Spy Shot
Exclusive Video and Spy Photos: 2009 Acura NSX
First Shots of the 2009 Acura NSX Prototype in Action
When the unimpressive Acura Sports Car Concept debuted at the Detroit auto show in January, most thought it was a glimpse at the next-generation Acura NSX. Since then, Honda has been silent about its upcoming V10 supercar. Not anymore.
Wearing heavily modified S2000 sheet metal and riding on a platform with an extended wheelbase and wider track, the front-engine V10 test mule broke cover on Germany's famed Nürburgring test track. And like the upcoming GT-R supercar from Nissan, this Honda prototype was paced around the track by a Porsche 911 Turbo, proof that Honda means business.
But why an S2000 mule? Simple. The company is restyling its supercar. One source close to Honda tells us that reaction to the exterior styling has been "merely lukewarm," and as a result, the company is in the process of redesigning the car from the ground up. That's good news.
Another aspect of this coupe that's still up in the air is its official name. While NSX is still the name that's getting thrown around, Honda wants to distance this front-engine supercar from the midengine NSX with a new name that expresses this car's new mission as a grand tourer. Think of it as a Honda DB9 or an Acura M6.
The car will sit on a brand-new platform and employ a new V10 engine. This we know because company CEO Takeo Fukui said so. Further probing suggests that the engine will displace 5.5 liters and generate upward of 550 horsepower, making it Japan's most powerful road-going car ever. But with good fuel economy and cleaner emissions striking an ever-stronger chord among potential customers, our source tells us that Honda engineers have covered their bases by creating a fuel-efficient V10 engine that effectively shuts down five cylinders depending on the circumstances.
Employing a six-speed automated manual transmission (Getrag is strongly rumored as the supplier), the Honda V10 will also incorporate a revised version of the company's new SH-AWD four-wheel-drive technology first seen on the Acura RL. But unlike the Acura sedan, the rear-drive V10 coupe will employ the SH-AWD unit up front, ensuring that all of the horsepower is efficiently transferred to the road.
Expected to have a top speed of over 200 mph and the ability to sprint to 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds, the NSX successor will undergo rigorous testing in Japan and at the Nürburgring, and we'll see a restyled concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in October.
On paper, the coupe sounds ballistic. But when it hits showrooms, the expected $150,000-plus price tag could work against its success. In building this car, Honda is digging deep into its five decades of know-how from Formula 1 and IndyCar racing, but the bottom line might come down to one concept: "street cred." The performance and handling of the NSX will no doubt give the supercars from Aston Martin, Ferrari and Lamborghini a run for their money, but will the Acura-badged coupe have the brand strength to go up against these European exotics?
See new Acura models
See future Acura models
Wearing heavily modified S2000 sheet metal and riding on a platform with an extended wheelbase and wider track, the front-engine V10 test mule broke cover on Germany's famed Nürburgring test track. And like the upcoming GT-R supercar from Nissan, this Honda prototype was paced around the track by a Porsche 911 Turbo, proof that Honda means business.
But why an S2000 mule? Simple. The company is restyling its supercar. One source close to Honda tells us that reaction to the exterior styling has been "merely lukewarm," and as a result, the company is in the process of redesigning the car from the ground up. That's good news.
Another aspect of this coupe that's still up in the air is its official name. While NSX is still the name that's getting thrown around, Honda wants to distance this front-engine supercar from the midengine NSX with a new name that expresses this car's new mission as a grand tourer. Think of it as a Honda DB9 or an Acura M6.
The car will sit on a brand-new platform and employ a new V10 engine. This we know because company CEO Takeo Fukui said so. Further probing suggests that the engine will displace 5.5 liters and generate upward of 550 horsepower, making it Japan's most powerful road-going car ever. But with good fuel economy and cleaner emissions striking an ever-stronger chord among potential customers, our source tells us that Honda engineers have covered their bases by creating a fuel-efficient V10 engine that effectively shuts down five cylinders depending on the circumstances.
Employing a six-speed automated manual transmission (Getrag is strongly rumored as the supplier), the Honda V10 will also incorporate a revised version of the company's new SH-AWD four-wheel-drive technology first seen on the Acura RL. But unlike the Acura sedan, the rear-drive V10 coupe will employ the SH-AWD unit up front, ensuring that all of the horsepower is efficiently transferred to the road.
Expected to have a top speed of over 200 mph and the ability to sprint to 60 mph in about 3.5 seconds, the NSX successor will undergo rigorous testing in Japan and at the Nürburgring, and we'll see a restyled concept at the Tokyo Motor Show in October.
On paper, the coupe sounds ballistic. But when it hits showrooms, the expected $150,000-plus price tag could work against its success. In building this car, Honda is digging deep into its five decades of know-how from Formula 1 and IndyCar racing, but the bottom line might come down to one concept: "street cred." The performance and handling of the NSX will no doubt give the supercars from Aston Martin, Ferrari and Lamborghini a run for their money, but will the Acura-badged coupe have the brand strength to go up against these European exotics?
See new Acura models
See future Acura models
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