TOV member TSX69 found this video on youtube and posted the link on our forums. Done by Sony, this is an awesome video of the new NSX concept. Watching it brings me goosebumps all over and if you are as fanatical a Honda fan as I, you will probably feel the same too.
The NSX is Back !!! Photos from the NAIAS
The NSX makes a dramatic return to Honda's, or rather Acura's lineup in the U.S., in the form of the 2nd Gen Acura NSX. Slated to be launched in 2014 and be built in Honda's Ohio plant, this is surely THE most awaited event for all Honda enthusiasts for a long long time.
The new NSX continues the legendary tradition of the original NSX by being an MR and featuring superb power-to-weight ratio as the means to deliver high performance befitting a Honda supercar. It features a new version of Honda's SH-AWD with electric motors powering the front wheels instead of being driven by the engine via a prop-shaft. The engine itself is a direct-injection V6, displacement unknown, and quite certainly DOHC and VTEC. During the special preview in December, Acura told TOV that it will be a higher spec version of the circa 400hp 3.5l V6 that they had been working on thus far. It is unknown if this engine will feature Honda's much awaited A-VTEC system. It is mated to a 'dual-clutch' transmission, i.e. a DSG, number of gears not specified. The engine is a new generation IMA hybrid, with an electric motor reinforcing drive when needed. The new NSX will be developed for production by an R&D team led Honda R&D Americas.
The photos below are selected from TOV's own personal collection, taken at the NAIAS 'Detroit Motor Show'. More photos and the complete press release are available at our Temple Of VTEC main site at http://www.vtec.net.
The NSX is Coming !!! Part Four
The most accurate rendering of the new 2nd Gen NSX so far
Of all the renditions by various automobile publications, internet or published, that we have seen so far, Jeff says the Auto Express magazine of U.K. has come the closest. The illustrations on the left are those we featured on our TOV NNR article and the text below are also from our article. As noted by Jeff, more illustrations are available at the AutoExpress website but the technical details are still unconfirmed at this stage. It is worth remembering that AutoExpress got the engine details for the CR-Z wrong, eventhough it was later confirmed that the engine was changed late in the development cycle for that car. AutoExpress quoted the Insight 1.3l IMA engine for the CR-Z whereas it debuted with a newly developed 1.5l engine.
AutoExpress has two new artistic renderings depicting the NSX concept. They're not exactly perfect representations of the car that was shown to us in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, but these are closer than any of the other sketches that we've seen so far. AutoExpress has rendered this car as a Honda, and of course the NSX Concept to be shown in Detroit is an Acura, so there are obviously some differences in the grill area. The headlights and taillights in these graphics are shaped pretty accurately, but the lighting elements within the housings are different than what was shown on the actual concept car. The general stance of the vehicle shown in these graphics is pretty close, but the detailing of the back third of the vehicle (particularly the flying buttress c-pillar and the rear air inlets) is probably the least accurate part of these sketches. In less than two weeks you'll be able to see real photos for yourself and we were told that there should be some other details released at that time as well.
You can see the full-size version of these sketches at AutoExpress.com. AutoExpress has a few drivetrain details there but it's not clear whether they are purely speculating or if they've received some confirmed information.
'Avengers NSX'
For comparison, the 'Avengers NSX' driven by 'Tony Stark' is shown on the left. The actual 2nd Gen NSX is virtually this same car with some detail changes, but with a roof.
The NSX is Coming !!! Part Three
In this post leading up to the final exposure of the new NSX concept, I take a look at some of the renditions of this car on the internet and our subjective opinions on how accurate they are. Since the confirmation of this new '2nd Gen NSX', several renditions have since come out. Some are quite a way off the real car but some quite close. The new NSX is really a hardtop version of the 'Avengers' car that 'Tony Stark' drove to one of the Avengers movie sets for shooting. I did talk to Jeff about getting Neil to do our own rendition but now that the car is going public in virtually half a days time, it is no longer prudent to do so. So instead, I first show five renditions done by other publications and what we have to say about them.
Automotive News Website
It's a decent effort - probably better than anything I could have done but apart from some similarities in several elements, it doesn't look much at all like the real car. PLEASE Don't be disappointed by that image.The vehicle depicted there looks much heavier and blockier than the real thing. Also, it barely looks like an MR car. Just look at the "Avengers" car and imagine it with a fixed roof and a cleaner rear deck design.
Automobile Magazine
Better looking, yes. The front end isn't too far off in that one but the stance of the vehicle looks wrong. They missed most of it past the A-pillar. The cockpit tapers more, more tumblehome, etc
Holiday Auto Magazine (Japan)
Nope, that's definitely not it. The rear is nothing like that at all - the tail on that Holiday auto car looks too long. The NSX concept has a shorter tail - more gallardo/r8-like. from the front 3/4 shot that Holiday auto sketch with the long tail looks more like the american-built SSC.
Best Car (Japan)
Jeff was too busy to comment on this but a later confirmation that the AutoExpress rendition looks the closest indirectly confirms that this rendition is out as well.
Thus far, the Auto Express magazine (from UK) rendition of the new NSX is the closest to the actual concept car that was shown to the media. I shall cover this in the next post.
The NSX is coming !!! Part Two
The first time the new NSX was confirmed was just after the Tokyo Motor Show of this year, when Jeff told me he had to rush back to the U.S. for a very special preview. I did not know, nor expect the significance of that at the time. Previously, while Honda CEO Ito-san had publicly confirmed a new Honda supercar, he did not confirm it would be the NSX. In fact, from the many conflicting and chaotic reports on the media, many actually claims that their 'insider info' says that it will be the HSV-010GT FR supercar that Honda has been competing with in the Super GT competition over the past two years.
The very first inkling of this new NSX was when a friend 'on the inside', mentioned how as an employee, he was elated when Ito-san announced that the new NSX would be made. Jeff was sharper than me then and when I related the news to him, he quickly grabbed on the word 'new NSX' and asked me if I can get any further details about it, because all other reports were harping on the HSV-010 instead. Unfortunately I wasn't able to.
For a long time, the HSV-010 was considered, assumed, and more or less accepted as the 'new supercar' that Ito-san announced. There were some other hints received by other TOV forumers 'with connections' and one forumer had in fact, kept pointing out that he was told of 'something very exciting' but which is -not- the HSV-010. But neither he, or we, could get anything further on it.
The momentous preview event that Jeff attend, where Acura confirmed that the new 'something very exciting' -will- be the new NSX took place early December last year and Jeff was amongst the very selected group of journalists who were shown a real life prototype of the new NSX concept. The TOV news and rumours report is in this link -> http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=1020643
Photos were not allowed to be taken at that preview. Most publications also honoured Acura's desire for secrecy by not publishing any 'artist rendering', which would have also blown the cover like an actual photo. In the meantime, Jeff tried his best to describe the new NSX. The excerpt from the NNR report is below:
NSX (Concept)
Alongside the flagship, a new "super sports car" shares the role as the range topper for Acura. Acura didn't officially call it the NSX during their presentation, but everybody we spoke with following the presentation said it was indeed the NSX successor. I took that as good news. UPDATE: In their press release released this morning, Acura is calling it the "NSX Concept". Some text below is updated to reflect that.
Acura showed us the actual NSX Concept which will be revealed in Detroit next month. Unfortunately there was no photography allowed, but I can tell you that this will be one of the biggest reveals for Acura in recent history. Basically this is the car that was spied on the "Avengers" set late in the Summer, but it's clearly been further developed and it's also in hard-top form. Finished in a sliver paint, the concept is absolutely stunning, and carries on the NSX tradition of a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout. The design is muscular, futuristic, and sharp, and vaguely similar to the Audi R8.
Compared to the "Avengers" car, the front end on this concept actually has working LED headlights - there are 5 "squircle" projectors embedded within each headlight housing. The rear bumper is also virtually identical to the "Avengers" car but with a real roof and backlight and more "production-looking" taillights, the overall visage is considerably different. Like the "flagship", the exhaust finishers are integrated into the bumper. A really cool (but not necessarily original) styling element is the "flying buttress" C-pillars. The C-pillars feature a "pass-through" which appears to be designed to channel air smoothly around the cockpit and over the rear of the vehicle. It's like an elongated version of the flying buttress seen on the Ferrari 599 - the NSX has a much faster angle on the backlight, which naturally lengthens the C-pillar. The gap between the C-pillar and the glass is fairly narrow, however. For the record, this concept wore Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires in 255/35ZR19 size up front, and 275/30ZR20s in the rear.
Acura wouldn't tell us anything about the engine or powertrain, but off the record they were quick to tell us that the announced Electric SH-AWD system with 3.5L DI V6 was clearly not potent enough for this car. It should be noted that THAT powertrain, with its 7-speed dual clutch gearbox and 3 electric motors, develops a peak output in the neighborhood of 400hp. Obviously with the MR layout, Honda has to engineer a very specific setup for this car, and we're assuming it will essentially be a reversed layout compared to the FF-oriented design which was revealed previously.
We are hopeful that it will receive a very special high output, high revving gasoline engine that is fitting of the NSX heritage, while leveraging the electric motors and onboard battery to deliver on the "smart luxury" promise of excellent fuel economy. Acura told us that they would be releasing more information and details about this car at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show.
Alongside the flagship, a new "super sports car" shares the role as the range topper for Acura. Acura didn't officially call it the NSX during their presentation, but everybody we spoke with following the presentation said it was indeed the NSX successor. I took that as good news. UPDATE: In their press release released this morning, Acura is calling it the "NSX Concept". Some text below is updated to reflect that.
Acura showed us the actual NSX Concept which will be revealed in Detroit next month. Unfortunately there was no photography allowed, but I can tell you that this will be one of the biggest reveals for Acura in recent history. Basically this is the car that was spied on the "Avengers" set late in the Summer, but it's clearly been further developed and it's also in hard-top form. Finished in a sliver paint, the concept is absolutely stunning, and carries on the NSX tradition of a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout. The design is muscular, futuristic, and sharp, and vaguely similar to the Audi R8.
Compared to the "Avengers" car, the front end on this concept actually has working LED headlights - there are 5 "squircle" projectors embedded within each headlight housing. The rear bumper is also virtually identical to the "Avengers" car but with a real roof and backlight and more "production-looking" taillights, the overall visage is considerably different. Like the "flagship", the exhaust finishers are integrated into the bumper. A really cool (but not necessarily original) styling element is the "flying buttress" C-pillars. The C-pillars feature a "pass-through" which appears to be designed to channel air smoothly around the cockpit and over the rear of the vehicle. It's like an elongated version of the flying buttress seen on the Ferrari 599 - the NSX has a much faster angle on the backlight, which naturally lengthens the C-pillar. The gap between the C-pillar and the glass is fairly narrow, however. For the record, this concept wore Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires in 255/35ZR19 size up front, and 275/30ZR20s in the rear.
Acura wouldn't tell us anything about the engine or powertrain, but off the record they were quick to tell us that the announced Electric SH-AWD system with 3.5L DI V6 was clearly not potent enough for this car. It should be noted that THAT powertrain, with its 7-speed dual clutch gearbox and 3 electric motors, develops a peak output in the neighborhood of 400hp. Obviously with the MR layout, Honda has to engineer a very specific setup for this car, and we're assuming it will essentially be a reversed layout compared to the FF-oriented design which was revealed previously.
We are hopeful that it will receive a very special high output, high revving gasoline engine that is fitting of the NSX heritage, while leveraging the electric motors and onboard battery to deliver on the "smart luxury" promise of excellent fuel economy. Acura told us that they would be releasing more information and details about this car at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show.
In the next couple of posts, I will take a look at some of the artist renderings of the new NSX and our (TOV) take on how accurate they are. Then readers will have a chance to check out the new NSX first-hand when we report direct from the floors of the NAIAS 'Detroit Motor Show' media preview session which will start this coming Monday.
The NSX is coming !!!
Honda will (finally !) unveil the new NSX in concept form in this coming North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also called the 'Detroit Motor Show'. Right at this moment, VTEC.NET chief Jeff Palmer is en-route to the special press preview of the show, which starts Monday January 9th 2012. There, Honda will unveil the new Acura/Honda NSX concept, and now Jeff will finally be able to share the photos with us.
In the meantime, we have already been covering details (no photos) about this car and I will be summarizing our coverage here in Honda-Fan, in preparation for the actual unveiling.
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