London 2008: Honda OSM Concept

The 2008 Honda OSM concept is live on the stand at the London Motor Show, and that might be the last place you see it.

Though there's been plenty of conjecture that this is a styling study for a new S2000 or some other exotic sportscar, the OSM--for Open Study Model--is a dead-end progeny of Honda's European design studio. Honda's American arm say it's a concept car through and through, with no production intent. It has no powertrain under its elegant but plain shape, though its interior does sport a dual-deck instrument cluster like the latest Civic, and a rotating controller on the dash (shudder to say, iDrive-like).

The trend to cleaner, greener cars fueled the development of the concept, but the bigger news on Honda's sportscar front will come this fall, when the company shows off its new generation of hybrids, due in production by the spring of 2009. The new crop of gas-electric Hondas will include a new hybrid "family car," seen in spy shots last week here on this blog; a new sport coupe based on the CR-Z concept; and the current Honda Civic Hybrid, as well as a new Fit Hybrid. By 2010, Honda says, 10 percent of its sales will be hybrid vehicles.









2008 Honda OSM ConceptEnlarge PhotoThe 2008 Honda OSM concept is live on the stand at the London Motor Show, and that might be the last place you see it. Though there's been plenty of conjecture that this is a styling study for a new S2000 or some other exotic sportscar, the OSM--for Open Study Model--is a dead-end progeny of Honda's European design studio. Honda's American arm say it's a concept car through and through, with no production intent. It has no powertrain under its elegant but plain shape, though its interior does sport a dual-deck instrument cluster like the latest Civic, and a rotating controller on the dash (shudder to say, iDrive-like). The trend to cleaner, greener cars fueled the development of the concept, but the bigger news on Honda's sportscar front will come this fall, when the company shows off its new generation of hybrids, due in production by the spring of 2009. The new crop of gas-electric Hondas will include a new hybrid "family car," seen in spy shots last week here on this blog; a new sport coupe based on the CR-Z concept; and the current Honda Civic Hybrid, as well as a new Fit Hybrid. By 2010, Honda says, 10 percent of its sales will be hybrid vehicles. 2008 Honda OSM ConceptEnlarge Photo 2008 Honda OSM ConceptEnlarge Photo 2008 Honda OSM ConceptEnlarge Photo 2008 Honda OSM ConceptEnlarge Photo 2008 Honda OSM ConceptEnlarge Photo