1984 was another stocked year for concept cars, all banished to obscurity. Ford showed its concept Aerostar minivan, the much cooler Maya coupe, and the Vignale Mustang Ghia that hinted at a production Probe. Bertone showed what the C4 Chevy Corvette could be with the Ramarro. Kia had what might have been its first concept, the KMX-90, on display at the Seoul Motor Show. A continent away, at the Pininfarina stand at the Turin Motor Show, opposite the new Ferrari Testarossa, Honda showed its first concept car, the HP-X, for Honda Pininfarina Experimental. The automaker created the mid-engined wedge to be a technology showcase previewing a future production model. That future model was, of course, the Pininfarina-designed Acura NSX, for New Sportscar Experimental.
The NSX remains famous. The HP-X got sent to a dungeon, absent from another big public show for 40 years. Having been returned to motor-show new condition, the concept makes a North American debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 18, Honda entering the coupe in the Wedge-Shaped Concept Cars and Prototypes Class. Honda says the HP-X's appearance on the Pebble Beach lawn will be the first Japanese Concours contestant in more than 50 years.
About the only fantastical item on the HP-X is the jet-style Perspex canopy that replaces doors. Everything else has made it to production. The fairing at the trailing edge of the canopy is a driver-controlled air brake. Carbon fiber, kevlar, and honeycomb panels help shave weight. A ground-effects-style undercarriage would have improved downforce, getting more performance from the F2-derived 2.0-liter, 24-valve V6. The "Electronic Drive Support System" fed GPS location data and telemetry to the console screen in the cockpit, provided weather reports and traffic conditions, and used soundwaves to read the condition of the road ahead. This system appears to be called Gyrocator, a terrifically 1980s name that Honda needs to make use of again.
We're going to crawl all over this one once the lawn opens. Stay tuned.
