NSX returns: Will showrooms fill up with another hyper Honda Down Under?
HONDA seems to operate on the old saying that if a job is worth doing then it's worth taking a really long time to do it.
Maybe that's not quite how the fable goes but the Japanese car-maker is certainly sticking to the principle that longer is better.
Way back in late 2013, journalists were invited to Japan to drive what appeared to be a damn-near production-ready version of the company's hot Civic Type R hatchback, but that was more than a year ago and you still can't buy one.
Then there is the hydrogen fuel-cell powered FCV Concept sedan that debuted last November and was supposed to silently roll into production this year, but the zero emissions model has now been pushed back to March 2016.
But even more torturous has been the wait for Honda's return to the supercar glory days with its momentous NSX.
Three years ago the company started a lengthy campaign of teaser images, disguised concepts and mixed messages, but at the North American International Auto Show this month, Honda finally put an end to the waiting.
The NSX project may have started at about the same time as the Neolithic period but the result has been worth the wait.
Twenty five years after the the first NSX launched and ten years after its predecessor ended production, the beast is back, honouring the basic layout of the original car with a mid-mounted V6 engine, widespread use of aluminium and room for just two people.
But save a few 1990s styling nods, the 2015 car is a very different Honda indeed.
While Honda is remaining coy about exact performance details and engine specs it has revealed the new V6 engine has tightened up from 90-degrees to 75-degrees and spawned a pair of turbochargers.
By itself the forced-induction V6 would be more than capable of sending ample oomph to the back wheels but with the help of a three-motor hybrid system, power soars to about 410kW.
Not only do the rear wheels get a boost from a single electric drive motor connected to the engine and nine-speed dual-clutch transmission, an extra pair of motors on the front axle have turned the 2015 NSX into a four-wheel drive traction champion.
While many manufacturers brag about a hybrid vehicle’s low environmental impact, Honda has not marred the new NSX’s unveiling with claims of fuel economy or wallet friendly ownership. This car is all about performance.
The original C30A engine was only the second to feature Honda’s revolutionary VTEC variable valve timing but the new NSX promises a “race-inspired” valvetrain and a dry sump to locate the blown V6 closer to the ground for a lower centre of gravity.
Whatever the NSX’s performance, slowing down won’t be a problem with light but mighty carbon-ceramic brake discs pinched by one-piece six-piston calipers on the front axle and four-pot versions at the other end.
More weight is saved in the NSX’s construction with a space frame made from aluminium, ultra-high-strength steel and other advanced materials. The floor is made from carbon-fibre, while Honda claims world-first casting technology is employed that has enabled significant weight reduction.
The body panels are made of a combination of aluminium and sheet moulding composite and its double wishbone suspension is made form yet more light aluminium.
The original NSX had its V6 transversely mounted which allowed for a shorter wheelbase and rapid changes in direction but the new version uses a longitudinally positioned engine resulting in a longer wheelbase but shorter overhangs.
The production version rides on a 2610mm wheelbase and measures 4390mm in overall length, 1915mm in width and 1200mm in height. Front and rear track is 1655mm and 1615mm respectively.
By comparison, the 2005 NSX rode on a 2350mm wheelbase and was 4425mm long, 1801mm wide and 1170mm high. Front/rear track was 1510mm/1540mm.
If you have ever had the pleasure of driving an original NSX and found its ride just a little too jarring then you have probably one of the greatest drivers that ever lived to blame.
Brazilian Formula 1 champ Ayrton Senna was a driver for the Honda F1 team during the development of the first NSX and helped in the honing of the car, suggesting a stiffer ride after hours of prototype testing including time on the Nurburgring.
Despite the expert refinement, some owners reported a savage side to the NSX with a stinging tail end that would catch even the most experienced drivers out on the limit, but with a driven front axle and lightning stability control the new version should look after even the most foolhardy.
The new NSX debuted in America branded as an Acura - the luxury division of Honda in the US - but Honda Australia is hoping to launch the vehicle in 2016 as a much-needed boost to its brand image and showroom traffic, which has taken a hit in recent years without the lure of dedicated sportscars.
Sales were down 16 per cent in Australia last year to less than 33,000 units – a long way from the near-term 60,000 annual volume it has targeted, and which it last achieved in 2007.
Little wonder the Japanese company want’s the new hyper Honda here because It’s no secret that a sexy halo model sells lots of less sexy vehicles under the same brand.
People bought Civics in the 1990s because of the NSX, then they bought Accords in the noughties thanks to the S2000. Will the new NSX make you put Honda back on the shopping list in 2016?
Daniel Gardner goauto.com.au
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