https://www.autoblog.com/2018/10/09/students-build-600-hp-honda-civic-hybrid/
Graduate students at Clemson University just completed what looks to be the coolest school project ever: a 600-horsepower
. The students got to build this monstrous
with
sponsorship and blessing too. Called Deep Orange 9, this project took 19 students two years to complete at Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research.
They started with the current
sedan body and went from there. Extremely high performance and a reduction of emissions were the two main goals for the student engineers. It’s supposed to be as fast as current
cars, and this Civic certainly doesn’t disappoint there. Zero to 60 mph arrives in 2 seconds through the help of a
powertrain, according to the students. Specs for the engine and electric motor weren’t published, but we’ll let you know if we find out. The rear axle handles the power from the engine, while the front axle gets turned courtesy of an electric motor. The engine sits in the middle of the car, so it looks like the students could have been inspired by the new
.
Regenerative brakes help keep the battery juiced up throughout races. As a whole,
is improved 30 percent due to the hybrid powertrain, but it’s still a race car. Good fuel economy and 600 horsepower usually don’t mix well, but this was a cool effort to bring a greener powertrain to racing.
The suspension is billed as semi-active, such that it easily adapts to the changing surfaces seen in rallycross. A four-wheel steering system was developed to help cars pivot better in the extremely tight turns often seen in rallycross. This electric system is also capable of capturing energy lost through the wheels, reducing emissions even further.
We have to admit, this thing looks pretty sweet. Student projects like these are the kind of thing we need more of.
Related video:
via Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com
October 9, 2018 at 01:21PM