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Leno checks out '64 Honda S600 hot rod

Among the hundreds of cars and motorcycles Jay Leno has in his own enviable collection, he's got a classic 1964 Honda S600. It's a cherry example that he's been restoring and it was recently featured in an episode of his popular video series. But this new video shows a different take on the little beast altogether. Rather than go for preservation, this vintage Japanese roadster has undergone the full hot-rod treatment. Or more like a rat rod, we should say, given its heavily patinated appearance. But don't let looks deceive you: this weathered little roadster is packing quite a punch, from the worked-over mechanical bits and motorcycle components to the nitrous tank in the trunk. Turn up the speakers to hear it shriek and check it out in the video above.

Honda reveals IndyCar aero kit

The IndyCar Series is stepping into a new era of competition that won't quite see manufacturers building their own chassis like they do in Formula One, but it's inching closer. This season, participating automakers will provide their customer teams not only with engines as they have in the past, but with complete aerodynamic packages. Chevy revealed its new aero kit last month, and now Honda – the only other automaker currently in the series – has followed suit with its own. Like Chevy's package, the new Honda kit is designed specifically for road courses and short ovals with a high degree of downforce that would hamper high-speed running around super speedways. The lower-drag package will likely be revealed sometime before the Indy 500 that will be the first speedway race on the calendar when it kicks off in May. The design of the package is a result of what Honda describes as an exhaustive development process that borrowed from the company's experience with Le Mans prototypes. It started out using CAD and CFD software before being validated on simulators, tested in wind tunnels and run on track with participation from Andretti Autosport. The aerodynamic appendages will be affixed to the existing Dallara chassis and powered by Honda's V6 engines, allowing individual teams to tweak the elements to their own requirements. With the manufacturers now allowed a greater degree of participation, series organizers will undoubtedly be hoping for more of them to join in on the action. The last time there were more than two automakers participating was in 2005, before Toyota pulled out. Ford was the sole engine supplier in the Champ Car series from 2003 until the series reunited with the Indy Racing League to form the current IndyCar Series. Honda Unveils 2015 IndyCar Series Aero Kits Mar 9, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. - Road Course/Short Oval package shown - Efficient development utilized CFD and multiple simulation tools - Wide range of aerodynamic tuning options available to teams Honda today debuted the package of aerodynamic upgrades and components its teams will use in the 2015 Verizon IndyCar Series, as the manufacturer seeks to add to an already impressive list of accomplishments in American open-wheel racing. The 2015 Honda Indy car "aero kit", produced by Honda Performance Development, Honda's racing arm in North America, includes nearly 200 individual pieces that can be fitted to the existing Honda-powered Dallara Indy car chassis.

Fernando Alonso tries out fast motorcycles and Senna's McLaren

Honda closed out its racing year yesterday with its annual Thanks Day at Motegi. The event brought out an array of competition machinery and the drivers and riders who race them. That included Fernando Alonso, but rather than bring his Honda-powered McLaren, the two-time world champ took the opportunity to try out some different equipment. While MotoGP rider Marc Marquez slipped behind the wheel of the NSX Concept GT, his countryman Alonso hopped on his RC213V motorcycle for a couple of laps. Fernando isn't the first racer to swap between F1 and motorcycles: Michael Schumacher tried his hand and motorcycle racing from time to time, Valentino Rossi tested Ferrari grand prix cars on numerous occasions, and of course John Surtees won championships in both spheres – but he remains the only one to have done so. Fernando also had the chance to drive a McLaren-Honda MP4/6, just like the one with which Ayrton Senna successfully defended his title in the 1991 Formula One World Championship. That was the first time McLaren ran a Honda V12, but the last time a V12 – or a manual transmission – won the championship. After the following season, Honda and McLaren parted ways – only to be reunited this year with Alonso and Button behind the wheel. While Alonso was toying around with Senna's car, Takuma Sato – who drove Hondas in Formula One and now in Indy – tried his hand at the 1968 Honda RA301. That machine was also powered by a Honda V12, but at 440 horsepower, was far less potent than the 735+hp version that would later power Senna's. John Surtees drove one just like this in the '68 world championship, retiring from most of the races on the calendar but scoring two podiums from the three that he did finish. Marquez and his teammate Dani Pedrosa also competed in the CBR250 spec race, rode the mid-80s-era NSR500 bikes. They drove in four-wheel spec race as well in modified Honda N-One kei cars. The event served to cap a full year of racing for the Japanese automaker, which competes in a range of racing disciplines including F1, Indy, Super GT, the World Touring Car Championship, and numerous classes of motorcycle racing. Featured Gallery Fernando Alonso at Honda Thanks Day 2015 View 11 Photos News Source: Honda via Autosport Motorsports Honda motogp