Lewis Shaw
Production-ready new Honda NSX hybrid supercar revealed at the 2015 Detroit motor show.
Honda has taken the wraps off its reborn NSX supercar in Detroit overnight, revealing the car for the first time in its production form. Several concepts have preceded the final NSX, which previewed the supercar’s sheet metal and hybrid drivetrain.
The new NSX features a fuss-free design with sharp sporty lines and obvious mid-engine proportions. At the front the reborn model wears a large shield-type grille seen on recent Acura models (yes, they’re calling it an Acura for now), while the rest of the design is largely revolutionary and shares little in common with the original NSX or any other Honda vehicles.
The new NSX is formed around a aluminum and carbon fibre space-frame chassis which features a carbon floor for increased structural rigidity over an all-alloy design. This is similar to the Lamborghini Huracan’s setup which incorporates carbon fibre into the rear bulkhead and part of the floor.
Powered by a hybrid powertrain, the new Honda NSX uses a twin-turbo V6 engine mated to a brand new 9-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission which drives the rear wheels. Meanwhile two electric motors drive the front axle to give instantaneous torque and all-wheel drive traction. A third motor sits between the V6 petrol engine and the gearbox to act as a torque-filler and improves acceleration and gearshift speeds. An exact power figure hasn’t been given, though it’s expected to be around 500hp with the 0-62mph in the three-second range. Engineers that have been part of the reborn NSX project say they were targeting the Ferrari 458 in terms of outright speed and handling. The standard 570hp 458 Italia takes 3.4 seconds to reach 62mph.
Stopping power is supplied by carbon ceramic discs clamped by six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston units at the rear. The NSX features four different driving modes which include Quiet, Sport, Sport+ and Track. Quiet mode uses electric power only with the combustion engine switched off, here the car is effectively a front-drive all-electric vehicle, while Sport and Sport+ modes increase engine, transmission and chassis response for more aggressive performance. Finally track mode sees the new Honda NSX muster all the power and handling agility it can to deliver the ultimate driving experience. A launch control system is also fitted which primes the three electric motors and twin-turbo V6 for the ultimate acceleration times.
Inside the NSX feature’s a high-tech cabin with digital TFT instrument display and unique center console layout. While it’s no Ferrari or Lamborghini in terms of cabin design, it should give those Italian exotics run for their money in terms of speed and handling while costing a fraction of the price.
