JAPANESE HONDA HAS started a race against Italian Lamborghini. Both are probably planning to launch a V10-powered super sports car right under F60 and Murciélago level. Midengine, high-class image and V10 power. To Lamborghini next step is planned to 2002 ? for Honda the future might be right here today.

Today Honda launches this new Honda NSX called Phantom V10 ? officially presented as a design project by the Dane Thomas Mikkelsen, but we notice the project is collaborated by Honda R&D Europe in Offenbach, Germany.

The car is still a midengine sports car with the basic design from the NSX we know. Most interesting is the choice of engine: V10 power, which sends directly regards to high images Formula 1 racing. Honda is already producing a V10-engine, knows as Mugen in F1 racing. This fact gives Honda a decisively lead. Bugatti doesn`t have a V10 ? and as far as we know the owner, Volkswagen AG doesn?t have any production ready V10 anywhere, remember, the Audis and Bentleys at Le Mans were all V8-powered, the VW Project Supercars had both W12 and Bugatti comes with W16 technique. The only V10 in the Volkswagen AG universe is the coming V10 diesel unit injectors; this engine cannot be converted to petrol. And we do not believe Lamborghini will launch a diesel car.

The Phantom V10 design project looks basically like an NSX, it is clear it is a midengine car. Most interesting is probably the air intake on the side ? the shape comes directly from the great white shark.

The model is size 1:4 with wheels from AEZ and tyres from Goodyear each costing 1300 Euro.


FACTS
· Honda Phantom V10 project
· By designer Thomas Mikkelsen
· In collaboration with Honda R&D
· V10
· 4.0-litre, 40 vales
· 550bhp
· 255/35 ZR 18
· 285/35 ZR 20

Images
Honda Phantom V10 from in front - great white shark air intake - 18in alloys up front, 20in alloys at the rear axle - venturi-tunnel - early drawing.

By Flemming Haslund