Wednesday 17th July 2013

Honda Mean Mower

Honda and Team Dynamics use the BTCC summer break to create a 100mph lawnmower

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Just when it seemed the high-revving Honda was dead and buried, it has returned! Sort of. This is the Mean Mower, created with Team Dynamics and a sign that Honda can still do crazy, exciting engineering when it wants to.

140kg + 109hp = one insanely fast mower

The basic recipe is as follows: take one Honda HF2620 'Lawn Tractor' and add a re-engineered chassis plus the 109hp 1,000cc engine from a Honda VTR 1000F Firestorm. Finish with a Morris Minor steering rack alongside the suspension and brakes from an ATV then, voila, a Mean Mower is born.

There are some suitably barmy stats associated with this ultimate gardening tool. Not only is this a four-wheeled Honda that will rev to 9,000rpm (and beyond!), it makes 539hp per tonne, is capable of over 100mph and will hit 60mph in four seconds.

Gearchanges are through a six-speed paddleshift, a Cobra seat holds the budding Alan Titchmarsh in place and a Scorpion exhaust registers 130dB at 'three-quarter RPM'. This will undoubtedly be popular with the neighbours.

Horticulture by Honda. PH approves

And don't think the Mean Mower has abandoned its lawn-tending duties. A pair of electric motors on the cutter deck spin 3mm cutting cable at 4,000rpm and allow grass to be trimmed at 15mph. This is twice the speed the standard HF2620 is capable of, so it's just as practical as we would expect from Honda.

Team Dynamics' team manager Pete Crolla said of the project: "One of the key challenges is that this has never been done before, to our knowledge. From an engineering perspective, retaining the look of the mower, and the ability to still cut grass were the biggest challenge."

The Mean Mower is just a bit of fun for now. However, it does show a Honda keen to push engineering boundaries, which must be good news for enthusiasts. When's the Type R coming?

[NicoG]

VTEC kicked-in Yo!

Want !!

Edited by NicoG on Wednesday 17th July 14:03

[zebedee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH_Qb4fdHfg

far too much build up in this, even if quite funny, but the thing looks great fun, so why not show more of what it can do, sliding and going fast - anyone know of any extended footage?

[Candellara]

Just in time to enter this?

http://www.blmra.co.uk/

[Bloodynicechap]

Honda really are a cut above the rest.

I'll get my coat...

[Raudus42]

I wonder what it'd cost to make road legal? Parking would be a doddle.

[Lowtimer]

More important advantages still:
1. Rejoice that when road registered, lawnmowers are category K and are free for VED purposes.
2. Avoid the general unpleasantness of driving on the hard shoulder on jammed motorways by shifting further on to the adjacent grass and engaging blades as you proceed past all the stuck traffic.

[Tomatogti]

I love Honda.

[Martin_Hx]

Haha I love that, great little movie too.

[morgs_]

zebedee said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH_Qb4fdHfg

far too much build up in this, even if quite funny, but the thing looks great fun, so why not show more of what it can do, sliding and going fast - anyone know of any extended footage?

What about with The Stig driving it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BJb_l4l2CE

[Butter Face]

NicoG said:

V-Tech kicked-in y'all...

Want !!

You mean VTEC.


And it's 'kicked in y0!'

[peteA]

Love it.

If Councils used these to cut the grass....they would cost more to buy but taking into account the top speed I wonder what the payback period would be due to reduced man hours...?

[B10]

Morris Minor steering rack, brilliant. If it was fine for the Austin Healey sprite / MG Midget and many other cars should be fine for this. Quick, simple and well engineered.

[Sir_Dave]

lol, similar to what i had as a boy, except mine was just an old lawn tractor with a go kart engine.

Type R yo.

[soad]

A bit like a quad bike then...let's hope chavs don't get hold of these.

[TheHeretic]

Love these grass roots motorsports.

[morgs_]

TheHeretic said:

Love these grass roots motorsports.

I see what you did there.

[marshall100]

soad said:

A bit like a quad bike then...let's hope chavs don't get hold of these.

Honda themselves don't even make a 1000cc quad. I'm not even sure they've been bringing the TRX into the country for the past 4 years.

So no, it's more lawnmower than quad.

[Matt UK]

TheHeretic said:

Love these grass roots motorsports.

Same here. Honda are really sowing the seeds...

[marshall100]

Matt UK said:

Same here. Honda are really sowing the seeds...

and reeping the benefits.

[Sexual Chocolate]

I could cut my grass in seconds with that and it wouldn't feel like a chore. Where do I sign?