Motor Trend - New NSX 11/22/2010

[WingZ]

I don't know anymore- I'm so confused! Just get on with it Honda! But yeah, I suppose the turbo is a new option. I was thinking at work the other day- if Honda had just kept up with the NSX and made a NA3, why can't we? You would need a J35A8 from a TL-S, a forged crank and forged rods from a Ridgeline or Odyssey, some custom 12.1 pistons, and a bellhousing adapter plate. Plus some custom motor mounts. Bigger injectors and AEM engine management, along with the DBW hardware. Yes, I know the J is SOHC and the C is DOHC, but the latest gen SOHC VTEC is probably more efficient than the first-gen DOHC VTEC in the NSX anyway. Set up the engine for 8500 rpm operation with some custom headers (Cody? )...

If only we can get you into Honda. Supposedly there are insiders that are fighting hard and that where ideas like the flipped chassis accord mid engine came from.

It really should tell Ito something when he made the slip about bringing the HSV race car to market there were a flurry of questions and all sorts of news people trying to get the story. It was everywhere.

This was right from Vicki Poponi before Ito made his slip about the HSV/ASCC

http://blog.caranddriver.com/acura-...ve-may-add-high-end-sporty-vehicle-to-lineup/

"Details were far sketchier regarding additional members of the Acura lineup. We were told that Acura will soon introduce something unconventional sometime around the launch of the new flagship sedan. Will it be sporty? Probably. Will it be called NSX? Who knows. Will it be the front-engine supercar we saw lapping the Nürburgring a couple of years ago? No. Although that car was all but finished, according to Acura insiders, it was cancelled—not even shelved—due to Honda’s concerns that it might be crass to offer a $150K–$175K sports car in the face of worldwide economic hardship. However, much of the technology developed for that car will appear in the new car. Whatever it’s called.

 

[Honcho]

I hadn't seen that interview before and now it's more clear to me what's wrong over at Acura. All due respect to Ms. Poponi, but she's part of the problem. First, calling the flagship "RL" is a failed strategy. "Legend" has something called brand recognition. That means the Legend was so successful that the general public knows it and knows it is a good luxury car. "RL" has no brand recognition. Mostly because nobody bought one.

"The RL customer is a conservative customer." Right. Apparently, they are so conservative they are not buying any RLs. They are going next door to Lexus and picking up a LS430, or heading down the street to BMW and getting a nice 5 series. Acura sold 199 RL cars last month. 199 cars in the entire United States. Making excuses about conservative customers does not hide the sad fact that this is a failed brand. If Acura is truly going to re-launch this brand, they should use "Legend" and take advantage of some brand recognition.

They should also act to solve the problems with the RL rather than make excuses. The problems aren't that difficult to identify. When I bought my new RDX in 2009, I looked around the showroom at the TL and RL they had on the floor. To be honest, I didn't see any reason why I should pay so much more money for the RL when the TL SH-AWD delivered nearly the same product for much less. Acura still doesn't have an answer for that simple customer question. For starters, if they aren't going to use a V8, which would give them some instant product separation, they need to at least boost the V6 to a significant margin over the TL's J37. Maybe twin turbo GTDI? Or a Lysholm supercharger (Mercedes does it). Plenty of options. But Acura, you need to give customers a reason to pay more money for the RL.

As for the NSX, Honda seems to understand brand recognition in this context at least. Every time they come up with some idea, they talk about it as replacing or succeeding the NSX. They use the NSX name because they know it will generate buzz. Problem is they have cried wolf about a half dozen times. The new sports car should share tech and performance with the re-launched flagship sedan.

 

[WingZ]

I don't think this rumor is false. He has been on here since 2005. The reason they cancelled the 1st car according to my ex Acura DPSM is the 170K price tag. A twin turbo V6 will be much cheaper to produce than a V10 and it will get better fuel economy which seems to be Honda's main focus.

There is one quote from another Acura rep that stuck in my head........................" The NSX as we know it will cease to exist" . He said the replacement car will not even resemble a NSX in anyway. He told me this in 2004 when I used to work for them (Way before a hint of the HSV concept). It's funny I keep hearing "don't call it a NSX if the engine is going to be in the front" What a lot of people on prime or on any other site don't seem to understand is that it is not the next NSX but a REPLACEMENT. I don't care if it is not mid engined I just want a new HIGH PERFORMANCE car so I can stop looking towards other brands. It would be nice to have a car that is a evolution of the current NSX but thats not going to happen especially if Honda is unable to to make up their minds as to whether or not they want to be in the sports car game.

BTW I am tired of perusing this section of prime. This car is long overdue !!!!

Like I said "Not a turbo and dealers don't know"

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110425/OEM03/304259945/1117

Speaking to reporters at the Shanghai auto show, Ito said the car would be exhilarating to drive but also environmentally friendly: "That's the kind of sports car we want to make."

"Ito did not give details of the sports car or a timeline for its launch. The vehicle is expected to use an electric drivetrain to give the gasoline engine a boost, a Honda spokesman said. The car will be positioned as a high-performance counterpart to the two-seat Honda CR-Z sporty hybrid."

 

[WingZ]

People on Vtec.net call this poster a troll but he really is right on target with the new comparison Honda is making to the CRZZZZZZ

"//www.nitrobahn.com/news/honda-sports-hybrid-to-succeed-acura-nsx/


"The innovation studded Shanghai Auto Show was the best venue for Honda to disclose its green ambitions with race cars. The V10 engine of Honda’s second generation NSX plans in 2008 was an improvement over the V6 engine used in the first generation NSX. However, now the successor of the Acura NSX will have an electric drivetrain which will supplement the gasoline engine and render the car much more powerful than the Honda CR-Z sporty hybrid."


Lexusgs wrote

How does this guy know so much about the v10 to criticize it like that, write it off, and be happy it will be replaced with a hybrid v6. Nobody really knows the specs or character of that car or engine besides a few Honda test drivers, engineers, and management and from the video of it flying past M3s and 911s on the ring it looked and sounded very special.

I don't think the new v10 most likely producing over 500hp was just an "improvement" over the last 290hp v6 like he said either, it would have been huge and allowed the sports car to compete in higher segments. Imagine the buzz, bragging rights, and satisfaction if Honda's $150K or less V10 sports car could outperform or at least perform as well as the $375K V10 LFA. That v10 will definitely have produced much more hp then a v6hybrid.

I also love where he is bringing up the CR-Z(many nickname it the CR-ZZZZZZ) in talking about this new hybrid NSX and is excited the new hybrid NSX replacement will have "much more hp then the CR-Z". If it has 200hp or 250hp it will have much more hp then the CR-Z which always gets criticized for being underpowered and not all that fuel efficient.

Is this new v6hybrid NSX replacement going to be quicker, faster, more focused, more exhilarating, lighter, better handling, better sounding, and still able to compete with the LFA, GTR, Ferrari's, etc then the almost finished V10 NSX replacement or is the hybrid just going to be more fuel efficient, perceived as being green, and cheaper to make while sacrificing all other performance aspects that would have made the V10 far superior. Why doesn't Honda at least offer the v10 as a option since it was finished for buyers who want the performance and are not interested in needing to be "green" with their expensive rarely driven sports car.

A Honda employee said the civic type R was not fuel efficient enough to justify sending to the US yet Honda still sells several large gas guzzling SUVs only because that segment is popular. Honda sacrifices power/performance in smaller more fuel efficient sports cars/performance cars in the name of needing to be green yet they continue with building several big inefficient models because that segment is still popular and makes them more money. This is more about profits/spending money, beancounters, and not wanting to put in the effort, not about "being green."

We will see how this new v6 hybrid NSX replacement will turn out if they don't cancel it again and if it was the better choice then the V10 or will they have to end up making a bunch of excuses for it because it's a hybrid and it turning out to be a compromised car that just gets better fuel economy then its quicker competition. I am not holding my breath for anything very groundbreaking or something even able to compete with a base Corvette or Cayman S.

 

[Honcho]

I don't think there will be another car like our NSX coming out of Honda. :frown:

 

[docjohn]

interresting but remember back in the day the japanese auto industry was considered the great emulator,some called them copycats .whatever ,Honda had a clear goal ,to build the best ferrari they could,and they did.Now they have to innovate/invent/lead and sadly are failing in the design arena.Powertrain they have some nifty stuff,I'm sure they know this.The RL was a complete wif.....