Next NSX might be front engine...

[Spinner]

I just talked to a friend of mine yesterday (he's a car designer for Honda) and asked him about the latest rumors regarding the NSX. He said the studio (SoCal) is pretty down right now.

"Nothing exciting is happening anymore." he says. Basicaly the SoCal studios never get the "fun" projects (unlike Mazda's, Toyota's and Nissan's SoCal counterpart studios). The latest rumor to hit the studio has alot of the designers a little upset. The latest rumor to come from Japan's R&D dept. is that the NSX might possibly be a front engine setup.

The V10 is confirmed, but the placement might move up front. He said that the biggest concern was that "due to Japan's strict rules on a "car's dimensions" (exterior size), placing a V10 (large engine) in a mid-engine configuration, will make the car too big." (including usuable rear trunk and etc..which they still seem to want..ie, daily super car)

Seems to make sense to me. Oh well...still too early to tell. :frown:

 

[4AU4LIFE]

I'm not putting a lot of faith in any of these 'rumors' myself. I'll wait and see what it looks like when they debut it sometime in the next few years.
Honestly, it doesn't really matter to me since even if I did like it I couldn't afford one for many years down the road.
If someone is happy with the one they have, truly what difference does it make on what the next generation looks like?
JMHO

 

[Maxime]

This might be why they felt it was necessary to specify the car would not be FF?

lol

 

[Spinner]

I'm not putting a lot of faith in any of these 'rumors' myself. I'll wait and see what it looks like when they debut it sometime in the next few years.
Honestly, it doesn't really matter to me since even if I did like it I couldn't afford one for many years down the road.
If someone is happy with the one they have, truly what difference does it make on what the next generation looks like?
JMHO

I know what you mean. I wouldn't be able to afford one either. Oh well....

Regarding the rumor, if half the studio's morale is down, it certainly says something. More often than not, rumors in the automotive designer's world often end up being true. It's the exact same thing that happened with the VW beetle.

One of my previous instructors was a designers at VW. They were happy that J Mays was redesigning the Beetle (known as VW Concept 1), but when he heard a rumor that it might be front engine, he got pretty worried. Sure enough, it ended up as a front-engine fwd.

 

[gtr]

A front engine setup would not make the new NSX any more appealing than the next GTR, ZO6, Viper and etc.

 

[Spinner]

A front engine setup would not make the new NSX any more appealing than the next GTR, ZO6, Viper and etc.

I agree. That's the biggest reason all the designers are feeling a little down. They weren't as upset when Honda mentioned the possible V6 motor, or that it there won't be an NSX replacement (rather something a class above the S2000 with a mid engine V6). It was the news of the possible front engine setup that worried alot of the designers.

To quote my friend: "Man...I feel as though there's nothing exciting about Honda anymore. All the cars we're designing are already mundane, our last hope was the NSX and its mid-engine configuration. Without this setup, its just not cool anymore." :frown:

 

[effer]

The latest rumor to come from Japan's R&D dept. is that the NSX might possibly be a front engine setup.

The V10 is confirmed, but the placement might move up front.

They also miss that part of the rumor from Japan:

they will flip to 180 degres the cockpit :biggrin:

 

[soon2B]

rumors, rumors, rumors!

 

[Spinner]

yeah...but these rumors are coming from the designers in N. America. If the rumors came from a dealership, then its total BS. Over 90% of the dealerships don't know squat about whats going on on the inside.

But if it comes from people designing cars for Honda...it seems somewhat credible.

 

[liftcontrol]

a front mid-engine car would be not all bad.

:smile:

 

[Spinner]

Re: a front mid-engine car would be not all bad.

:smile: Re: a front mid-engine car would be not all bad

Lol. yeah. Is there such a thing though? I mean with a motor that big of course....I know the S2k is somwhat front mid-engine (so is the 350z/g35 coupe I believe...as well as the the Rx7 & Rx8), but those motors are relatively small compared to a V10 regardless of displacement...hmmmm....

 

[MidShipCivic]

Thats crap sorry, I dont belive that. People have fitted the viper V10 in ford focuses looking making 100% stock.

 

[Spinner]

Thats crap sorry, I dont belive that. People have fitted the viper V10 in ford focuses looking making 100% stock.

Well, I dunno, a vast majority of the designers believe it. What can I say?
Regarding the Viper engine...that thing already overheats the compartment as is. I'd hate to see what it does to a focus.

 

[Timpo]

rumors, rumors, rumors!

indeed

 

[BD]

Well, I dunno, a vast majority of the designers believe it. What can I say?

Yeah, it's called the Acura TL. Less $$ than the current NSX and have the same size engine with 6 speed tranny. That's what every one wanted.

I heard there is a car called S2000, FR and does 0-60 in less than 6 seconds, and it also cost less than the current NSX.

Here is a transcript from the movie 2 weeks notice:
Female Character: You gotta be the most selfish person on the planet!!
Male Character Replied: That's just silly, have you talk to everyone on the planet?

So the question is: That's just silly, have you talk to vast majority of designers in the world to come up with that statement? What kind of designer? Cloth, shoe, electroncis, video game? I'm lost.

lol, just messsing with ya, but yeah, I read that same rummor from many car publications many moons ago, before Honda CEO killed all the specutlation during his mid year speech.

 

[Spinner]

So the question is: That's just silly, have you talk to vast majority of designers in the world to come up with that statement? What kind of designer? Cloth, shoe, electroncis, video game? I'm lost.

Nope. Just talked to the designers that really mattered. Car designers that design cars for Honda. Sorry but, I trust them more than some article in a magazine. :biggrin: :wink:

 

[Spinner]

thought I'd dig up an old thread now that publications are starting to show up confirming my friends' fears (car designers at N.A. Honda design studio)

 

[NSXrebel]

thought I'd dig up an old thread now that publications are starting to show up confirming my friends' fears (car designers at N.A. Honda design studio)

what publications are you talking about? confirming?

 

[Spinner]

what publications are you talking about? confirming?

This is one: http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?p=588578&posted=1#post588578

But ignore the picture...R&T just had to make something up with the picture.

There was this article too:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63692

It was funny because before these articles came up, my friends said the exact same thing: Aston Martin...ie front engine GT killer....

Again, these are the RUMOURS going around HONDA....So far, from everything they've told me in the past, they'be been 90% correct (Honda S2000 facelifts, current civic hatch design, NSX '02 facelift and etc)