Honda NSX order books now open

ChrisD. · 21 Apr 2013 at 10:57

Since it made its debut in Detroit at the start of last year, the new Honda NSX has had many of us drooling over its chiselled looks, as well as the prospect of its 500hp-or-so hybrid powertrain. And order books are officially open.

A £5,000 deposit is all you’ll need to bag yourself an example of the car that’ll undoubtedly be one of the hybrid stars of 2015. That’s the one proviso, mind: you’ll have to wait around two years before you can actually take delivery. Still, if you can wait that long, and you have got the cash – as, says Honda, have 20 people already – you’ll be able to partake of Honda’s splendidly-named Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, or SH-AWD for short. This system will use a combination of two electric motors, one for each front wheel and around 50hp each, with a “bi-lateral torque-adjustable control system” that instantly generates negative or positive torque to each front wheel in corners. Honda says that that will allow the NSX to offer “handling performance unmatched by previous AWD systems”. And the rest of the power looks set to be provided by a 3.5-litre VTEC-equipped V6 rated at around 400hp.

Confident-sounding stuff, but then the NSX will be up against stiff opposition when it does make its appearance. The BMW i8 will be perhaps its most obvious rival; that'll also feature a trick combination of two electric motors, this time apportioned to both front and rear axles to offer what BMW calls ‘eDrive’ – a different style of system, but touted as being no less revolutionary. There’s also the prospect of the Lotus Evora414E, should that ever make production, and likewise the Infiniti Emerg-E that’s based around its powertrain. And further up the scale, there are the likes of the Porsche 918 Spyder, the McLaren P1, and the LaFerrari, not to mention the upcoming Audi R10 diesel hybrid hypercar that’s rumoured to be in development. All will produce vastly more power and cost a fair whack more to boot, though, meaning direct competition will more likely come in the form of the more conventionally-powered Audi R8, McLaren 12C and Ferrari 458 Italia.

Honda hasn’t released any pricing details as yet, though we’re sure they’ll tell you if you ask them nicely while waving your £5,000 cheque provocatively at them, but reports suggest that the NSX will cost anywhere from £75,000 to £100,000 when it does hit the market. Of course, if that’s too rich for your blood, there’s always the much-loved original which, Monkey reckons, might just be worth snaffling now while prices are reasonable. This 1997 example looks honest, with a cracking colour combination of dark green and tan, a high spec, plenty of history and just one owner from new. For the money, that represents an awful lot of car in our book!

http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=27567

bledd · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:26

Good god, most modern wheel designs look ghastly! Love the rest of the looks

ChrisD. · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:29

Personally for me it's a fail. They should make this:

bledd · 21 Apr 2013 at 11:32

Oh yes, they are stunning

Draeger · 21 Apr 2013 at 12:28

The new NSX looks absolutely fan-bloody-tastic.

mccarf · 21 Apr 2013 at 12:38

Ace looking car

The Running Man · 21 Apr 2013 at 12:39

I don't get why they want it to be a hybrid or awd. Surely all the good points for the original were, quick, relatively cheap, light, well balanced

Throwing electric motors at it will surely mean it will lose most if the things it was revered for?

{SAS}TB · 21 Apr 2013 at 12:51

Nice

Housey · 21 Apr 2013 at 12:54

Interesting, just a show car at the moment, but like 400bhp NA engine not least if it red lines at 10K

Sin_Chase · 21 Apr 2013 at 18:46

3.5-litre VTEC-equipped V6 rated at around 400hp

Ohhhyeaaaah.

Jono8 · 21 Apr 2013 at 19:10

"rest of the power looks set to be provided by a 3.5-litre VTEC-equipped V6 rated at around 400hp"

That sounds amazing. :eek:

Kenai · 21 Apr 2013 at 19:50

Housey said:
Interesting, just a show car at the moment, but like 400bhp NA engine not least if it red lines at 10K

I can see this being a lovely high revving engine, given Honda's 'thing' is high revs you can only imagine they'll be looking to completely redefine the bar with a car like this.

sports_brah · 21 Apr 2013 at 19:59

Looks better than ferrari's new enzo.

I would very much like this car.

PwnDirect · 21 Apr 2013 at 21:57

Its is going to built in Ohio :rolleyes:

lemonade · 21 Apr 2013 at 22:36

The worst thing is they are going to call this the NSX, when it has no relation to it technically, style etc. They should retire the NSX moniker unless they do a proper successor for it.

G-MAN2004 · 21 Apr 2013 at 22:41

Looks like an R8 crossed with an MP4-12C has crashed through a few Halfords stores.

Kenai · 21 Apr 2013 at 22:45

lemonade said:
The worst thing is they are going to call this the NSX, when it has no relation to it technically, style etc. They should retire the NSX moniker unless they do a proper successor for it.

If Wikipedia is to be believed though, the name NSX was derived from 'New Sportscar eXperimental' and as such, an experimental new sports car like that concept fits the moniker pretty well really

Ant84 · 21 Apr 2013 at 23:05

That looks brilliant. Hadn't seen it until now.

Shame I don't have £75k burning a hole in my pocket.

adam cool dude · 21 Apr 2013 at 23:23

Does nothing for me. All the bling and chrome they put on cars now makes them look tacky. DRL's especially. Thats what Lambo's are for.

I hope underneath all that they make a balanced chassis with a high revving engine then maybe I will like it.

At this moment in time I would rather much have a NSX-R GT

MoBo · 21 Apr 2013 at 23:31

I want one. :cool:

Honda NSX order books now open

Thug