Honda’s Mean Mower V2 Sets New Guinness World Record, Has Better Power-To-Weight Ratio Than A Bugatti Chiron

Honda’s Mean Mower has re-entered the record books after setting a brand new Guinness World Record title for ‘Fastest Acceleration 0-160 km/h for a Lawnmower’. 

The new record was set at the Dekra Lausitzring circuit in Dresden, Germany last month under the watchful eye of a Guinness World Records adjudicator.

The record was set by the latest version of Honda's crazy lawnmower called the Mean Mower V2, which was driven by experienced stunt driver and racer Jess Hawkins, averaging 0-160 km/h in just 6.29 seconds.  

Besides being able to go so fast in a straight line, the Mean Mower V2 also had to demonstrate that it could still do what it is actually designed for – to cut grass – which it does.

Under the regulations of Guinness World Records, the mower must also ‘intrinsically look like a lawnmower’ - in this case the Honda HF 2622 lawn tractor– which it does by carrying over its front cowl, grass box and body panels. 

Unveiled in summer 2018, Mean Mower V2 set out to build on the incredible success of the original Mean Mower, which became the world’s fastest lawnmower in 2014 when it hit 188 km/h.

But this time Honda and its British Touring Car Championship partner, Team Dynamics, took the development to a whole new level, using computer aided design, bespoke parts, advanced materials and even 3D printing. 

At the heart of Mean Mower V2 lies a 999 cc four-cylinder unit taken from Honda’s high-performing CBR 1000RR Fireblade SP motorcycle which produces 200 bhp at 13,000 rpm.

It packs almost double the power of the original Mean Mower, with a super-light frame and engine dry weight of just 69.1 kg, which overall results in a power-to-weight ratio in excess of that of a Bugatti Chiron. 

The official acceleration figure was measured using a VBOX on-board recording device, which was fitted, set-up and verified by independent and accredited timers, Timing Solutions Limited.

To meet the requirements of Guinness World Records, the mower had to record the same run, in both directions, within an hour – with the average acceleration of these two runs taken as the official time.

The team also took the opportunity while at the Lausiztring to put Mean Mower V2 through its paces on a longer run to see what it is really capable of, recording an incredible top speed of 243 km/h.