Last year Honda released a turbocharged three-cylinder baby basket called the S660 in Japan.
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A collaboration between Honda’s engineering teams in Japan and North America, the Honda S Dream Streamliner averaged 421.641km/h over one kilometer and 421.446kmh for the one mile mark. Just as the Beetle LSR has done, Honda has posted its own record-breaking figures at the Bonneville Salt Flats – 421.59 km/h over a kilometre, and 421.45 km/h over a mile (1.6 km), thus gifting it the FIA world record for its class, Category-A Group-1 Class-4. Instead, the S-Dream opted for a purposely built aerodynamic body that just nailed a FIA class record on the Bonneville Salt Flats by climbing to nearly 262 miles per hour (418.4 kph) in a vehicle equipped with a 660-cubic-centimeter turbocharged three cylinder. Honda took it to the salt flats of Bonneville for Speed Week and managed a 261.875 MPH standing mile, making it the fastest Honda ever. Honda says the S Dream hit 266 miles per hour in one run, but was unable to duplicate it so its record stands at 261.875 miles per hour.
“The team carefully re-investigated every part of the S660 engine and renewed many of them including cylinder block, pistons, crankshaft and valves”.
While the Streamliner’s engine is based around the S660’s, it has been extensively modified. The aluminum block was replaced with a steel one and reinforced connecting rods were used to give the engine the strength needed to support the power needed to achieve the record.
That being said the possible power output of the engine in its stock form is unknown as Japanese Kei-Car regulations officially limits it to 47kW. However, engineers from Honda thought they could squeeze some more power out of it.
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Now while it’s approaching the weekend, we assure you that those statistics are correct: Honda has created a vehicle capable of 260mph with a 660cc engine. Engines which are capable of producing over 700kW – with the right modifications – way more than the quoted “gentlemen’s agreed” power limit of 206kW for performance cars in Japan from the decade of the 1990s. The goal of the project was very simple – “Achieve a world speed record with 660cc engine”.
