Honda developed a hybrid sports car powertrain that was among the world’s lowest emission rates thanks to its 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder direct injection gasoline engine with Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system. First used in J-VX prototype, presented at Tokyo motor show in 1997. Two door, four seater with very limited cargo area. Tapered at rear above wheel wells. Flat back with vertical glass window, panoramic roof.

The IMA system featured a slim electric motor that was connected with the engine and functioned as a supplemental power source during acceleration. The combination hybrid powertrain and continuously variable Honda Multi-Matic transmission resulted in smooth acceleration. The J-VX concept was much more radical in appearance than the Insight ended up being. Pre=production model - the Honda VV (1999) was more similar to Insight, still having the same lightweigth body and engines. The J-VX was presented as a super-efficient sports car, with less emphasis on efficiency.



Much of Honda's presentation focused on the J-VX's sporty side, touting its light materials as giving it the quick, agile handling only available in lightweight sports cars. They also claimed that the J-VX had a nearly ideal front/rear weight ratio, bucket seats, scisor-doors (lambo-style doors).

The J-VX cockpit is designed to maximize driving pleasure. Its snug-fitting one-piece, full-bucket seats are highly reminiscent of Formula racing cars and generate anticipation.

Despite some of the J-VX's radical features such as glass roof and air belts, the final production Insight is, in many ways, much more advanced and sophisticated than the original concept car. A lot of engineering and innovation went into creating a production car based on the concept of the J-VX. Many of the changes that took place along the way were based on Honda's desire to make a hybrid car that could succeed in the marketplace.



From the front mask, past the sharp discharge headlights, to the glass top roof and down the hindquarters, the body is a single flowing line. The effect is a bold aerodynamic statement resulting from exhaustive research, an organic form designed to grace the streets of future metropolises.