Late last month we showed you sketches of what the next NSX production car would look like. The sportscar flagship was due for unveiling in production trim at last year’s Tokyo Auto Show, but due to Honda’s designers not agreeing on the final design, they delayed it. The newest reports have the new NSX launch the Acura brand in Europe when it is released in the fall of 2010.
Unlike the original NSX, the new car will be powered by a 4.5 liter V10 engine good for about 550 horsepower and positioned ahead of the driver, with the public unveiling at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Show, according to Autocar sources from Japan. At the same time, that car will not have the same long nose as the concept (pictured) but “Corvette overtones.”
Soon after the brand and the NSX launch in Europe, Honda will follow it up with a range of rear-wheel drive sedans no doubt based on the NSX platform, in order to compete with the likes of Infiniti, Lexus and BMW. The first big sedan, aimed to compete with BMW’s 7-series, should be out in 2015.
04/17, 1:46 PM
posted by:
Need4SSpeed
Just as long as it doesn’t look like that. Or those other sketches LLN showed us like a couple months back. Acura/Honda should have just kept it a mid engine layout, and kept the looks original like the NSX used to be.
04/17, 1:47 PM
posted by:
BlackX
This looks great, and on the paper its great.
04/17, 2:00 PM
posted by:
jumpoffit
so honda and toyota are going with V10s, while nissan stuck with a twin turbo V6 – and i’m not sure about this design here either, it resembles the LF-A to me.. of course the rear i know is different but from the view here, i don’t like
04/17, 2:03 PM
posted by:
hateful83
Why is acura going after these brands? I can’t figure it out. Is the market for these types of cars so large that it’s worth chasing after?
04/17, 2:05 PM
posted by:
Need4SSpeed
Thank God, the public denounced this concept which sent Acura back to the drawing boards, And you think the engineers over at Honda and Acura would be smarter than this. Your original inspiration exists right in front of you…
04/17, 2:11 PM
posted by:
LexusSoarer
It’s a shame that this vehicle will be called the NSX, because it deviates from every-single-thing that made the first NSX what it was.
Still, it should be badass.
04/17, 2:17 PM
posted by:
shaver
Huge disappointment not sticking with original formula. Props for finally waking up and going rear drive on line-up. Never have had any respect for Acuras (NSX, integra, RSX are exceptions) because of economy car layout and underpinnings.
04/17, 4:40 PM
posted by:
Commodore
That is going to be a very difficult launch in Europe considering that nearly ALL Euro Hondas are actually the Acuras that we get. Look up “Euro Honda Accord” on google images to see what I mean.
http://www.nextcar.com.au/i.honda.accord.euro.grey.left.05nov.jpg
How are they going to convince the European public to buy the kinds of cars that they bought before the Acura brand launched under the Honda brand, but now pay a much bigger price.
04/17, 4:47 PM
posted by:
LaCaLover
why not just visit http://www.honda.co.uk
04/17, 5:13 PM
posted by:
The Stig
Front end seems influenced by Audi’s R8.
04/17, 5:21 PM
posted by:
olds307
Garbage.
04/17, 5:35 PM
posted by:
xkr
Its about time Acura stepped in to Lexus territory.
04/17, 6:05 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
The beauty of the old NSX was that because of its silky drivetrain it wasn’t much different than driving a Civic or Accord when you had to peddle it in stop and go traffic. I would have loved it if they had gone for something that looked exotic, but came in at a Corvette pricepoint and maintained the character of the original.
04/17, 9:51 PM
posted by:
autonut
johnnycanuck, it was a great car. It looked great on Harvey Kietel in Pulp Fiction. I loved to drive so much, that I used to go from dealer to dealer in wife’s Legend and test drive it on Saturdays.
04/17, 9:53 PM
posted by:
autonut
I hope this image isn’t next one – it is a penis with strange inflammation on wheels.
04/17, 10:08 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
agreed autonut, if that’s it they need to go back to the drawing board… again. Did they not keep one of the originals around for inspiration? I’d love to see someone with photo-shop skills conjure up a modern reincarnation.
04/17, 10:11 PM
posted by:
HemiRoadRunner
It does look like a dick. Nice imagination you have there. Everything else they have looks like **** so…..
04/17, 10:20 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Nice analogy, HemiR.
04/17, 10:37 PM
posted by:
autonut
johnny, I truly believe that if Honda would drop some coins on Italian design house something great could come out. I don’t know what happen, but since mid 90s their cars lost zest and now it jump to trucks. It is sad to see great engineering not being wrapped in appropriate form.
04/18, 12:38 AM
posted by:
AMGoff
Who cares about the NSX… it’s always been kind of the “red-headed stepchild” of sports cars anyway.
The bigger problem is that Honda is actually thinking about launching the Acura brand in Europe. Yeah… that’s going to happen. I can’t imagine too many Europeans are going to pay a premium for some rebadged Honda. Maybe if Acura were more of a full-fledged luxury car maker and not just some premium/entry-lux player they could pull it off… but it’s going to be a much harder sell in Europe where the real luxury car makers are firmly entrenched.
If nothing else, they’re at least finally talking about building some RWD cars… I suppose everyone has to start somewhere.
04/18, 9:23 PM
posted by:
autonut
When NSX came out at list price of 60K, during the first year there were a lot sold for 75-90. I believe Honda wasted opportunity with this model as well as S2000. Well, they’ve been making cars only for 45 years. Eventually they will learn.
04/21, 10:33 PM
posted by:
Need4SSpeed
Yeah, just for the record everyone this was the concept that came out back in like 05, 06? Honda/Acura announced due to the public’s reaction, or lack of attention to it that they were going back to the drawing boards on it’s design. Although they didn’t state that it was going back a mid engine set up. From what i’ve read I think they’re committed to keeping it front engine. LMAO to Autonut’s comment. I thought I was the only one that did that?