Racing Honda

YOU KNEW HONDA WAS HARD TO BEAT IN FUEL EFFICIENCY, BUT HOW ABOUT IN A RACE?

Honda has always been your go to automobile manufacturer for fuel efficiency, environmental sustainability and reliability. You may not know it, but Honda doesn’t let down if you’re looking for power or speed either.

In fact, Honda knows enough about performance to run a Formula One racing team, which the company did from 2006 to 2008. Honda has also been building Formula One engines since 1983 (racing.honda.com).

Honda has done quite well in Formula One, winning the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2006, and the company’s interest in racing has found its way into their commercial models, too. The S2000, Honda’s recently retired roadster, was inspired by the company’s Formula One heritage and Honda’s recognition of the American market for muscle cars (www.automobiles.honda.com).

Though the S2000 is no longer on the market and though Honda no longer has a Formula One team, the company isn’t done with racing yet: they continue to produce engines for Grand Prix races.

In March of 2011, the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg saw 25 teams race vehicles all running on Honda engines. Two more of these races were held in April, one in Alabama and one in Long Beach, CA. It looks like Honda engineers are still excited about testing out their powerful motors (www.honda.com).

 You can watch some of the 2011 Honda Grand Prix in St. Petersburg yourself on YouTube. Just follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiObU788_yo.

So, the next time you’re looking into buying a new car, don’t forget that Honda isn’t known only for its durability and economy, but also for the quality and performance of its engines. If Honda engines can win Grand Prix races, you can rest assured that they will perform quite well for you in your next car.