[jl47]

Honda Imas
http://www.electrifyingtimes.com/honda_IMAS.html

looks like honda hasn't abandonded the small 2 seater market after all.
The direction they are going is lighter materials, and really getting rid of the "fat". The insight has weight problems for a little car. The interior pieces alone must weigh a bit. Adding small circles in the skin could also help with aerodynamics, like a golf ball. However I'm not certain it would sell.

Also, I think they want to move away from batteries, and electronics mainly to stop from competing with the Chinese. A braking system with a hydraulics system would be lighter and last indefinitely with less of the battery problems.

Honda knows it must compete with the Chinese and is probably looking at cost as #1, fuel economy as #2 problems.

They always stated that the Insight was a real world experiment, meant to be driven, but also to learn-presumeably for another version.
If there's anything I've learned from working at a Japanese company; they are masters of incremental improvement.

 

[dice]

well, that post is 3 years old, but I think it looks sweet. I'd buy one.

 

[ElectricTroy]

Yeah, car companies build these prototypes to test various concepts.

That all IMAS is - just a concept car.

 

[originalbadbob]

Too bad it's a concept. That would be my next car. I only need 2 seats, and I have an old Mazda that seats 5 for when I need more. If my Insight was paid off, I'd probably buy another one as a spare.
robert

 

[jonnoshore]

drag of 0.2 vs. 0.25

With small minimal visibility door mirrors like that and an under shield, no wipers and no ariel I would imagine an Insight would be pretty darn close to a Cd of 0.2 or I bet with minimal mods it could be there...

Not sure if this is in the Insight archive...
http://autoweb.drive.com.au/cms/A_53680 ... ticle.html