- Honda CEO Takanobu Ito drops a few more hints about the successor to the NSX sports car.
- Ito said a new Honda sports car is under development that will focus less on outright power and more on power-to-weight.
- Ito told Britain's Autocar: "it is my wish that Honda engineers have the experience of developing a sports car like the NSX in future."
FRANKFURT, Germany — Honda President and CEO Takanobu Ito has dropped a few more hints about the successor to the NSX sports car, first revealed by Inside Line earlier this year.
At last week's Frankfurt auto show, Ito, who helped develop the original NSX, told Britain's Autocar: "It is my wish that Honda engineers have the experience of developing a sports car like the NSX in future. Within Honda, our engineers are already looking at developing such a car."
At Honda's annual motorsports conference in Tokyo earlier this year, Ito revealed that Honda already had begun a feasibility study on a new sports car.
In 2010, Honda raced a pure prototype, the HSV-010 GT coupe, in Japan's Super GT series, winning the championship. Ito said the company had no plans to build a production version of the racecar, but it could very well inspire the NSX successor. At the time, Ito told Inside Line: "There is clearly a demand for that type of car that we must answer."
Honda's groundbreaking, midengine NSX was built from 1990-'05 and sold in the U.S. under the Acura brand. In 2008, the company killed a proposed front-engined V10 4WD supercoupe, ostensibly to rival Lexus' LFA, but a racing version, with a 3.4-liter V8, carbon-fiber chassis and rear-wheel drive, survived as the HSV-010.
Honda has not yet decided whether to build another midengine coupe, this time to rival the Audi R8, or to build a high-tech, ultra-performance hybrid with a $500,000 sticker.
Ito told Autocar that Honda's next sports car would be radically different from the original NSX, focusing less on outright power and more on the power-to-weight ratio.
"You can't depend on a high power output to call a car sporty anymore," Ito said. "The original NSX was about high power, but also good driving performance, and today power-to-weight is what we have to focus on. The NSX was known for its aluminum body, so when we develop our new sports car, we don't want to copy Ferrari for power, but to also chase efficiency as well."
Inside Line says: We're betting Honda won't challenge the LFA head-on, but as usual will come up with its own unique solution.
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k55 says:
10:26 AM, 09/22/2011
.........WOW Great! ........So it will only take another 10 more years to introduce it........Oh Joy!
tdiluv says:
06:21 AM, 09/22/2011
Maybe it will be ELECTRIC like the TESLA !
alex38 says:
01:15 AM, 09/22/2011
this is great news for Honda-fans but i'm keeping my expectations low. If it's the same crew that has their fingers in the Crosstour, Odyssey, CR-Z and all of the Acura updates, then i'd be skeptical. If it's anything like the HSV-010 GT pictures above, then i think they're on to something.
An Integra successor is what they really need tho.. Miss them 'tegras
angry_mushroom says:
12:38 AM, 09/22/2011
Well now... This is a surprise... I did not expect this turn of events at all.
mau19 says:
11:02 PM, 09/21/2011
Okay first of all I don't understand what you people say is so bad about Honda. In my opinion it is a car brand that is moving towards the future. Honda realized a long time ago that cheap and fun sports car are not the future unfortunately. Look at some of their new projects and you will be amazed at the strides they are making to be ahead of the competition even Ferrari has realized this and is already considering a hybrid system. Honda are still powerful. For those that say Acura makes ugly cars you need help! Acura's are a true example of comtemporary Japanese design.
lions208487 says:
09:52 PM, 09/21/2011
The last gen NSX made Ferreri want to build a better Ferreri (TopGear)
smallfield says:
06:46 PM, 09/21/2011
Dear Honda,
Please make something cool. In the 1990s I really wanted a NSX, they were cool. Even your CRX Si was cool. Integra GSR/R-type - Cool. Currently you don't make a product I'd drive over my daily driver if you gave it to me.
Thanks,
A fan of your past work
gaiakai says:
02:51 PM, 09/21/2011
"Build great cars first. They work on Supercars."
"Um, what? Who was trying to say that? What does it even mean?"
I think BD meant "Build great cars first. Then work on supercars."
huyracing says:
01:40 PM, 09/21/2011
20 years later and Honda's most powerful engine is a big 3.7L V6 making 305hp. The Accord 271hp V6 with 6-speed manual is capable of 13.9 sec 1/4 mile, which is impressive for what it is. Even that in an NSX as we know it would knock at least 4/10th's off on weight alone, there is also the increase in traction which would account for some time. Still I can't see anything more than a 370Z competitor here, unless they come with something insane. (they did say they aren't chasing Ferrari)
Unfortunately, you can see their idea of sporty cars for the new generation already... the CR-Z isn't that impressive... its supposed to be the next CRX and it does mimic the shape and performance, but fails on gas mileage of the original CRX HF despite being a Hybrid.
You know what car pops to mind with these recent rumors? A Lotus Evora. its like an NSX, but modernized... so its a tad better in every way, yet not really much of a leap forward.
greenpony says:
01:24 PM, 09/21/2011
"Build great cars first. They work on Supercars."
Um, what? Who was trying to say that? What does it even mean?