If you’re a regular visitor to Double Apex you must be wondering what the heck a lawnmower is doing on the front page? Bear with us, there’s a good reason for its inclusion today.

Record-setting and breaking

A few years ago, Honda UK created the Mean Mower. It was built with the express intent to be the fastest lawnmower in the world. Mean Mower V1 attained a top speed of 187 km/h. You can see that run by clicking here.

That record was taken by a Norwegian firm using a Corvette V8 on a modified Viking/STIHL T6 that managed to top 216 km/h.

A new record

Now, Honda UK wants to reclaim the record with Mean Mower V2, aiming to exceed the 240 km/h mark. To achieve this feat, Honda has enlisted the services of Team Dynamics, Honda’s British Touring Car Championship partner and the team behind the original Mean Mower.

Starting with a Honda HF 2622 lawn tractor, Team Dynamics has shoehorned a 999 cm³ four-cylinder motor usually found in a Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP superbike. Carryover parts from the Fireblade include the clutch, ECU, six-speed drivetrain and full-colour LCD display.

The engine produces more than 140 kW at 13 000 r/min. Team Dynamics claim that Mean Mower V2 has a power to mass ratio of 746 kW/ton. That figure shades almost anything else on four wheels. The benchmark 0-100 km/h sprint is said to take less than 3,0 seconds.

Watch Porsche break a 35-year old record in this incredible video.

A quick cut

While using a chromoly chassis, the lawn mower retains its agricultural looks, carrying over its front cowl, grass box and body panels. And, incredibly, it can still cut grass. Two batteries power electric motors which spin carbon-fibre blades to mow. Given the chance, you could mow the entire neighbourhood’s lawns and be home before the coffee pot brews.

Dave Hodgetts, Managing Director, Honda (UK), comments: “The original Mean Mower was a great challenge for us and the result was an amazing machine. This time we have moved the game on considerably to build an incredible piece of real engineering, using advanced design and production techniques and calling upon some very clever thinking to bring the performance and power but still retain the look of the production mower. We’re in testing phase now and everything is looking good, with a top speed of more than 150 mph very much in our sights.”

Visit www.honda.co.uk/meanmower to keep in touch with the latest news about the project.