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Honda GRX Concept Hybrid Debuts at 2006 NAIAS Exhibit

Detroit, MI - January 10, 2006 -- Michelin Challenge Design(TM) (MCD) brings an international collection of 36 works - including two high-profile concept vehicles making their North American debut from Honda and Italdesign-Giugiaro Toyota - for a special exhibition at the 2006 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). In addition to the Honda GRX hybrid concept and concept eco supercar Toyota Volta, this year's MCD exhibit features 12 scale models and 22 computer-generated drawings from 35 designers representing 19 countries.

The 2006 Michelin Challenge Design theme: vehicles for the California market that incorporate an alternative powertrain and consider the effect of that powertrain on tire size and appearance and the role electronic technologies play in tire systems, attracted more than 200 entries from individual designers in 40 countries. This year's theme fused design and innovative automotive technologies to encourage entries that were the result of teamwork between design and engineering.

'Michelin expanded the theme this year to include advanced technology, and we were pleased with the number and quality of the concept vehicles it generated,' said Tom Chubb, vice president of marketing, Michelin Automotive Industry Division. 'The momentum and enthusiastic support this program enjoys from the global design community has been tremendous and we have the outstanding jury members and entrants for the last five years to thank for that.'

The works selected for exhibition were chosen by a distinguished panel of judges representing car companies, design studios, aviation, education and media. The list of judges for 2006, led by MCD Jury Chairman Stewart Reed from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., includes:

- Peter Brock, journalist, designer and builder;
- Freeman Thomas, Ford's advanced design chief;
- Professor Gordon Murray, F1 racing, McLaren F1 road car and super car design director;
- Paul MacCready, Ph.D., Aviation Hall of Famer;
- Jason Hill, designer of MCC sprinter car and Porsche Carrera GT concept vehicles; and
- Shawn Collins, industrial designer, entrepreneur and recent Art Center College of Design graduate.
- The vehicles and design work selected for the 2006 MCD exhibit located in Cobo Center's Michigan Hall include:

Italdesign-Giugiaro's Toyota Volta makes its North American debut having first being unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2004. The collaboration between Italdesign-Giugiaro and Toyota produced a new concept that featured a derivative of its ultimate hybrid system, the one adopted on the Lexus RX 400. On the Volta, the 3.3-liter V-6 gasoline engine is fitted behind the rear axle and not connected directly to the wheels. Motion is ensured by two electrically powered engines, one per axle thereby securing all-wheel drive and enhanced safety.

As such, this epoch-making mechanical layout paves the way to eliminating the traditional transmission and gearbox. Operating electronics enable the power transmitted by the electric motors to the wheels to be modulated, thereby rendering superfluous the clutch. The vehicle's flat floor allows for three passengers in a 14.1-foot-long (4.3 meters) coupe which is slightly narrower than 6.5 feet (two meters).

Housed under the lightweight, carbon-fiber chassis, designed and engineered by the Italdesign- Giugiaro technical department, are the batteries, weighing 154.3 lbs. (70 kg). The result is a significantly leaner weight, balanced and encompassed between the axles, 300 kW/408 hp output, top speed limited at 155 mph (250 km/h). The Volta concept car proves it is possible to offer high performance in a car whose green credentials are unimpeachable.

American Honda Concept GRX Hybrid, an ultra-light and compact sport vehicle for the 21st century, aims at a unique synergy derived from the company's vast experiences in both motorcycle and automotive R&D programs and manufacturing. The conceptual study model created by Honda R&D Americas, Inc. in Torrance, Calif., is powered by a 1,500cc six-cylinder, horizontally opposed engine developed for motorcycle applications.

The aerodynamic exterior and interior design inspired by a Formula racer were then carried over for the J-VX concept, an evolutionary version that made its debut at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show. The GRX and J-VX concepts eventually led to the production Honda Insight.

Full Size Vehicles

Italdesign-Giugiaro S.p.A. Toyota Volta
Honda R&D America's Inc., GRX

Scale Models

Gustavo Guerra & Fabricio Baessa, Brazil
Haocong Wu, China
Sun Qi, China
Zeng Zhicong, China
Darius Zieba, Germany
Tilmann Schlootz & Oliver Keller, Germany (two scale models)
Tamas Hartai, Hungary
Viktor Sass, Hungary
Jacco Lammers, Netherlands
Capoco Design Limited & InnovationRCA, United Kingdom
John Lazorack III, United States

Drawings

Victor Lam, Australia
Carlos Eduardo de Carvalho, Brazil
Jiang Tao, China
Lan Tian, China
Tomas Sarnovsky, Czech Republic
Antoine Gaillot-Drevon & Adrien Devauchelle, France
Jeremy Chafer & Jeremie Pointier & Franck Malin, France
THDU Design, Thierry Dumaine, France
Christian Ebert, Germany
Oliver May, Germany
Neeraj Pathak, India
Takuro Hiraiwa, Japan
Iliya Cerjak, Netherlands
Sebastiann Heitkamp, Netherlands
Ryszard Szymanski, Poland
Alexei Gontsov, Republic of Moldova
Goran Marinkovic, Serbia & Montenegro
Jose Luis Sanz, Spain
Joseph Liang, Taiwan
Alexander Kotlyarevsky, Ukraine
Bjorn D. H. Simundson, United States
James Owen, United States

MCD was launched in 2001 as a way to showcase creativity and innovation in vehicle design on a global scale around a central theme. Each year, Michelin invites designers around the world, from individuals to small and large companies, to create and display significant design work that would normally not have an opportunity to be shown at a major auto show.

The world's largest tire maker, Michelin (www.michelin.com) manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America employs more than 23,000 and operates 20 plants in 16 locations.

Source - Honda