New Gen2 NSX to debut at the 2014 NAIAS ?

The U.K. publication has published yet another 'scoop', this time about the new Gen2 NSX that is scheduled to be launched in 3 years time. 

According to Auto-Express, during their attendance and coverage of the recent  Sao Paulo (Brazil) Motor Show, they were told that the new NSX will debut in a few months time in January 2013 at the Detroit Motor Show (also called the North American International Auto Show or NAIAS). According to their short article on their website at http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/honda/60901/honda-nsx-detroit:

A top exec for Honda Brazil told us at the Sao Paulo Motor Show, that the ‘real’ NSX will be shown in Detroit after the show car has finished its duties here in Sao Paulo and then at the Tokyo show in November. Our source also revealed that the styling will remain ‘identical’ to the model you can see here on the show stand.

The 'show-car' mentioned is the concept car that Honda has already shown. So the claim is that in this year's November Tokyo Motor Show, the same concept car will be shown and then in the NAIAS in January next year, the actual car will be shown. 

When TOV/TOVA readers read this news, some were understandably sceptical. Despite the claim of a 'top exec (but from Honda of Brazil) telling us this news, it is in direct conflict to Ito-san's announcement that the new Gen2 NSX will only debut in three year's time, making it a 2015 car. Based on traditional U.S. launching time-lines, this means that the earliest the car will be shown is on 2014 which is quite far from January 2013...

Subsequently, one TOV forumer who we believe to have connections inside Honda (we have a few actually) post the following, which seems to shed the proper light and clear up the contradictions.

Also the NSX info release from Sao Paulo
but the reporter got the message lost in translation!
It was said:After the Tokyo Auto Show the Production
NSX will be shown at Detroit.
OK..... there is no Tokyo show there year,it is every other year! So after next years Tokyo show the Production NSX
will be shown at Detroit(Jan 2014).

Yes, it is true that the last Tokyo Motor Show was last year (2011). TMS is held bi-annually, alternating with the Tokyo Auto Salon which is held on the year after a TMS (and where there will be no TMS). So the next TMS will be on 2013, i.e. next year. This is confirmed. Based on this clarification then, the NSX will debut in January 2014's NAIAS and not next year's NAIAS. This also correlates well with an actual launch date of end 2014 which is the correct launch timing for  2015 cars in the U.S. Note that the photo used here is our own and is the concept NSX from this year's NAIAS.

Three interesting questions from the CEO speech on September 21st.

Honda has published a video of the presentation by Honda CEO Ito-san on September 21st on its worldwide site at world.honda.com. The link is at http://world.honda.com/news/2012/c120921CEO-Speech/video01/index.html. TOV and 'Honda Fan' contributor Daniel, after watching the entire 1hour video, heard a rather interesting question from the Q&A session after the speech that we have not seen reported elsewhere.

One japanese journalist from Reuters asked Ito three points:
1) How well do you think the Beat replacement will do in the market? sales?
2) There is quite a stretch between the Beat and the NSX, can you say something about the ground in between?
3) You talked about the development of a CTR for Europe, are there any chances such car would be marketed as well elsewhere? Japan ?

Summarizing Ito-san's answers:
1) From previous experience we know that sales numbers won't turn any heads. Yet we are willing to do it because we simply feel there should be such a car, and I'm hoping that customers will prove me right.
2) Indeed there is a big gap, in which for example should fit the European CR-Z
3) We are hearing the voices calling for such a car in other markets as well, and we will definitely listen to them. However, our first and utmost priority right now remains focused on the three models I mentioned today, and in the mid-ground the European CTR.

Daniel also wanted to highlight the following cavert: "I listened to the session in Japanese, so I may have missed some stuff. Those aren't intended to be word by word translations, but simply writing in my own words what I understood from his answers. For those that want to try in English, (this question) is the before last question, (almost at) the end." 

Note : Corrected wrong info on the journalist who asked the question.

Awesome new NSX video by Sony

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 !!!

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.