Honda Channels The Simplicity And Nobility Of The Horse With Their IH Concept

This year, west coast automotive design studios competing in the 2011 LA Design Challenge were tasked with developing a concept based around the theme “Hollywood’s Hottest New Movie Car.” Honda chose to add a futuristic twist to the classic western film which they chose to call ‘High Noon’.

Honda takes us hundreds of years into the future to a world disrupted by the impact of a gigantic comet. The resulting heat and drought have wiped out technology, infrastructure and life as we know it, making it imperative for the few remaining survivors to recover faster than any human generation before. The few scientists have created a vehicle that serves as a companion and protector in the inhospitable and lonely environment. Their inspiration – the legend and material remains of an ancient creature called the horse.

A masterpiece of technology, the Honda IH symbolizes a breakthrough in terms of mobility and companionship in an inhumane, hot, dry and dangerous environment. The vehicle takes advantage of three key elements which will emerge in the near future: local production, artificial intelligence and additive technology. The vehicle uses the efficient, lightweight, strong, and functional characteristics of bones for its inspiration. A.I. technology and nanotechnology gives everybody the power to produce material resources and parts for the vehicle locally. Additive technology is a revolutionary attempt to produce very small or especially very large parts in a more efficient way to save weight and resources while improving the strength and flexibility of the product. The IH vehicle combines both the character and simplicity of a horse with the latest structural, safety and technological innovation.

At High Noon the dangerous environment is apparent when there is a showdown between IH’s competing for fuel and other resources. The most creative will prevail.

Honda is competing with five other automakers in the 2011 edition of the Design Challenge. The entries will be judged on a number of characteristics including; how the brand attributes of each vehicle concept relate to the movie plot, how the concept relates to the targeted audience, how much of a character role could the vehicle play, the uniqueness of the combination of story and vehicle concept. The winner will be announced later this month during the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Designers: Wojtek Bachleda, Taryn Dyle and Raj Rihal