back to article Honda NSX reborn as a hybrid

CES 2012 Week Don't let the Acura badges fool you, what you are looking at here is the new Honda NSX, the long overdue replacement for what many people regard as the finest handling road car ever made. Honda next-gen NSX Under the striking bodywork sits a mid-mounted V-6 VTEC engine and what Honda is calling a Sport …

COMMENTS

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  1. Tom_

    Looks great from the side and poo from the front and back.

    FACT.

    1. GatesFanbois
      Headmaster

      Errr no..

      I think you will find that is actually an opinion and not a fact.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Errr no..

        And a WRONG opinion at that.

  2. Ian Ferguson
    Thumb Up

    Concept?

    Holy crap that's gorgeous.

    Is it a concept, a prototype or the actual model that will go on sale, though? If it's going on sale in 2015 I think it's safe to say it's the former. Let's hope they don't have to make many changes.

    1. Rob Quinn
      Pint

      It says Concept on the plates, but the actual released Civic looks a lot like the concept, maybe Honda have worked out we all want the concept cars, not what comes out after the beancounters have put thier knife to the projects.

      Beauty is in the eyes of the beer holder.

    2. Roger Greenwood
      Go

      So this is why . .

      I can't get my Skydeck - too busy on the NSX.

  3. Arctic fox
    Thumb Up

    I was going to ask how much it was likely to cost, then I remebered that...........

    ...................if I needed to ask I couldn't afford it! Lovely motor.

  4. Jaap stoel

    Go like stink?

    I thought Hybrids where supposed to stink LESS

  5. nordwars
    Thumb Up

    It's Gawdgus

    However, I get the feeling somehow that it might be outside of my price range....

  6. JDX Gold badge

    Hybrid?

    In this case isn't it like saying a F1 car is a hybrid because they have an electric motor connected to the KERS?

  7. Rich_Herds_Cats
    Thumb Up

    What? No pop-up headlights...

    But it's still gorgeous.

    For the poor/impatient, it's coming to GT5 next week! Video on youtube.

    1. g e

      Popup schmopup

      Popups are just one more thing that can fail, and they bugger up your airflow cos they err... popup :o)

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. Malcolm 1

        Also they tend to do nasty things to any pedestrians you might ..er.. abruptly encounter on the road.

        1. Galidron

          Don't forget trying to open them after a snow or ice storm.

  8. That Awful Puppy
    Thumb Up

    Oh god, I want this. Not usually a car person, but I have a thing for Hondas.

  9. g e
    Happy

    Dear Santa....

    I think you know what I'm going to ask for...

  10. Richard Jukes

    Hopefully they will hook up a 6kva diesel generator in and hook it up to a 200 amp fast charger, inverter and a nice big lion baterry bank. The 'electric' car revolution wont be won by burning anything other than diesel intially - a 6kva generator is used around about 1.5 litres of diesel an hour (charging at 200 amps, can be fine tuned to much less at less amps) using some clever software and fine tuning it would be possible to use the batterys/capacitors to provide instant peak load and start/stop the generator to provide both performance and efficiency.

    1. Bodhi

      What a terrible idea. Please, please, never have anything to do with vehicle development. Ever.

      Diesel indeed. In an NSX. What's next? the Mona Lisa with a tache?

      1. James Hughes 1

        So terrible in fact that Lotus are designing engines (petrol) that work just like that. Good job they don't design cars either...er...hold on....

      2. Fibbles

        He's suggesting a diesel generator with an electric engine by the sound of it, not an actual diesel engine. Having the electric driving the wheels would be fast, responsive and develop enough torque to spin the planet under the car...

      3. HipposRule
        FAIL

        Le Mans

        Ever heard of it? Peugeot/Audi diesels

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Hello gorgeous!

    Nuff sed. :-)

  12. Tony Barnes
    Thumb Up

    Nice - shame about the arse

    As per Tom, bar I like the front. Side on = wowsers!

    Will never own one... oh well...

  13. cliveski
    Thumb Up

    Direct drive is the way to go

    Separate motors directly attached to individual wheels is absolutely the way to go for max power, control and efficiency. It makes the control electronics a minor nightmare but the simplicity (or lack) of the drive train is a huge bonus and the torque levels you can achieve at the wheels is mind-boggling. Can't understand why more manufacturers don't do it (probably because they're converting petrol/diesel shells to electric/hybrid rather than designing from scratch). The only question is why they've stopped at 3 motors and have to share power to rear wheels from single unit - can't be a question of cost surely?!.

    1. Steven Raith

      one rear motor allows...

      ...LSD-led grip/powersliding - and a simpler drivetrain if you have a conventional engine in the mix too.

      You could try to get two electric motors at the wheels to work in tandem with an LSD, but I think that way only leads to lots of diff replacements as the surface changes and it eats itself up.

      Wanging a big leccy motor to the gearbox output shaft (or the flywheel, or whatever) lets them keep the electric boooooost (or eco mode) without having to redesign the tried and tested limited slip diff - IE getting jiggy with some fancy electromechanical one, etc, suspect.

      So not a money issue per se, more one of not reinventing the wheel. Hondas first new supercar in years, they probably don't want it to be remembered as the car that ate it's diff every thousands miles, if they get the development wrong.

      Steven R

      1. cliveski
        Happy

        Yes, makes sense when you put it like that. Thanks Steven.

        1. James Hughes 1

          Using the existing transmission means more parasitic power losses (LSD's soak a lot of power). Much better to take the hi ton the electronics and use motors per wheel.

          1. Steven Raith

            Motors per wheel

            Full electric drive is an issue when it comes to range - Teslas (the only real comparitor here) have a poor range when driven hard, and apparently the torque isn't good for gearboxes.

            Hybrids at least can be filled up on the road; you can't (realistically) top up your Tesla with a new battery pack at any service station, in any country in the world. A dozen laps of the Nurburging or a a hard driven trackday, and you're driving your Tesla home on a trailer.

            NSX concept? Wang some 98 RON in there and you're on your way.

            Honda had enough problems shifting NSXs originally - (no-one believed Honda could make a supercar that could outhandle a Ferrari and be driven by your granny to the shops) so I doubt they'd want to limit their market even further the second time around.

            Practicality is the problem. The Tesla - and all electric cars at the moment - are close to being toys, not through their marketing or intent, but just due to the nature of the power sources.

            I agree, however, that full electric drive is The Way Forward; just not yet. But then, look at the Jaguar CX concept (IIRC - you know the one I mean); twin gas turbines powering the generators for four 250hp electric motors, on per wheel, direct drive of 1000hp. And 50+mpg.

            Now *that's* progress.

  14. geekclick
    Thumb Up

    For sale...

    Kidneys

    Liver

    Lung

    First born

    I want....

    1. Goat Jam

      Once you've sold your liver you won't really be in a position to appreciate the car much

      1. MrT
        Angel

        Yup...

        ...remember me in your will - just the car will do ;-)

  15. DanceMan

    Drive

    I would assume from re-reading the article that the V6 drives the rear wheels and the electric motors drive the front and assist the rears. Makes me question why not go to all electric drive (with the V6 driving an alternator) with 4 motors, eliminating the diff and allowing more computer assist in handling. I'd guess that the alternator would have to be too large and heavy to provide the requisite power.

    Lovely car, except for those awful wheels. Put them back on the chrome Hummer, please.

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