THE HONDA WITH BLADES
We’re celebrating fast Hondas at DRIVEN this week, in particular the tweaked 2021 Civic Type R. It’s a quick hot hatch, but what if we told you there was another small and practical Honda that can get to
160km/ h almost as fast as the Civic hits 100km/ h?
Last year, Honda’s Mean Mower V2 set a Guinness World Record for the “Fastest Acceleration
0- 100mph for a Lawnmower”. It averaged the run to 100mph ( 160.93km/ h) in just 6.29 seconds, thanks to power from the CBR1000RR Fireblade motorcycle engine. With 149kW, the Mean Mower’s power to weight is greater than that of a Bugatti Chiron.
In order to qualify under Guinness rules, Mean Mower had to be recognisable as a mower and still be able to cut grass — which it does with two electric motors and carbon fibre blades. The front cowl, grass box and body panels are straight from Honda’s HF 2622 ride- on mower.
Mean Mower V2 was also put through a top speed run, recording 150.99mph ( 242.99km/ h).
That’s significantly faster than the speed record set by the original Mean Mower back in 2014, which achieved 116.87mph ( 188.08km/ h).
The V2 record was set with racing driver Jess Hawkins at the wheel.
She currently races in the European WSeries, but has also made a name for herself as a stunt driver — including some of the airborne Land Rover Defender antics in the forthcoming James Bond movie, No Time to Die.