Carbon-fibre bodied Honda e drag racer previewed

Honda has confirmed it will reveal a lighter, modified version of its pure-electric Honda e at the Tokyo Auto Salon that it has built for drag racing.

Releasing two pictures of the car it plans to reveal on January 15, including one drawing of a little Honda e doing a burn-out, the Japanese car-maker has revealed that the small electric car will feature a full carbon-fibre body and a wider front and rear track to accommodate broader tyres.

A substantially lower suspension hints at a full competition-spec set-up beneath.

Proving Honda has a sense of humour, the images of the lightweight Honda e, which could feature twin motors and huge power (far more than the standard model's 113kW), include the caption: "It's okay to be stupid. Why not try it for real?"

It's thought the faster, more powerful version of the Honda e could preview parts that might be used on the upcoming Type R version that is believed to be in development.

For the 'real' Honda e Type R, engineers could either add a beefier single rear-mounted motor or add another 100kW electric motor to the front axle to create all-wheel drive.

In any case, a sub-5.0-second 0-100km/h sprint would be crucial to justify the Honda e Type R’s performance credentials and enable it to go head-to-head with the forthcoming battery-powered Peugeot 208 GTI.

As well as the Honda e drag racer, the Japanese car-maker says it will also pull the drapes off a hillclimb racer based on its cute Honda N-One kei car.

Called the N-One RS, the little racer is set to feature a carbon-fibre bonnet and wider carbon fenders that help house larger, wider rims.

Under the bonnet, it's understood that the 660cc three-cylinder turbo has had power boosted from the standard car's modest 47kW.

According to the car-maker, both the Honda e drag racer and the N-One RS will take part in racing events from this March.

Both faster versions of these two models remain irrelevant for the Australian market. Lack of demand has already killed off the chance of any kei-car creation heading Down Under, while the standard version of the retro-cool Honda e hatch has been ruled out over concerns with a lack of recharging infrastructure and a potentially towering price tag.