,000 instead of only $50,000. You could improve the aerodynamics a bit with TV camera mirrors and better tire cowlings. And hopefully the tire makers will get back on the LRR bandwagon and come out with some better tires. Diesel engine, maybe, as Honda gets more experience with them, and perhaps a more efficient battery.

But all these things together aren't going to get the car up past 80 or 90 mpg at most. It would be interesting to run a simulation of the car with these improvements to see how it works out. Does anybody have access to the simulator program at http://www.ctts.nrel.gov/analysis/

[james]

There's a lot that could be done to build a next-generation Insight with better fuel economy and better performance. For one example, see the MIMA thread.

Then there's quite a bit of excess flat plate area that could be eliminated, if the Insight II was built as a true sports car. It could be lowered 3-4 inches at least, and the passenger compartment narrowed about the same amount.

Then there's the smaller IC engine with turbo, recapturing energy from exhaust, better battery technology...