You've already taken a good look at the look of this hypothetical Honda Jazz Type R ? Surprisingly aggressive, surprisingly sporty, surprisingly desirable. Adjectives that we hardly — under normal circumstances — associate with Honda's little MPV.
Well then, designer X-Tomi Design has just proved that it's not an impossible mission to transform the (new) Honda Jazz in a more appealing machine. Although, on the part of Honda, there is no plan to release a Type R version of the Honda Jazz. It's a shame, because there's no shortage of conditions.
Let's give free rein to the imagination
Honda has everything needed to produce a Honda Jazz Type R. Let's talk about the engine?
The Japanese brand has in its organ bank the ideal candidate for the mission: the 1.5 VTEC Turbo engine with 182 hp with manual transmission that equips the Honda Civic.
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If on the Honda Civic this engine has already left Fernando Gomes with a smile from ear to ear, imagine what it could do on a lighter platform and with the proper tuning of the Japanese wizards. Are we dreaming too much? Perhaps. But speaking of Toyota, for example, this brand had less conditions and still did it.
The closest we got to a Jazz Type R was the Jazz 1.5 i-VTEC Dynamic, where the more sedating 102 hp 1.3 gave way to a 130 hp 1.5 — noisy, somewhat rough in attitude, and gloriously atmospheric.
Shapes are no problem for Type Rs
It's not the first time we've seen a Type R born from a body that doesn't look cut out for a sports car.
A few years ago — well, quite a few years ago, in 2001 — Honda launched one of the most acclaimed Civic Type Rs ever, the Honda Civic Type R EP3, known to some as the… “bread van” — it's all said in relation to its shape.
But with a rotary engine — redline at 8000 rpm (!) — a lightning-fast six-speed gearbox, competent chassis and, of course, an excellent base for other flights.
That said, a Jazz Type R doesn't strike us as far-fetched. We can only hope that Takahiro Hachigo, CEO of Honda Motor Corporation, reads this article and sees this image.
What is your opinion?