2015 Honda NSX returns to the Nurburgring

This new prototype – snapped here being put through its paces on a decidedly soggier and more overcast day – is understood to be completing the final stages of testing ahead of the production car’s world premiere at January’s Detroit auto show.

The production car will closely resemble the original NSX concept that debuted almost three years ago at the 2012 Detroit show.

Recent prototypes have been spotted with a redesigned lower front grille and new bonnet vents – this car in particular appears to feature two smaller openings closer to the lower bonnet edge in addition to the two larger ones spotted on previous cars.

The production Honda NSX will retain the concept’s Sport Hybrid SH-AWD (Super Handling All Wheel Drive) system, teaming a mid-mounted twin-turbocharged V6 producing roughly 300kW with a trio of electric motors and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Honda NSX development chief Ted Klaus told Autocar last year his team was looking to deliver “the excitement of the [Ferrari] 458 at the price of the [Porsche] 911” with the reborn supercar.

Reports suggest the NSX will cost approximately £75,000 in the UK, aligning it almost perfectly with the entry-level Porsche 911 Carrera, which starts at £73,500. The 911 Carrera costs from $208,600 in Australia.

The NSX’s positioning in Australia is also likely to be influenced by fellow Japanese supercar the Nissan GT-R, which is priced from $172,000.

The Honda NSX isn’t expected to reach local showrooms until 2016, months after the Ohio-built model hits US roads around the middle of next year.

Click the Photos tab for more Honda NSX prototype images.