What's the news?
Big, big news from the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit - it's the new Honda NSX. We knew it was going to be revealed at NAIAS, but even so, to say we're excited about this thing is a massive understatement...
Exterior
The production model that took to the stage in Detroit is finished in 'NSX Red' and its body is said to encompass 'interwoven dynamic exterior design'. Honda's people in the US go on at great lengths about airflow, the same sort of cab-forward profile as its predecessor and various other detailing minutiae, but here's the key thing: it looks sensational. This is A Very Good Thing, as the NSX needs to be eye-catching to make it in the cut-throat world of modern supercars. The production version is longer and wider than the 2012 NSX Concept, to accommodate the mid-engined layout, while at 4,470mm long, 1,940mm wide and 1,215mm tall, it is 45mm, 130mm and 45mm larger respectively in all dimensions than the original NSX.
Interior
Acura (the US arm of Honda, which led development of the new car) says the NSX is driver-focused and therefore so is the cabin. Key components are a 'dynamic' TFT display that reacts to changes in the driver-selectable Integrated Dynamics System, while there's a 'Power' button on the centre console that readies the sport hybrid powertrain of the NSX. Again, crucially, its interior looks up-to-date and classy, something that sadly couldn't be said of the original car's cabin, even in 1990.
Mechanicals
Ah, let's get down to the juicy stuff. The heart of the NSX is an all-new, twin-turbocharged, 75-degree DOHC V6 engine mated to a nine-speed Honda-developed dual-clutch automatic transmission. That engine has compact valvetrain and dry sump lubrication, two things that speak of the focus of this car. At the back is a direct-drive electric motor, sandwiched betwixt engine and transmission, which supplements acceleration, braking and the speed of gear shifts. The NSX's front wheels are driven by twin independent high-output electric motors, meaning a Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system is required to distribute power at all four corners.
Those front motors can produce dynamic torque vectoring for better handling, and the NSX was heavily developed at the Nordschleife. The chassis is a space-frame composed of aluminium, ultra-high strength steel and fitted with a carbon fibre floor. This is all clothed in body panels that are an aluminium/sheet-moulding composite for a lower centre-of-gravity and lighter vehicle weight. Fully independent, all-aluminium suspension is used, while the NSX rolls on 19-inch front and 20-inch rear alloys. Braking is handled by six-pot front and four-pot rear monobloc callipers working on carbon-ceramic brake discs.
Honda hasn't yet confirmed power or performance data, but as the new Civic Type R will have more than 300hp, expect this bad boy to be knocking on the door of 500hp, if not kicking it down in a glorious fashion.
Anything else?
The NSX will be manufactured exclusively in the US, in Marysville, Ohio, with the car's theme of 'Precision Crafted Performance' a nod back to the tagline that launched Acura in the States.