Final Honda NSX Unleashed

After a gestation that even an elephant would describe as a bit long and tiresome, Honda finally revealed the production version of the new NSX at the Detroit Motor Show. Actually, that’s not quite true. Given the NSX’s public debut was on North American soil, it was Honda’s luxury arm Acura doing the singing and the dancing.

In fact, the new NSX is decidedly American in flavour, having been developed in the States, with all examples to be built in Honda’s Performance Manufacturing Centre in Marysville, Ohio.

Bar the addition of some vents to aid airflow, exterior styling has changed little from 2012’s Concept, but the production car is 80mm longer, 25mm wider and 15mm taller with a 20mm wheelbase stretch. The extra girth is primarily to accommodate the now transverselymounted, dry-sumped twin-turbo V6, which, as is the fashion, combines with three electric motors to power the new NSX.

In terms of performance, think Porsche 911 Turbo

One motor sits between the engine and nine-speed dualclutch transmission “supporting acceleration, braking and transmission shifting performance” while the other pair are attached to each front wheel, endowing the NSX with all-wheel drive and the ability to control each front wheel independent of the other.

No outputs have yet been confirmed, but rumours flashing around Detroit suggested around 410kW to be on the money, with 0-100km/h around the 3.0sec mark think 911 Turbo performance and you won’t be too far off. Honda claims the electric motors provide “zero delay” launch acceleration.Just what effect adding a turbo engine to a full hybrid system has had on the NSX’s weight is unclear, as Honda failed to announce that as well, but efforts have been made to keep mass to a minimum.

The original NSX was noteworthy for being the first all-aluminium supercar, but such technology is no longer enough, so the new car adopts a spaceframe design with an internal frame made of aluminium, high strength-steel and “other advanced materials” matched to a carbonfibre floor. The body panels are a combination of aluminium and sheet moulding composite.


Carbon-ceramic brakes are standard, with six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston rears, and the wheel sizes are staggered, 19 x 8.5-inch up front wearing 245/35 ZR19 rubber with 20 x 11-inch at the rear with 295/30 ZR20s. Tyres are Continental ContiSportContacts.

In an attempt to retain the original NSX’s reputation as the ultimate everyday supercar, Honda claims class-leading ergonomics for its “Human Support Cockpit” (or an interior to you and me). The TFT instrument panel displays the current drive mode selected, with four to choose from electriconly Quiet, Sport, Sport Plus and Track.

Despite its US origins, the new NSX will be built in right-hand drive and is expected to land in Australia sometime in 2016.