Honda’s design team responsible for the OSM won’t talk about the possibility of the car making production, but it’s clear from the way they talk that it’s been designed to look real, rather than a flight of fancy concept car. “Expectations are high for this car because it looks genuine,” said the project leader for the car, Andreas Sittlel. “If it’s too crazy people won’t believe it’s possible.” The brief was to create an open two-seater car with “a strong focus on fun to drive and low environmental impact”. Officially the show car is no more than a styling exercise, a body and interior on a dummy chassis, but it’s being used to test public reaction to the idea of a convertible CR-Z, the hybrid coupe due for production in 2010.Inside the car’s cabin uses elements from the Civic, such as the speedo on top of the dashtop. Sittel said, “The Civic’s cabin will still look fresh in four years, and there’s no need to abandon it. The exterior and interior need to work together, and be logical and easy to understand. So we’ve used the body colour inside, on the centre console.”We’ll be seeing more of the OSM’s distinctive exterior on future Hondas, according to Sittel. “On the outside, the lights and the grille are the start of a new look for Honda,” he said. “Inside it’s the chopped instrument pod, the colours, the trim. If Japan can take some of the essence of our work, our job is done.”
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