Honda of Japan - Honda Fun Fan Lab - Super Street Magazine

I opt for another turn in the Civic R because I don't know when I'll get another chance to drive one. Just about the time I figure out a halfway decent line around the track small droplets of water begin to appear on the windshield. Sure enough, it's starting to rain. Realizing that I haven't photographed any of the cars yet, I pull off and run for my camera gear. Quick shooting between the rain drops yields what I hope will turn out to be a mini-feature before we're driven back to the main building. A seating mix-up leaves me in a van without Kurt, so I take the opportunity to try to get in trouble. I lean forward and tell the driver that Kurt said it would be OK to take me to see the new Integra. The driver smiles and continues to follow the lead van. Despite my pleas, he's not having any of it. We arrive at the main building for lunch right behind the other van. Next time.

So how do you top off a morning that included a bullet train ride and seat time in Honda's finest automobiles? How about lunch with the head of the Tochigi R&D facility, Mr. Matsushima; one of the Executive Chief Engineers, Mr. Hashimoto; and the Father of the NSX, S2000, and all things Type R, Mr. Uehara. Try as I did to mind my manners, I violated decorum and asked who I needed to talk to in order to get the Accord Type R brought to America. Smiles and chuckles filled the room before I got the answer I already half expected: "You'll have to talk to Mr. (Tom) Elliott about that."

Honda Fun Fan Lab
The brochure says, "Honda Fun Fan Lab, Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Honda! (But Didn't Know Who To Ask)." That pretty much sums it up. Inside the Fun Fan Lab is everything that Honda has built or is planning to build. It's all on display in a sort of Museum of Science And Industry setting. There are interactive displays, an S2000 that comes apart in front of your eyes, a prototype Turbo Fan Honda airplane, and, of course, the Honda Humanoid Robot. The motorcycle simulator is a must-do, as is the walk through a simulated auto production line. We spent about an hour in the Fun Fan Lab during our first visit. I went back two more times during the course of our stay because, like Disneyland, you really can't do it all in just one visit.

Honda Collection Hall
If technology (even of the Honda sort) isn't your speed, then your time would be better spent up the road from the Motegi complex at the Honda Collection Hall. Imagine an entire automotive museum dedicated specifically to Honda. That is the Honda Collection Hall. The Hall includes one of every single Honda automobile ever produced. It also houses a complete collection of Honda motorcycles and race cars.

The Collection Hall features three floors, each highlighting a different aspect of Honda's heritage. The first floor includes an introduction to early Honda products and a few side-by-side comparisons of old and new products. It also brings the history of Honda manufacturing to life. The second floor is dedicated to Honda's racing heritage on both the automotive and motorcycle side. Want to see the '67 RA300 F1 car that gave Honda its second F1 win? It's here. So is a Mugen Civic and more than a few race-winning NSXs. The top floor holds all the passenger cars and trucks. Yes, trucks. In 1963 Honda built the T360 mini truck. It was known as a "sports truck." Talk about being ahead of its time. There's also a complete collection of Accords and Civics. How much time do you think I spent in here?