Honda to celebrate 40 years since first F1 title at Goodwood

Despite the current situation with Honda right now in Formula 1, there’s no denying how much of a legendary force they are in motorsports. It has been 40 years since the automaker’s first constructor’s title back in 1986, and they’re planning to celebrate it at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed to be held this July 9 to 12.

For the celebrated hillclimb, it will bring out the legendary 1986 Williams FW11 to be driven by F1 champion Damon Hill and Ryo Michigami, All Japan GT Championship title winner, alongside making a world debut of the Honda Prelude HRC Concept, and it will run the Super-N (Super ONE), the WN7 electric motorcycle, and the CB1000F.

The FW11 is the dominant racecar from the 1986 to 1987 Formula 1 seasons, with equally legendary drivers like Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet behind the wheel. This utilized a 1.5-liter, turbocharged V6 in the Honda RA166E that produced upwards of 800 to 1,200 horsepower, depending on specification.

As for the Prelude HRC Concept that was shown off at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, nothing has been confirmed about this vehicle yet other than it having cosmetic parts that have been developed specifically for improved aerodynamics, as we can see by all the exposed carbon fiber bits, the larger fender flares, and the massive wing.

The Super-N or Super-ONE, as it’s known globally, is a compact electric vehicle with a focus on driver engagement. It features a powertrain that can boost up to 95 horsepower and has a “virtual seven-speed gearbox”, alongside a light curb weight of 1,090kg that can do up to 274km on a single charge.

As for the WN7, this is Honda’s first-ever electric naked bike, with a power output of 69 horsepower and 100Nm of torque, with a 9.3kWh lithium-ion battery that allows for up to 140km of range, and can be replenished via Type 2 AC charging in two hours and 30 minutes, or CCS2 DC charging in just 30 minutes.

Finally, the CB1000F brings retro styling with big-bike like power, thanks to a 1,000cc in-line-four with 123 horsepower and 103Nm of torque, alongside modern rider aids like a six-axis IMU with cornering ABS, throttle by wire, a smart key, a five-inch display, and Honda RoadSync smartphone connectivity.

^{Photos from Honda and Sam Surla}