Super Concept Cars Blog

While we were busy ogling the Urban SUV concept in Detroit, Honda quietly rolled out another new concept car: meet the Gear, a subcompact showcar that was recently revealed at the Montreal auto show, of all places.

According to Honda’s brief release, the Gear is inspired by fixed-gear bicycles, but we can’t help but see cues cribbed from a handful of Hondas mixed throughout. The front clip has a retro vibe much like the new N-One microcar sold in Japan, but appears draw its inspiration more from the first-generation Civic than it does the N360. Moving to the side, the cab-forward profile screams Honda Fit, but the lack of rear doors, the kick-up in the quarter windows, and slanted C-pillars recall the last European Civic Type R. ?Squint had, and the smoked wrap-around tail lamps could remind you of the third-generation Civic hatchback.

Despite all these old-school Civic cues, there’s a good chance this car is considerably smaller than today’s Civic. Honda provides no dimensional detail, but the Gear is described as a subcompact – it could potentially be Fit-sized, but there’s also the possibility the car is even smaller. Honda says the Gear is an approach “to providing the automotive answer for young, urban, Gen-Y lifestyles” – a phrase we’ve heard used to describe the likes of the Chevrolet Spark and Scion iQ.

We haven’t heard much about Honda looking to pursue such a vehicle in these parts of the world other than the retro-cute N-One wasn’t designed for North American consumption, and likely couldn’t be re-engineered for this market even if Honda were interested in offering a stylish, subcompact laden with personality. If nothing else, the Gear suggests Honda could very well be interested in a vehicle for our shores – but nothing is certain at this point in time.

You tell us: does the Gear speak to you? Could it play in the sub-compact niche here in North America, and serve as formidable competition to the Fiat 500, Chevy Spark, and Scion iQ, among others? What would this car need in order to succeed in North America?

Source: Honda

Presented by Honda at the 2010 LA Design Challenge, the Honda Air Concept is a lightweight open four-seater with a compressed-air powertrain and an essential design inspired by modern roller coasters.

Created for the 2010 LA Design Challenge by the Honda Advanced Design Studio in Pasadena, CA, the Air concept is defined as “a vision of the future of lightweight and alternative fuel performance vehicles”.

Inspired by modern roller coasters and skydiving wing-suits, the Air is powered by a compressed air and pneumatic regulator system and has a total weight of 800 lb.

It utilizes turbo vacuums and external air-flow to regenerate tank pressure for extended range and increased boost for an estimated 100 miles.

The chassis doubles as the master tank and all components, including the seats, are mounted to the central chassis/tank to eliminate redundant structure and reduce overall weight.

The body features vegetable-based polymer panels and fairings.

The Air’s cockpit and package is aimed at maximizing the open air experience.

In order to save weight and increase performance, a hub-less wheel and drive system eliminates the use of heavy drive train components.

Additional weight savings are achieved thanks to the glass reinforced seating panels, urethane tire composition and skeletal sub-frame components.

The main tanks and reserves can be filled quickly and safely using a simple generator / air compressor at home or a tire filler at the local filling station.