Honda has released its third batch of teaser images of the new 2012 Honda Civic, and revealed how it used ex-Formula One engineers to refine the driving experience of the car.
The Japanese manufacturer says it has worked hard to ensure the new Civic offers a quieter ride on all road conditions.
The new Civic’s aerodynamic efficiency plays a key role in maximising its refinement. Several members of the development team worked on Honda's Formula One projects, and called on their experience to help deliver a car that combines a low coefficient of drag with excellent high-speed stability.
Hours of work in the Honda wind tunnel has improved performance, reduced fuel consumption and resulted in an exceptionally quiet interior, according to Honda.
The development team worked hard to sharpen every detail of the design, build and aerodynamics, to optimise the interior refinement in the new Civic. The engineers spent time testing the car in Europe to tune the new Civic to suit the varying road conditions.
Read more about the development of the Honda Civic's ride quality
They also made use of Honda’s anechoic (echo-free) chamber in its R&D facility in Swindon to fine-tune the cabin insulation. One of the results of the work in the anechoic chamber was to modify the design and construction of the roof lining, and how it interacts with the bodywork.
“We did not improve the noise and refinement of the new Civic through just one technique,“ commented Kazuo Sunaoshi, Development Leader – Chassis. “It was the accumulation of lots of little details. My big challenge was to match the noise and vibration levels of our European competitors. I am proud to say that we have achieved our goals.”
The new Honda Civic will be officially unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show next month.
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