It seems to have been a long time coming but Honda has finally pulled the wraps off the new NSX supercar which will be built in the US where it will be badged as an Acura.
It’s 25 years since the original NSX was launched and its redevelopment was put on ice when the global economic crisis hit in 2008. The next generation model, unveiled at the Detroit show, is a mid-engined sports hybrid and the company said it will begin accepting orders from the summer, with customer deliveries expected later in the year.
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It has a new power unit, a twin-turbocharged 75-degree DOHC V6 engine with a nine-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) and three-electric motor sport hybrid system along with an ultra-rigid and lightweight multi-material body.
“Our commitment was to create an all-new NSX that is true to the heritage of NSX – a supercar that delivers a new driving experience, one where every part of the vehicle is respectful of the smartest part of the car, the driver,” said Mike Accavitti, senior vice president and general manager of the Acura division. “The soul of a car is the emotional connection it makes with the driver. With the NSX, that connection will be intense and immediate.”
The new NSX was developed over the past three years by a global design and engineering team led by engineers at the company’s development centre in Raymond, Ohio.
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Erik Berkman, executive vice president of the Acura business planning office, said: “The NSX reflects Acura’s American roots and makes a powerful statement about the strong role being played by our North American operations in envisioning and building the future of Acura.”
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By GlobalDataChief engineer Ted Klaus added that the challenge was to create a new sports car experience, “leveraging new technology to deliver incredibly vivid performance in a vehicle that responds intuitively and immediately to the will of the driver.”
Engineers also leveraged the company’s expertise both with high performance engine and hybrid electric drive technologies, as well as its two decades of experience with industry leading dynamic torque vectoring technology, including Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD).
The V6 engine employs a compact valve train and dry sump lubrication system to help lower the centre of gravity. The new nine-speed DCT delivers fast gear changes and rev matching downshifts. The rear direct drive electric motor, housed between the engine and transmission, supports acceleration, braking and transmission shifting performance. The NSX’s front wheels are driven by twin independent high output electric motors which deliver instantaneous torque response and dynamic left to right torque distribution.The NSX uses its front electric motors for dynamic torque vectoring in addition to enhancing acceleration and braking.
The original NSX laid claim as the world’s first all-aluminium supercar and the new model features a new multi-material body design with claimed world first material applications and construction processes.
The body utilises a space frame design – an internal frame constructed of aluminium, ultra high strength steel and other advanced materials. Anchored by a carbon fibre floor, torsional and bending forces are taken up entirely by the ultra rigid structure which also utilises advanced joining technology.
It features casting technology that combines the design and manufacturing flexibility of a casting process with the strength and elongation properties of a forged material, enabling significant weight reduction. The body panels are composed of a combination of aluminium and sheet moulding composite (SMC).
The NSX will be manufactured at Honda’s Performance Manufacturing Centre (PMC) in Marysville, Ohio, where 100 workers will carry out full body construction, paint and final assembly.
