Honda's first concept car

Honda is turning back the clock 40 years with the North American debut of the company’s very first concept car, the Honda HP-X, as part of Monterey Car Week. Styled and handcrafted by the renowned Italian design house Pininfarina, and making its first major public appearance since 1984, the radical wedge-shaped HP-X (Honda Pininfarina eXperimental) Concept preceded the development of the first-generation NSX supercar.

Following an extensive restoration carried out at the Pininfarina workshop in Italy, the Honda HP-X Concept will be displayed in the Wedge-Shaped Concept Cars and Prototypes Class at the 73rd Annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The HP-X employed advanced aerodynamics, including ‘ground effects’ and innovative cooling solutions for its mid-mounted 2.0-litre DOHC 24-valve V6 engine, which was based on a Honda F2 racing engine. There are no doors; instead, the futuristic concept features a jet-fighter style removable single-piece Perspex canopy. The rear of the canopy extends into a fairing with two main functions – improving the car’s streamlined appearance and serving as a driver-controlled air brake. Additionally, the HP-X explored the cutting-edge use of alternative materials, including honeycomb panels, carbon fibre, and Kevlar, to reduce weight and improve performance.

The HP-X’s interior explored new levels of comfort, ergonomics, and function thanks to extensive styling research. A Honda-developed ‘Electronic Drive Support System’ previewed advanced features including real-time telemetry, GPS, and even road condition warnings via ‘special sonar’ – commonplace technologies today.

Designed with a focus on advancing technology, the HP-X Concept served as a testbed for ambitious new ideas, technologies, and engineering principles that would eventually be seen in later Honda and Acura models, particularly in the mid-engine two-seater NSX which debuted just a few years later. Designed and developed in Japan, the first-generation NSX embodied many of the ideas and innovations first explored in the HP-X.

Photos © Honda