Filed under: Spy Photos, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Paris Motor Show, Honda
Spy Shots: Honda's hybrid Prius-fighter caught
by Damon Lavrinc on Jul 16th 2008 at 7:23PM 
Click above for a high-res gallery of Honda's new hybrid.
Honda's oft-discussed, yet never spied Prius-fighter has been caught by the merry minions at KGP. A parade of three cars were shot in the desert, including the prototype you see above, a facelifted Civic Hybrid and the new model's arch rival, the Toyota Prius.
While the cloaked mule's shape could be easily mistaken as a Prius, the two-tier instrument cluster is a dead giveaway of the prototype's Honda origins. The nose is notably lower than its Toyota competition and although the hatch is an obvious rip on the Prius' aerodynamic rear, the fenders have a discernibly steeper angle, along with a trunk lid sporting a small spoiler.
The unnamed hybrid from Honda will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show later this year, and will adopt many of the design cues found on the big H's hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity sedan.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
MikeofLA 7:29PM (7/16/2008)
wow, that looks a LOT like a Prius.
Reply
Marko 7:36PM (7/16/2008)
To me it looks like they were deliberately camoing it to look like a Prius, although no matter what someone will still say they look similar no matter what the final design ends up being.
They do have a high chance of having the same proportions as they're going to be cars competing for the same market segment.
motorman 7:40PM (7/16/2008)
when you put a C of D number into a computer the shape that will come out will always be the same. i bet the Volt will look very much the same
Don 6:27AM (7/18/2008)
That was my first thought. It shows the Japanese are a bunch of copiers and now they are copying from each other. Great!!
Torrent 8:30PM (7/16/2008)
It's almost the exact same shape as a Prius, except it doesn't resemble a 60's VW Beetle in the front.
I see soooo much FCX in this design, but hate the Prius silhouette.
tankd0g 8:32PM (7/16/2008)
Fight Prius with Prius?
Torrent 8:32PM (7/16/2008)
In the last picture, it's in front of a Prius. Everything is the same if you compare them!
RPM 8:37PM (7/16/2008)
In the earlier years of the American cars, GM, Ford and Chrysler tried to make the most aerodynamic cars possible. There is only one perfectly aerodynamic design. Eventually GM realized that to keep selling cars, they would have to purposely change the design every few years and forget about aerodynamics, since all the aerodynamic designs looks the same. Same thing here, Honda isn't really copying the Prius, its just that the Prius has the most aerodynamic shape currently possible that is functional, efficient and in the price range.
jordan 9:58PM (7/16/2008)
@motorman
Relatively true, but not completely. The Prius has a .26cd, right? The 2nd generation RX-7 has a .27. Pretty different in shape, no? :) I wonder what the difference would be, in MPG, given same curb weight and powertrains.
You'd think all supercars have a low cd, too, but apparently not. The SSC Aero Ultimate has a cd .357. I think that fortifies the idea that they just drew what they thought would be aerodynamic and put it up in AutoCAD.
VWsat 1:04AM (7/17/2008)
I know everyone says it looks like a prius, but it is using the Kammback shape: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kammback
Essentially, the teardrop shape is the most efficient aerodynamically. By removing the "tail" the airflow is same as if it existed, but you remove the extra length & weight.
ZetoSanNi 2:38AM (7/17/2008)
Or--maybe--it looks like a Prius which looks like a Honda Insight..
I did some browsing (thanks VWsat). Take a look at this view of the 1974 Citroen CX..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Citrcx1silvrear.jpg
Who's copying who in the automotive world? It's crazy-talk.
zmf001 7:50AM (7/17/2008)
@jordan: The drag is the result of a ton of different things. For a boring to drive Prius (or "Prius Fighter") drag coefficient is a big concern.
As for supercars, they have extremely low drag before they add the down force. When Lotus made the Elise it was designed to create down force in just the right spots to improve handling. Down force adds drag to the car. Supercars don't have low drag coefficients, because they are designed to perform at speed and still be stable.
rypt 9:54AM (7/17/2008)
Why must they design a new shape ... why can't they just stick a hybrid engine into a Civic hatch? This Prius lookalike, and Prius itself, are both ugly.
RJP 10:46AM (7/17/2008)
@jordan:
Don't forget about the Subaru XT/XT6 which is remarkably boxy and manages a Cd of 0.29.
Bradly 8:22AM (7/21/2008)
Scandal!!! Britney Spears's NEW Sex Tape
Here:
http://celebritiezvidz.com/video.php?v=Britney_Spears's_sex_tape
Mr.K 7:32PM (7/16/2008)
Why can't they make a hybrid that doesn't look......like a hybrid? I understand the aerodynamic aspect of it, but the prius and this look pretty terrible (IMO).
Reply
Guy 9:34PM (7/16/2008)
You mean... like the Honda Civic Hybrid?
MGBYG 11:00PM (7/16/2008)
Because it HAS TO LOOK LIKE A HYBRID.
Honda 's hybrids and Toyota's other hybrids are not selling as well as predicted. Duh?
People don't want to spend the extra cash for the hybrid unless they can fly up the 405 and have everyone KNOW they are driving a hybrid and therefore morally superior or something...
A TDI Golf/Rabbit/Jetta would do most people just fine & without the ego thing.
Mr.K 1:23AM (7/17/2008)
Oh I understand what you're saying MGBYG. Its basically a "green" billboard. They look like pewp though.
The civic hybrid also doesn't have the same gas mileage as the Prius, and I would argue it isn't much better looking (nice wheels). I was more talking about the designed-to-be-hybrid cars. Like the EV1, Insight, Prius, and this Honda thing.
LaughingMan 1:29AM (7/17/2008)
So instead of feeling smug because you drive a hybrid, you feel smug that you're driving a VW diesel and you blend in with the crowd and don't have to show off?
Either way, if you are that guy buying a car for image, or you're *countering* that first guy by buying a "stealth" diesel, you're smug.
Honestly, I believe that most people are buying the Prius over other hybrids because it compromises the least compared to other hybrids. It's the one that has the most drastically different fuel economy, it's a hatchback with fold down seats, unlike the Civic.
Image comes into it, but it's not the whole reason why the Prius is selling well. It's simply a well balanced car... engineering-wise and utility-wise. And people are seeing it for what it is.