Honda's "Boosted" Sat Nav: Crime Avoidance Technology By Feann Torr & Motoring Channel Staff - 23/Apr/2008 | 
Honda Sat Nav Crime Fighter: just don't
expect it to lower your insurance premium
The Honda Racer has two drivers and
is powered by a 20-litre V10 engine
The exhaust pipe system is a work of art, and
the compact rear diffuser is also pretty neat
The Honda Racer is a wild design - just don't
expect to see it in your Honda dealer showroom
|
Tokyo, Japan — Here's something that may interest satellite navigation users - a new function that will steer you clear of crime. Though
it's not quite a modern-day crime fighting bat-mobile addon, Honda's
new system that launched this week in Japan will warm drivers if they
get too close to a crime hot spot. Using police records to
determine where crime is rife, Japanese drivers who hook up the new
system will be able avoid areas that are known for car theft as
an example. The system will warm drivers as they approach 'high risk' areas in Japan. You can imagine the navigational instructions: "In 100 metres turn left, then at the next... Turn the car around. Move it or lose it!! Go! Go! Go!" There
has already been some debate that such a system would not work in many
countries, as Honda could be criticised for labelling a suburb
'high risk' which is populated by certain ethnic groups, therefore
opening itself up to claims of racist satellite navigation. At this stage the system has only been rolled out in Japan.
In
related news, Honda has been selected to debut the first new Hot Wheels
design, in celebration of the toy car company's 40th anniversary. A range of car makers from across the globe participated, with companies like Mitsubishi, Chevrolet, Ford and Lotus designing their own unique Hot Wheels cars. The
first cab off the rank is the Honda Racer, which goes against the
company grain of compact, efficient engines and drops a 20-litre V10
engine between the twin fuselages. We're not sure exactly how
much power such an engine would output if the scale was 1/1 instead
of 1/64, but it would probably be somewhere in the vicinity of
1400kW. According to Mattel, the only requirement for these 40th
anniversary cars was for them to be able fit on a Hot Wheels track
and to be capable of a loop-de-loop. Guillermo Gonzalez, the bloke who designed the Honda Racer, said it was the ultimate racecar: "The Honda Racer combines the excitement of Honda's
racing heritage with Hot Wheels' reputation for speed, power,
performance and attitude. "The
core concept is built around our idea for an 'ultimate racecar' and
leverages the design freedom made possible by a scale model car." When
viewed from above, the shape resembles the Honda 'H' badge and
there are also styling cues borrowed from the 1967 RA 273,
during Honda's initial foray into F1 racing. The alloy wheel design is a aggressive and the exhaust piping is likewise of interest. With with
no rear overhang and two canopies, the Honda Racer also features two
drivers for optimal weight balance (one drives, and the other to
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