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Honda NSX (second generation)

Honda NSX (second generation)

The Honda NSX (second generation), marketed as the Acura NSX in North America and China, is a 2-seater, all-wheel drive, mid-engine hybrid sports car developed and manufactured by Honda in the United States. It succeeds the original NSX that was produced in Japan from 1990 to 2005.

Honda NSX GT500 (2nd Generation)
Honda NSX (NC1)
2017 Honda NSX 3.5 Front.jpg
Overview
ManufacturerHonda
Also calledAcura NSX (North America and China)
ProductionMay 2016–present[1]
AssemblyMarysville, Ohio, United States (Performance Manufacturing Center)
DesignerMichelle Christensen
Toshinobu Minami (2012 Concept)[2]
Body and chassis
ClassSports car (S)
Body style2-door coupé
LayoutLongitudinal mid-engine, all-wheel drive / rear-wheel drive (NSX GT3 only)
Powertrain
Engine3.5 L JNC1 twin-turbocharged V6
Electric motordual front electric motors, single rear electric motor
Transmission9-speed dual clutch
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,630 mm (104 in)
Length4,470 mm (176 in)
Width1,940 mm (76 in)
Height1,215 mm (47.8 in)
Curb weight1,725 kg (3,803 lb)
Chronology
PredecessorHonda NSX (first generation)
CategorySuper GT GT500
ConstructorHonda
PredecessorHonda HSV-010 GT
Technical specifications[46]
ChassisCarbon-fibre monocoque
Suspension (front)Double wishbone, pushrod operated, twin dampers and torsion bars
Suspension (rear)Double wishbone, pushrod operated, twin dampers and spring
Length4,650–4,775 mm (183–188 in)
Width1,950 mm (77 in)
Height1,150 mm (45 in)
EngineHonda HR-414E (2014), HR-415E (2015), HR-416E (2016), HR-417E (2017), HR-418E (2018), HR-419E (2019) 2.0L (1,995 cc (122 cu in)) inline-4 single-turbocharged, mid-mounted
TransmissionHewland 6-speed sequential semi-automatic gearbox
Power405 kW (551 PS)
Weight1,020 + 70 kg (2,249 + 154 lb) hybrid weight
FuelVarious
LubricantsVarious
BrakesHydraulic ventilated carbon disk. AP Racing calipers
TyresBridgestone Potenza, Dunlop Direzza and Yokohama ADVAN
Tan-Ei-Sya/SSR wheels
Competition history
Notable entrantsJapanAutobacs Racing Team Aguri
JapanKeihin Real Racing
JapanDome
JapanNakajima Racing
JapanTeam Kunimistu
JapanTeam Mugen
JapanDrago Modulo Honda Racing
Notable driversItalyVitantonio Liuzzi
JapanKosuke Matsuura
JapanToshihiro Kaneishi
JapanKoudai Tsukakoshi
JapanNaoki Yamamoto
FranceJean-Karl Vernay
FranceFrédéric Makowiecki
JapanTakuya Izawa
BelgiumBertrand Baguette
JapanDaisuke Nakajima
JapanTakashi Kogure
JapanHideki Mutoh
JapanTomoki Nojiri
United KingdomOliver Turvey
United KingdomJenson Button
JapanTadasuke Makino
JapanTakashi Kobayashi
Debut2014 Okayama GT 300km
RacesWinsPolesF.Laps
4081211
Teams' Championships1 (2018)
Drivers' Championships1 (Jenson Button & Naoki Yamamoto, 2018)

Development

Acura NSX Concept at the 2012 North American International Auto Show

Acura NSX Concept at the 2012 North American International Auto Show

Honda NSX Concept at the 2014 Indonesia International Motor Show

Honda NSX Concept at the 2014 Indonesia International Motor Show

In December 2007, Honda America's CEO, Tetsuo Iwamura, confirmed to the automotive press that a new sports car powered by a V10 engine would make its debut to the market by 2010.[3] The new sports car would be based on the Acura ASCC (Advanced Sports Car Concept) introduced at the 2007 North American International Auto Show.[4] With Honda's CEO Takeo Fukui challenging the developers to make the car faster than its rivals,[5] prototypes of the vehicle were seen testing on the Nürburgring in June 2008.[6] On December 17, 2008, Fukui announced during a speech about Honda's revised financial forecasts that, due to poor economic conditions, all plans for a next-generation of the NSX had been cancelled.[7] In March 2010, the Acura NSX project changed its name to Honda HSV-010 GT and was entered in the Japanese SuperGT Championship. The HSV-010 GT was powered by a 3.4-liter V8 producing a power output of more than 500 hp (373 kW) and was equipped with a sequential manual transmission from Ricardo. The HSV-010 GT never made it into production stage.

In April 2011, Automobile magazine reported that Honda was developing a new sports car to be a successor to the original NSX.[8] The magazine reported that the car would be exhilarating to drive but also environmentally friendly. It was expected that the vehicle will incorporate an electric drivetrain to give the petrol engine a boost of power.[9] In late 2010, Motor Trend reported that Honda was developing a mid-engine hybrid electric sports car to be an NSX successor.[10]

In December 2011, Acura announced that they would unveil the next generation of the NSX in concept form at the 2012 North American International Auto Show. On January 9, 2012, Acura unveiled the 2012 Acura NSX Concept to the general public.[11]

The new concept retained a 2-door coupe, mid-engine layout but with all-wheel drive. The use of a high-tech platform made from lightweight materials permitted the weight to be low. Power came from a 3.5 L V6 engine mounted behind the cockpit, sending its power to the rear wheels. Acura's SH-AWD incorporates one electric motor in a dual-clutch transmission to augment the thermal engine thus forming a hybrid setup. Additionally, two more electric motors able to instantly send negative or positive torque to the front wheels during cornering also formed part of the powertrain.

Acura claimed the resulting all-wheel drive system would provide better handling and matching acceleration while offering greater efficiency relative to the naturally aspirated 4.5-litre V8 engine in the Ferrari 458, the NSX's main competitor.

Marketing and reception

In September 2011, during filming of The Avengers, Robert Downey, Jr. (playing the role of Iron Man) was spotted in an exotic sports car similar to the new NSX, made specifically for the film,[12] rather than the Audi R8 he previously drove in Iron Man and Iron Man 2.[13][14] The car itself was built by Trans FX using an existing 1992 NSX. Its design was an altered form of the new NSX's final design in order to avoid leaks and speculations about the new sports car by the media.[15]

A Super Bowl advertisement for the vehicle began airing in early February 2012, featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno.

In 2013, Acura launched an online configuration tool for the new NSX on Facebook.[16] Later that year, the car was featured in the video game Gran Turismo 6.[17]

Referring to the second generation NSX, noted automotive design critic Robert Cumberford said that its "very hard to mess up the styling of a mid-engine sports car... but Acura has managed it."[18]

Although the original name was retained—which stood for "New Sportscar eXperimental"—the second generation model's name has been defined as "New Sports eXperience".[19]

In addition, as opposed to the first generation of the NSX, the second generation of the NSX is described by its lead designer, Michelle Christensen, as "An American muscle car in an Italian exotic car's body."

Official launch and production

Announcements

On December 27, 2014, Honda announced that the second-generation of the NSX flagship sports car would debut at the 2015 North American International Auto Show. The introduction of the 2015 Acura NSX on January 12, 2015 was broadcast live on YouTube.

Debut

Honda Performance Manufacturing Center (Marysville, Ohio)

Honda Performance Manufacturing Center (Marysville, Ohio)

In December 2015, the North American pricing was announced from US$156,000 for the base specification, to US$205,000 for a fully equipped model.[20].

At the same time, Honda announced the European debut for the NSX at the 85th Geneva Motor Show, alongside the fourth generation of the Civic Type R.[21]

The first production vehicle with VIN #001 was auctioned off by Barrett Jackson on January 29, 2016.[22] NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick won the auction with a bid for US$1,200,000. The entire proceeds from the auction were donated to the charities Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Camp Southern Ground.[23][24][25][26][27] The first NSX rolled off the production line in Ohio on May 24, 2016.[28][29][30][31][32]

Specifications

Mechanically, the second generation of the NSX represents a significant departure from the first generation since it features a twin-turbocharged 75-degree DOHC 4 valves per cylinder 3.5-litre V6 engine generating a maximum power output of 500 hp (507 PS; 373 kW) at 6,500-7,500 rpm and 550 N⋅m (406 lb⋅ft) of torque at 2,000-6,000 rpm, mated to a three electric motor Sport Hybrid SH-AWD system and a 9-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). The combined total output is 573 hp (581 PS; 427 kW) and 476 lb⋅ft (645 N⋅m) of torque. The car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.9 seconds, and has a top speed in excess of 307 km/h (191 mph). The NSX completes a quarter-mile run in 11.2 seconds.[33][34] Structurally, the body utilises a space frame design, which is made from aluminium, ultra-high strength steel, and other rigid and lightweight materials, some of which are the world's first applications.

Production of the second generation of the NSX commenced in 2015 at the Honda Performance Manufacturing Center in Marysville, Ohio, which is housed inside Honda's former North American Logistics facility and located in the midst of Honda's existing R&D and production engineering operations. The powertrain is separately assembled by Honda associates at its engine plant in Anna, Ohio.[35][36]

Dimensions

The table below indicates the change in dimensions,[37] relative to the original second generation concept car presented in 2012:

Second-gen NSX2012 NSX ConceptDifference2005 NSXDifference
Length4,470 mm (176 in)4,390 mm (173 in)+80 mm (3.1 in)4,425 mm (174.2 in)+45 mm (1.8 in)
Width1,940 mm (76 in)1,915 mm (75.4 in)+25 mm (0.98 in)1,810 mm (71 in)+130 mm (5.1 in)
Height1,215 mm (47.8 in)1,200 mm (47 in)+15 mm (0.59 in)1,170 mm (46 in)+45 mm (1.8 in)
Wheelbase2,630 mm (104 in)2,610 mm (103 in)+20 mm (0.79 in)2,530 mm (100 in)+100 mm (3.9 in)
Front track1,655 mm (65.2 in)1,510 mm (59 in)+145 mm (5.7 in)
Rear track1,615 mm (63.6 in)1,540 mm (61 in)+75 mm (3.0 in)

Awards

Road & Track named the NSX as its 2017 Performance Car of the Year. The magazine lauded the NSX for its use of hybrid technology in the service of an emotional driving experience.[38] The NSX also won the AutoGuide.com Readers' Choice Car of the Year Award for achieving high performance with a natural driving feel.[39] The NSX was the Business Insider 2016 Car of the Year on the strength of its striking styling and its unique drivetrain for a car in its price range.[40] The Green Car Journal 2017 Luxury Green Car of the Year award went to the NSX for its combination of performance and efficiency.[41] Automobile staff voted the NSX to its list of 2017 All-Stars; the car won the honor "by consistently putting a grin on drivers’ faces" during testing.[42]

Sales

Calendar yearCanadaEuropeUS
201650[43]?269[44]
201749[43]126[45]581[44]

European sales statistics are from the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

Motorsports

Honda NSX GT3 on display at the 2017 Suzuka 1000

Honda NSX GT3 on display at the 2017 Suzuka 1000

The NSX Concept-GT, a race car based on the NSX concept, made for the GT500 class of the 2014 Super GT season, was unveiled in Round 5 of the 2013 Autobacs Super GT at Suzuka Circuit.[47][48] The NSX Concept-GT got its first pole by Keihin Real Racing at Fuji Speedway in August and the race was won by the Weider Dome Racing team.

Echoing the exploits of the first generation, Honda announced plans to develop a GTE racing version of the new NSX to compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, starting in 2015.[49] In an interview with Racer magazine in July 2015, HPD Vice President Steve Eriksen hinted that the changes in LMP2 regulations proposed for 2017 - which would rule out manufacturer-linked entries such as HPD's ARX-04b - could prompt them to use the NSX in the USCC or WEC.[50] During the 2016 New York International Auto Show, Honda announced the GT3 version of the NSX, to begin competition in 2017.[51]

In September 2016, Acura confirmed their factory support for the NSX GT3 during the 2017 season. Michael Shank Racing would field two entries in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD class, whereas RealTime Racing would also enter two cars in the Pirelli World Challenge GT class, the latter replacing the Acura TLX. During its first season of racing, the NSX GT3 scored its first race victory at Belle Isle, followed by another win at the following round of the championship, the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen.

In 2017, Honda launched the NSX-GT, replacing the NSX Concept-GT.[52] The NSX-GT is Honda's first production car-based GT500 competitor in eight years. However, unlike the NSX Concept-GT and the road-going NSX, the NSX-GT lacks a hybrid system.[53]

The NSX-GT will use the front-engine layout for 2020 Super GT season.[54]

References

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