Honda SSM concept (1995)
Concept car · 1995 · Combustion
An aluminium-bodied front-mid-engine roadster that spawned the S2000.
The SSM (Sports Study Model) debuted at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show and served as the direct forerunner of the S2000. A front-mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive roadster with aluminium body panels and 50:50 weight distribution, it used a 2.0-litre inline-five backed by an NSX-derived transmission and borrowed the NSX's aluminium wishbone suspension. A rigid 'high X-bone frame' underpinned the chassis. Styled by Daisuke Sawai, its twin-pod cockpit and rollover hoops were toned down for the production S2000 that arrived in 1999.
Key facts
- Engine: 2.0L inline-5 (front-mid-mounted)
- Layout: Front-mid engine, rear-wheel drive
- Weight distribution: 50:50
- Construction: Aluminium body panels, 'high X-bone frame'
- Suspension: NSX-derived aluminium wishbones
- Legacy: Forerunner of the Honda S2000
Production
- Status: Concept only
- 1995 roadster concept that influenced the S2000 but was itself never produced.
- Revealed at 1995 Tokyo Motor Show
Source: Autopedia