Honda engineer talks CR-Z, says Lotus Elise was an influence

[MikeW]

Amazing as many years as it has been out it still has a lot of people looking at it.



Take a look at the specs and it's easy to dismiss the 2011 Honda CR-Z out of hand. Despite its hybrid drivetrain, the 1.5-liter four coupled with its electric motor churns out a lackluster 122 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque and only nets a combined 37 mpg. That's far from enough to set enthusiasts hearts aflutter or goad hypermilers out of their Prius and into what's essentially Insight 2.0 (ignoring Honda's four-door Toyota-fighter for the moment).

The only (cold) consolation for enthusiasts desperate for a CRX redux is a six-speed manual taking the place of the optional CVT. And we've yet to get an official curb weight for the NA-spec model. So...

What was Honda's mindset when it created the CR-Z? If you can believe the marketing frippery in the video after the jump, it's all about "fun-to-drive." According to Terukazu Torikai, the chief engineer for chassis dynamics on the CR-Z, Honda benchmarked several vehicles during the development of its new hatch, and not only was Mini mentioned a few times, Honda drove everything from the Volkswagen Scirocco to the Lotus Elise. Torikai goes on to say that "the performance of the Elise kept on inspiring us throughout the whole development process." That bodes well from both a handling and steering perspective, but we remain lukewarm on the prospects until we finally get a stint behind the wheel.

[ranny]

thanks for sharing this information it is good for me and others also thanks to see and i hope that you will give more in future that type thanks

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Rueckfahrkamera

[JnC]

Fifth gear has a video review on the CRZ: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vn_8uJ60GvY&rel=0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Vn_8uJ60GvY&rel=0</a>

IMHO the CRZ does nothing better than a Mini Cooper, Ford Fiesta, Mazda 2, or the forthcoming Fiat 500 can do.

Honda would have been better served if they would have introduced a VZ model with an emphasis on light weight, and an Si model with a beefier electric motor and more torque.

[ranny]

yeah i also thought that from engineers thanks for sharing this i hope that you share more that type good information

Rueckfahrkamera