Honda NSX : Final production version of second-generation supercar revealed
The second-generation Honda NSX has been unveiled in its final production form on the first day of the 2015 Detroit motor show.
Again badged as the Acura NSX in North America, Honda's long-awaited second-generation NSX features a hybrid drivetrain with a mid-mounted 75-degree dry sump V6 and a nine-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
There are three electric motors on-board, one at each of the front wheels, and a direct drive unit at the rear that's wedged between the V6 and the transmission.
Power is channelled to all four wheels via the computer-controlled Sport Hybrid Super-Handling All Wheel Drive system. The car rides on 19-inch alloy wheels clad in 245/35 rubber up front, and 20-inch rims with 295/30 rubber at the rear. Stopping power is provided by carbon-ceramic discs all round; six-piston units reside at the front, with four-piston versions at the rear.
The driver can select between four different driving modes (Quiet, Sport, Sport+, and Track), each of which changes the settings for the drivetrain, chassis response and engine volume. In Quiet mode the NSX can be driven as a pure electric car for short periods and at low speeds. Noise, fury and dynamism all reportedly increase as you step up from Sport and Sport+ to Track.
A launch mode, which utilises all three electric motors and the petrol engine, is available. Honda has yet to reveal the new NSX's power, torque, weight or performance figures.
Measuring 4.47 metres long, 1.94m wide, and 1215mm tall, the new car is larger in every dimension than both the original car and the concepts that have presaged today's production model. The second-generation NSX sits on a 2.63m wheelbase.
The second-gen NSX is constructed around a multi-material spaceframe utilising aluminium and ultra-high-strength steel, and a carbonfibre floor. The car's body panels are made from a mix of aluminium and sheet moulding composite.
Built in a new dedicated facility in Ohio, the NSX will hit American showrooms in the third quarter of this year for a price around US$150,000 ($185,000). Production of right-hand-drive variants starts in 2016. Honda Australia has its hand up for the new NSX and is keen to launch it as soon as it becomes available to our market.
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